The full guide, section by section
Read the first part free right here. The rest is in the PDF.
- 01Panama at a glance Free preview below
- 02Why serious buyers look at Panama Free preview below
- 03The three residency paths Free preview below
- 04Tax, in plain terms In the free PDF
- 05Which Panama fits you In the free PDF
- 06What it costs to live there In the free PDF
- 07The honest risks In the free PDF
- 08Where Panama fits in a bigger plan In the free PDF
Panama at a glance
Why serious buyers look at Panama
Dollarized
Prices, mortgages and savings are in US dollars, so there is no currency conversion for dollar-based buyers.
Territorial tax
Panama taxes income earned in Panama. Foreign-source income is generally not taxed there. US citizens still owe US tax on worldwide income (see the tax section).
Three residency paths
Qualified Investor, Friendly Nations and Pensionado. Two of them can be tied to a property purchase.
An infrastructure wave
Metro Line 3 (77% complete mid-2026), the $2.1B fourth Canal bridge, and the Panama–David railway, with future stations at Chame/Coronado and Río Hato.
Healthcare
Panama City's Hospital Punta Pacífica is a Johns Hopkins affiliate. Private care runs 40–60% below US prices; a hip replacement costs $12K–$18K vs $35K–$65K.
Many climates, one country
City, Pacific beach corridor, cool highlands at Boquete, and the Caribbean islands of Bocas del Toro.
The three residency paths
| Path | What it takes | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified Investor | Real estate: $300,000 new from the developer or $500,000 resale (Executive Decree No. 17, in force 16 Sept 2026), net of any mortgage. Or $500,000 in securities, or a bank deposit of $500,000 (state bank) / $750,000 (private bank) under Decree 17. Five-year hold. | Permanent residency on approval |
| Friendly Nations | Nationals of 50+ listed countries (including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU): $200,000 in real estate, a $200,000 three-year bank deposit, or a Panamanian job (2026 dossier) | Two-year temporary residency, then permanent |
| Pensionado | A lifetime pension of $1,000/month ($750 if you also buy real estate worth at least $100,000) (2026 dossier) | Permanent residency, plus the retiree discount card |
Citizenship is a separate step. After five years of residence you can apply to naturalize (Spanish, history and civics exams), and Panama's constitution requires you to renounce your prior nationality, with limited exceptions for Spain and Latin-American nationals by birth. Our free guide "New or resale? Panama's 2026 investor-visa rules" covers Decree 17 in detail. Confirm your route with a Panama-licensed immigration attorney.
5 more sections are in the full guide. It's free: first name and email.
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The PDF includes everything above, plus:
- Tax, in plain terms
- Which Panama fits you
- What it costs to live there
- The honest risks
- Where Panama fits in a bigger plan
More free Panama guides
Figures from our 2026 Panama market dossier (89 cited public sources: IMF, World Bank, CEPAL, Panama's tourism and statistics offices, hospital and school fee schedules, and others), Panama's Executive Decree No. 17 of 2026 for the Qualified Investor visa, and a 29 September 2026 fact-check of credit ratings, tax, citizenship and other countries' programs (rating agencies, Panama's tax authority, PwC, the constitution, official program sites). Rules and prices change: confirm anything you rely on with a Panama-licensed attorney and your own tax adviser.