Destinations
Panama
Panama grants permanent residence directly and fast — often within about 30 days — through its Qualified Investor Visa, from a 300,000 USD property purchase, paired with a territorial tax system that does not tax foreign-source income. Two things to keep honest: the 300,000 USD threshold is set to rise to 500,000 USD around October 2026, and this is residency, not a near-automatic passport.
Key facts
- From
- $300 000≈ $400 500 — estimated total, family of four, fees included
- Processing time
- 1–2 months
- Physical presence
- Applicants must enter Panama to file and collect the residence card. Afterwards there is no minimum annual stay, but permanent residence can lapse if you are absent from Panama for more than two consecutive years.
Tax at a glance
- Territorial tax: foreign-source income is not taxed in Panama
- Panama-source personal income is taxed progressively, up to 25%
- No tax on foreign capital gains, and no wealth tax
- Indirect tax (ITBMS) is low, at a 7% standard rate
- Residency does not by itself make you a Panama citizen
Frequently asked questions
Does Panama tax my foreign income?
No. Panama uses a territorial system, so income earned outside Panama is not taxed there. Only Panama-source income is taxed, progressively up to 25%. This does not by itself remove obligations to a country that taxes on citizenship, such as the United States.
Is the 300,000 USD investment figure permanent?
No. The 300,000 USD real-estate threshold for the Qualified Investor Visa is scheduled to rise to 500,000 USD around October 2026 under Decree 193-2024, unless extended again. Verify the current figure before committing.
Does Panama residency lead to a passport?
Not quickly or automatically. Naturalisation is possible only after five years of residence, is discretionary and slow in practice, and Panama’s constitution calls for renouncing your prior nationality. Treat Panama as residency first, citizenship as a distant possibility.