New or resale? Panama's 2026 investor-visa rules, explained

The rule in one minute

Panama's Qualified Investor visa gives permanent residency on approval for a qualifying investment. Since 16 September 2026 the real-estate route depends on whether the home is new or resale (Executive Decree No. 17).

New or resale: how to tell

• Ask the seller to confirm in writing that this is the first saleOnly a first sale from the developer or promoter is new under Decree 17.
• A never-occupied finished unit counts as newEven if construction finished a while ago, as long as it has never been sold or occupied.
• A unit someone lived in, rented out or bought before is resaleUnder Decree 17 it needs $500,000, whatever its age.
• Titled property onlyThe route is for titled real estate; rights-of-possession land does not qualify cleanly (see our due-diligence checklist).

Mortgages and the value that counts

Under Decree 17 the value that counts is the lower of the price you actually paid and the property's substantiated market value, minus any outstanding mortgage or lien. You can finance the part above the minimum, as long as the loan never pulls the counted value below it.