The investment route: property or a fixed term deposit
If you do not have a job in Panama, you can qualify with an investment of at least B/. 200,000.
Either you own real estate in Panama worth at least that amount, proven with a Public Registry certificate, or you keep a fixed term deposit of at least B/. 200,000 for at least three years at a general license bank in Panama, free of any lien. The property may be financed through a local bank.
Option one: real estate worth B/. 200,000
You prove the property with a certificate from the Public Registry of Panama. The decree asks that the property have a minimum value of two hundred thousand balboas. It may be in your own name, in a company of which you are the final beneficial owner, or in a private interest foundation of which you are founder and final beneficiary.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3.2.b, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021
You can use a mortgage
The decree says the purchase may be financed through a local bank. So you do not need to pay the full price in cash to use this route. What the text does not say is whether the B/. 200,000 is measured as the price you paid, the registered value or the value net of the mortgage. Before you sign a purchase for this visa, ask us to check the figures of that specific property.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3.2.b, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021
Option two: a fixed term deposit of B/. 200,000
The bank that holds the deposit must have a general license and operate in Panama. It issues a certificate that states that the deposit exists, who owns it, its amount, its term and that it is free of liens, with a term of at least three years and an amount of at least B/. 200,000. As with property, the deposit can be held by you, by your company or by your foundation.
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Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3.2.c, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021
Free of liens means you cannot pledge it
The bank must certify that the deposit is free of liens. In practice, that means you should not use it as collateral for a loan while it supports your residency. Whether you can withdraw the interest during the term, or move the deposit to another bank, is not written in the decree. Ask before you change anything.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3.2.c, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021
Property or deposit at a glance
| Real estate | Fixed term deposit | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum amount | B/. 200,000 of value | B/. 200,000 |
| How you prove it | Public Registry certificate | Certificate from a general license bank |
| Minimum term | Not set | Three years |
| Financing | Allowed through a local bank | Must be free of liens |
| Who can own it | You, your company or your foundation | You, your company or your foundation |
These routes do not give you a work permit
The property and the deposit prove your economic tie, but neither one includes permission to work in Panama. If you also want to work here, you need a work permit from MITRADEL, which is a separate application.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021; Executive Decree 16 of 2026, recitals
What the rules do not say
- Which value counts for the property: price paid, registered value or net of the mortgage.
- Whether you can buy jointly with your spouse: the text speaks only of the applicant.
- Whether you can take the deposit interest or change banks during the three years.
- Whether the money must come from abroad: the decree does not ask for it.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3, as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021; derecho-migratorio review of October 26, 2026
The old US$5,000 bank balance
Many websites still describe a route with a balance of a few thousand dollars in a Panamanian bank. That came from the original 2012 text, which asked for a bank balance as proof of solvency. The current wording, in force since August 2021, lists only three reasons: a job, real estate of B/. 200,000 and a fixed deposit of B/. 200,000 for three years.
Executive Decree 416 of 2012, article 3, original text and as worded by Executive Decree 226 of 2021
- Choose property or deposit, and decide whether you, your company or your foundation will own it.
- Before you buy, ask us to check that the property meets the B/. 200,000 value.
- For a deposit, open it at a general license bank for three years or more, with no lien.
- Ask for the Public Registry or bank certificate in time for your filing.
Looking at a property or a deposit for your residency? Send us the figures and we will tell you whether they meet the decree.
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