Keridine & Requena+507 204-6654

Residency in Panama · U.S. & Canadian citizens

Permanent residency in Panama through your pension or your investment.

Check which route fits you

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The four most common legal routes for retirees and investors from the United States and Canada — handled end to end by a Panamanian law firm, from the first document to your residency card.

  • Permanent residency, no renewals (Pensionado & Qualified Investor)
  • U.S. dollar is legal tender
  • One team: law firm + real estate (BROKRS)

Keridine & Requena · Panama City · Bilingual team (EN/ES)

Why U.S. and Canadian retirees and investors choose Panama

Your money keeps its value.

The U.S. dollar is legal tender in Panama. No exchange risk on your pension, your rent or your investment.

Territorial tax system.

Panama taxes only income generated inside Panama. Foreign-source income (pensions, dividends, rentals abroad) is generally not taxed here.¹

Close to home.

Direct flights to major U.S. hubs and to Toronto. Same time zone as U.S. Eastern Time (Panama does not observe daylight saving).

Permanent, not temporary.

Two of the four main routes grant permanent residency directly, with no renewals.

Your family comes with you.

Spouse, children under 18 and dependent parents can be included in every route; students up to 25.

A privileged position for your passport.

U.S. and Canadian citizens are on Panama's Friendly Nations list — the most flexible route available.

¹ U.S. citizens continue to file with the IRS regardless of residence; Canadians should review tax-residency status with their advisor. We coordinate with your home-country tax professional.

The four most common routes for U.S. and Canadian citizens

Panama offers more than twenty residency categories. These four are the ones most retirees and investors from the U.S. and Canada actually use — each with one core requirement. If none fits your case, there are other options (see below); everything else — documents, filings, appointments — is handled by our team.

Permanent · For retirees

Pensionado (Retiree) Visa

Who it's for

Anyone receiving a lifetime pension — Social Security, CPP/QPP, OAS, a government or corporate pension, or an annuity from a private plan.

Core requirement

  • Lifetime pension of US$1,000 per month or more.
  • Reduced to US$750 per month if you buy property in Panama in your own name for US$100,000 or more.
  • Retired couples can combine both pensions to reach the minimum.

What you get

  • Permanent residency with no expiration and no renewals.
  • Access to Panama's retiree discount program (Ley 6) — see below.

Family: +US$250/month of pension (or a local bank reference) per dependent.

Ask about the Pensionado Visa

Permanent · For investors

Qualified Investor (Real Estate)

Who it's for

Investors who want permanent residency directly through a property purchase.

Core requirement

  • Real estate investment of US$300,000 or more (threshold in force until October 15, 2026; it rises to US$500,000 after that date).
  • Two ways to qualify: direct purchase of a property free of liens, or a promise-to-purchase agreement for a property still being formalized.
  • If the property costs more than the minimum, the excess can be financed with a local mortgage.

What you get

  • Permanent residency granted directly, with no expiration.
  • The investment must be held for 5 years (or replaced by another qualifying investment).

Family: Spouse, children and dependent parents can be included.

Ask about the Qualified Investor Visa

Provisional → Permanent · For investors

Economic Solvency

Who it's for

Investors who prefer a bank deposit, a property, or a combination of both.

Core requirement

US$300,000 in any of these forms:

  • Fixed-term deposit in a Panamanian bank, minimum 36 months, free of liens.
  • Real estate paid with funds from abroad. The first US$300,000 must be equity; the excess can be financed locally.
  • Mixed: property + deposit adding up to US$300,000.

What you get

  • 2-year provisional residency, then permanent residency.

Family: +US$2,000 of solvency per dependent.

Ask about Economic Solvency

Provisional → Permanent · U.S. & Canada eligible

Friendly Nations Visa

Who it's for

Citizens of the United States, Canada and other countries on Panama's friendly-nations list who want to live, work or invest in Panama.

Core requirement

Prove your economic tie to Panama through one of:

  • Property of US$200,000 or more — in your name, through a company or through a private interest foundation.
  • Fixed-term deposit of US$200,000 for 3 years in a Panamanian bank.
  • Employment with a Panamanian company.

What you get

  • 2-year provisional residency, then permanent residency.
  • Eligible for a work permit.

Family: Spouse, children and dependent parents can be included.

Ask about the Friendly Nations Visa
Quick comparison
RouteCore requirementResidencyHold period
PensionadoLifetime pension ≥ US$1,000/mo (US$750 with US$100k property)Permanent, immediate—
Qualified InvestorReal estate ≥ US$300,000 (US$500,000 from Oct 15, 2026)Permanent, immediate5 years
Economic SolvencyUS$300,000 deposit, property or mix2 years → permanent3-year deposit
Friendly NationsUS$200,000 property or deposit, or employment2 years → permanent3-year deposit

Other routes we handle

These four are the most common, not the only ones. Depending on your situation, residency may also be available through: marriage to a Panamanian citizen, a Panamanian-born child, a professional or specialized-staff work contract, the City of Knowledge program, family reunification as a dependent of a resident, naturalization, after five years of permanent residency. If you're unsure which applies, tell us your situation and we'll point you to the right one.

Ask about other routesSee our immigration and residency practice

Retire in Panama with legal discounts on everyday life

Under Ley 6 of 1987, foreign residents holding a pensionado residency card receive the same discounts as Panamanian retirees. Selected benefits:

  • 50% on entertainment — cinema, theater, sporting events.
  • 25% on airline tickets, domestic and international carriers.
  • 30–50% on hotels (50% Mon–Thu, 30% Fri–Sun).
  • 25% at restaurants (15% at fast-food franchises).
  • 15% at private hospitals and clinics · 20% on medical fees · 20% on prescription medicines · 15% on dental and optometry.
  • 25% on your residential electricity, phone and water bills (within set limits).
  • 50% on closing costs of personal and commercial loans · 1 point off the interest rate on a mortgage for your own home.
  • 50% on passport fees · 20% on professional and technical services · 20% on funeral services.
  • Priority service at every public office, bank and business.

Also available to any resident aged 55+ (women) or 60+ (men), regardless of visa category. Source: official Ley 6 of 1987 leaflet (ACODECO).

Who can be included as a dependent

In every route you can include your spouse, your children under 18, and dependent parents. Children between 18 and 25 qualify if they are full-time students and financially dependent on you.

What you'll need — and how long it takes

Documents common to all routes

  • Valid passport and a second ID from your home country.
  • Criminal background check (FBI for U.S. citizens, RCMP for Canadians), apostilled.
  • Health certificate issued by a Panamanian doctor (arranged locally).
  • Passport photos and a sworn personal-background form.
  • Proof of your route: pension certificate, property title / purchase agreement, or bank deposit certificate.
  • Marriage and birth certificates (apostilled) if including family.

Timeline

Approximately 4 to 6 months from filing to approval, depending on the route and the National Immigration Service's workload.

Good to know

All foreign documents must be apostilled and translated by an official translator in Panama. We review every document before you travel so nothing is rejected at filing.

One team for the property and the paperwork

Keridine & Requena is a Panamanian law firm that works alongside BROKRS, a real estate agency. If your route involves a property, the same team that finds it reviews the title, closes the purchase and files your residency — no hand-offs between a broker and a lawyer who have never spoken to each other.

  1. 1

    Eligibility call.

    We confirm which route fits and what documents you'll need to gather at home.

  2. 2

    Preparation.

    Apostilles, translations, power of attorney, property or bank documents — we coordinate all of it before you travel.

  3. 3

    Filing and follow-up.

    We file with the National Immigration Service, accompany you to appointments and track your case until the residency card is issued.

“What we sell is trust in every action we take.”
In the partners' words · We tell you upfront what qualifies and what doesn't.

Frequently asked questions

Does my U.S. Social Security or Canadian CPP/OAS count as a lifetime pension?
Yes. Government pensions from the U.S. and Canada are accepted, as are corporate and private pensions administered by a fund, trust, insurer or bank.
Do I have to buy the property before applying?
For the Qualified Investor route, a promise-to-purchase agreement can be used to file while the sale is finalized. For Economic Solvency and Friendly Nations, the property or deposit must be in place at filing.
Can I finance the property?
Only the amount above your route's minimum. The first US$300,000 for Qualified Investor, US$300,000 for Economic Solvency or US$200,000 for Friendly Nations must be equity; the excess can be financed with a local bank.
Can I work in Panama?
The Friendly Nations route is eligible for a work permit. The Pensionado route is designed for retirees and does not include one.
Do I need to live in Panama full time?
No minimum stay is required to obtain residency. Keeping it active does require periodic entry; we advise you on the specifics for your route.
Will I pay tax in Panama on my pension or foreign income?
Panama taxes only Panama-source income. Foreign pensions and investment income are generally not taxed here. You remain subject to your home-country rules — we coordinate with your U.S. or Canadian tax advisor.
Do I have to buy through BROKRS?
No. You can bring your own property; we review the title and handle the legal side either way.

Find out which route fits you — in one call

Send us your situation (pension, budget or investment plan) and we'll tell you which route applies and what documents to gather at home.

Check my eligibilityMessage us on WhatsApp

info@keridinerequena.com · +507 204-6654

Amounts and requirements reflect the regulations in force at the date of publication and may change without notice. The Qualified Investor minimum rises from US$300,000 to US$500,000 on October 15, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice for a specific case.