Direct permanent residency — no temporary stage — from a single investment, with a territorial tax system and a citizenship pathway after five years. A clear plan, an honest timeline, no shortcuts.
Last updated: 12 June 2026 — reviewed against Panama Executive Decrees 722/2020 and 193/2024.
Free Panama Residency Assessment — real estate from ~$300,000 (window closes 15 Oct 2026), securities from ~$500,000, or a qualified bank deposit from ~$750,000.
Get Assessment| Panama Qualified Investor Visa (Residence by Investment) | |
|---|---|
| Legal framework | Executive Decree 722 (15 Oct 2020); updated by Executive Decree 193 (15 Oct 2024) |
| Residency granted | Permanent — direct, with no temporary stage |
| Investment routes | Real estate from ~$300,000 (lien-free) · securities from ~$500,000 · bank deposit from ~$750,000 |
| Hold period | 5 years (all routes) |
| $300,000 window | Closes 15 October 2026 — then ~$500,000 real estate |
| Physical presence | Minimal — one visit every two years maintains residency |
| Citizenship | Eligibility pathway after 5 years of permanent residence (not guaranteed) |
| As of | June 2026 · OPEN |
Investment amounts are ranges; any fee figures are confirmed after assessment. Thresholds are set by the Government of Panama and are subject to change.
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. The Qualified Investor Visa is built for one thing — a fast, direct route to permanent residency from a single qualifying investment.
Our role is to turn Panama's decree-based rules into a clear, executable plan and to coordinate the legal work through authorised practitioners in Panama. The objective is correctness and a file that holds up.
The Panama Qualified Investor Visa grants direct permanent residency to applicants who make a qualifying investment — most commonly lien-free real estate from ~$300,000, securities from ~$500,000, or a bank deposit from ~$750,000. It skips the temporary stage entirely, which is its defining advantage. A complete file is often approved within a few months.
Panama law firms report processing of roughly 30 to 45 business days from submission; broader agent guides cite three to six months end-to-end once documents, due diligence and the investment are in order. You don't have to be in Panama during processing — an apostilled or authenticated power of attorney is accepted. The stages you control are document quality and how cleanly the investment is structured. Find out whether your profile fits — free assessment.
Because the reduced ~$300,000 real-estate threshold is temporary. Executive Decree 193 of October 2024 extended this lower entry point until 15 October 2026; after that date it rises permanently to ~$500,000. To use the lower figure, the investment must be finalised and the application completed and submitted before the deadline — not merely initiated.
A signed purchase-and-sale contract for a $300,000-plus property can qualify, and the property can be residential or commercial, provided it is free of liens. The practical risk sits in the timing: a deal that aims to register near October 2026 carries execution risk if the deed or investment does not complete in time. That is exactly the kind of sequencing we plan around. Message us on WhatsApp.
The honest note. This program grants residence, not a passport, so there is no Schengen-mobility claim to make at the residency stage. The honest points are these: the ~$300,000 tier is a hard, time-boxed window closing 15 October 2026 — after that it is ~$500,000, and the lower price is not permanently available. Citizenship after five years is an eligibility pathway subject to government discretion and legal requirements, never automatic or guaranteed. And whether the operative cutoff is measured by submission date or by completed deed registration is something we confirm with a Panama practitioner before promising the $300k tier to anyone whose deed may register close to the deadline. Every figure here carries its as-of date for the same reason.
Panama operates a territorial tax system, which means foreign-sourced income is generally not taxed under Panamanian law — only income earned within Panama is taxed locally. For UAE and India HNW profiles whose income largely originates outside Panama, this is the headline benefit alongside fast, direct permanent residency.
This is general information, not tax advice, and your own tax position depends on where you are resident, where your income arises, and your home-country rules. Tax outcomes are personal and should be confirmed with a qualified adviser. What we can do is map how the residency itself works and coordinate the legal and documentation side so the structure is clean from the start. Talk it through in a free assessment.
Yes. Your spouse and dependent children — including dependent students — can be included, with additional government fees per dependent (reported in ranges and confirmed after assessment, never quoted upfront). Physical presence is one of Panama's lightest: a single visit every two years maintains residency, with no minimum-stay obligation.
That same light footprint — one visit every two years — is also reported to count toward citizenship eligibility, which suits applicants who want a real Plan-B base without uprooting their life in the Gulf. Investment validity must be evidenced annually, so the file does not simply close at approval. We build that ongoing evidence into the plan from day one.
No. After five years of permanent residence you become eligible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation, subject to legal requirements and government discretion — it is a pathway, not a guarantee, and the investment must be kept in place. Anyone presenting Panamanian citizenship as automatic after five years is overstating the position.
For Indian nationals there is an important sequencing point: the residency itself does not require giving up Indian citizenship, because it is residence and not a second passport. India's bar on dual citizenship would only become relevant if you later pursue Panamanian citizenship — and we cover that honestly at the citizenship stage, not before. Get the realistic version in your assessment.
All criteria and thresholds are set by the Government of Panama and are subject to change.
The Qualified Investor Visa is RBI-friendly for Indians at the residency stage, because it grants residence — not a second passport — so it does not trigger India's prohibition on dual citizenship the way Caribbean citizenship programs do. The dual-citizenship issue only arises if you later pursue Panamanian citizenship through the five-year pathway, at which point India's rules would require surrendering the Indian passport and, separately, applying for OCI (which is a long-term status, not citizenship).
Funding the investment is governed by India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme. A $300,000-plus purchase typically requires planning around the LRS cap, so this is something to map at assessment rather than assume. We do not give remittance or tax-structuring advice on this page — we flag where qualified advice is needed and coordinate the immigration file accordingly.
Disclaimer: This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
Verified against Panama law-firm and licensed-agent guidance as of 12 June 2026; figures and dates are set by the Government of Panama and subject to change.
← View all residence-by-investment pathways on the investment hub page.
Three routes qualify: lien-free real estate from ~$300,000 (until 15 October 2026, then ~$500,000), securities from ~$500,000 through licensed Panamanian brokers, or a bank deposit from ~$750,000. All are held for five years. Exact figures and any fees are confirmed after assessment.
Yes. The Qualified Investor Visa grants direct permanent residency with no temporary or provisional stage to clear first. That is its defining advantage over most residence-by-investment programs. A complete file is often approved within a few months of submission.
No. Physical presence is minimal — a single visit every two years maintains residency, with no minimum-stay obligation. The same one-visit-per-two-years footprint is reported to count toward citizenship eligibility, which suits applicants based in the Gulf.
You become eligible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation after five years of permanent residence, subject to legal requirements and government discretion, and provided the investment is maintained. It is a pathway, not a guarantee — anyone presenting it as automatic is overstating the position.
The reduced ~$300,000 real-estate threshold closes on 15 October 2026, after which it rises permanently to ~$500,000. To use the lower figure, the investment must be finalised and the application completed and submitted before the deadline — not merely started.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. We hold no Panama immigration licence; for the Panama Qualified Investor Visa, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network in Panama, while Cosmos coordinates your eligibility review, documentation and case management. Our own registrations are independently verifiable. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether Panama fits your plan — even if the answer is no.
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