Residency
Residency in Panama for foreigners
Panama has several residency routes with very different price tags, timelines and benefits. These guides compare Friendly Nations, Pensionado, Qualified Investor and the Digital Nomad permit, and explain which one actually fits your profile.
What governs this cluster
Residency in Panama is administered by the Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM) under Decreto Ley 3 of 22 February 2008, the framework statute that created the SNM and sets the general rules for immigration status. Each residency route on this site runs through its own, separate decree on top of that framework, and the decree number is what actually determines the requirements — not the marketing name a program goes by.
Friendly Nations is governed by Decreto Ejecutivo 226 of 20 July 2021, which lists the specific eligible nationalities. Pensionado runs under Ley 9 of 24 June 1987. Qualified Investor is governed by Decreto Ejecutivo 722 of 15 October 2020, as modified by Decreto Ejecutivo 109 of 2022 and Decreto Ejecutivo 193 of 2024 — three amendments to the same route, and a reminder that the terms change without an announcement to expats already in the process. The Digital Nomad permit runs under Decreto Ejecutivo 198 of 7 May 2021.
One distinction the decree numbers don't make obvious on their own: an immigration status under any of these routes is not the same thing as tax residency, which is a separate test under Panama's Fiscal Code, covered in our taxes guides.
Panama's Investor Residency: Two Programs
Panama runs two investor residency programs that both start at $300,000 and are not the same. The four routes, the ten-fold fee gap, and what each one grants.
Panama Residency Visas for Expats in 2026: The Complete Guide
Every major Panama residency route compared: Friendly Nations, Pensionado, Qualified Investor and Digital Nomad — requirements, costs and timelines.
Panama's Pensionado Visa: Every Requirement
The Pensionado requirement sheet in full: the lifetime pension rule, the $750 exception, combining spouses' pensions, and what a private pension must add.
How to Get Panama's Friendly Nations Visa in 2026
Panama's Friendly Nations Visa in 2026, from the official SNM checklist: the three qualifying routes, every document, real costs, and the provisional stage.