Countries › Panama › Guide › 8. Immigration › Panama's immigration system: non resident, temporary and permanent categories, the two year provisional permit, and the B/.250 fee plus B/.800 repatriation deposit

Panama's immigration system: non resident, temporary and permanent categories, the two year provisional permit, and the B/.250 fee plus B/.800 repatriation deposit

Last verified: 2026-10-29 · Status: Stable

Panama sorts foreigners into four categories under Decreto Ley 3 de 2008: non residents (tourists and other short stays), temporary residents (up to six years), permanent residents and persons under protection. Most permanent residence routes start with a two year provisional permit and an identity card, after which the holder applies for permanence. Every temporary or permanent residence application is filed through a Panamanian lawyer with a passport copy, criminal record, health certificate, a B/.250 fee to the National Treasury and a B/.800 repatriation deposit to the Servicio Nacional de Migración.

Panama's currency, the balboa (B/.), is at par with the US dollar, which circulates as legal tender; the Superintendencia de Bancos states that the balboa's value is on a par with the US dollar (checked 29 October 2026). USD figures therefore equal the balboa figures.

Key facts

Maximum tourist stay	90 daysDecreto Ley 3 de 2008 art. 16, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Maximum temporary residence period (general rule)	6 yearsDecreto Ley 3 de 2008 art. 18, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Provisional permit before permanence	2 yearsDecreto Ley 3 de 2008 art. 21, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Residence application fee to the National Treasury	250 PABDecreto Ley 3 de 2008 art. 28 num. 4, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Repatriation deposit to the Servicio Nacional de Migración	800 PABDecreto Ley 3 de 2008 art. 28 num. 4, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Monthly income a temporary resident must show to bring dependents	850 PABDecreto Ejecutivo 320 de 2008 art. 176, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Exchange rate used for USD conversions	1 PAB per USDBalboa at par with the US dollar (Superintendencia de Bancos), as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. Foreigners may enter under four migration categories: non resident, temporary resident, permanent resident and foreigners under the protection of the Republic. The executive regulates the subcategories, procedures and conditions for permits and visas, and foreigners may change category if they meet the requirements.Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008, arts. 14 and 15, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

2. A non resident enters occasionally without intending to settle and must have own resources for the stay. Tourists come exclusively for recreation and similar activities for no more than ninety days, without prejudice to ratified treaties and reciprocity.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 16, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

3. A temporary resident enters for work, special policy, education, cultural, religious, humanitarian or family reunification reasons for up to six years, unless special laws or agreements set other periods. Dependents are parents, spouse and children under 18; children aged 18 to 25 may be included if they study regularly and depend economically on the resident.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 18, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

4. A permanent resident enters for economic and investment reasons, special policies, demographic and other subcategories with the intention of settling. The regulation sets the minimum pensions and investments, and the executive must review them every two years against the national and global economy.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 20 and paragraph, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

5. Applicants for the permanent residence categories receive a two year provisional residence permit with an identity document; after that period they may request permanence if they meet the law and regulations.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 21, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

6. Applications for temporary or permanent residence are filed through a lawyer (except categories requested from abroad and education) with: a passport copy certified by a Panamanian notary or by the consulate; a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or residence; a health certificate issued within the previous three months; payment of B/.250 to the National Treasury as the application fee and B/.800 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración as a repatriation deposit; and a sworn statement of personal background. Foreign documents must be legalized.
Cost to do it: B/.250 fee plus B/.800 repatriation deposit per applicant, before lawyer, notary, apostille and translation costs.
Example: Main applicant plus spouse: 2 x (B/.250 + B/.800) = B/.2,100 in government payments, unless a special decree sets other amounts. / US$2,100.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 28, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

7. Religious workers, students, foreigners married to Panamanians, minors under twelve and persons exempted by special laws do not pay the repatriation deposit.Decreto Ley 3 de 2008, art. 29, 2008-02-22 official text · verified 2026-10-29

8. Dependents of a temporary resident (spouse, children under 18, parents, and children aged 18 to 25 who study full time) may apply for family reunification; the resident must show income of at least B/.850 a month, for example through a tax return, a work letter with social security records or a bank reference.
Example: Income threshold B/.850 a month. / US$850 a month.Decreto Ejecutivo 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008, arts. 175 and 176, 2008-08-08 official text · verified 2026-10-29

9. Temporary and permanent residents may enter and leave Panama without prior authorization while their permit is valid, unless authorities impose restrictions; foreigners whose residence application is still pending must obtain a multiple entry and exit visa to travel.Decreto Ejecutivo 320 de 2008 art. 264 as worded by Decreto Ejecutivo 26 de 2 de marzo de 2009 art. 61, art. 264, 2009-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-29

Category	Purpose	Term
Non resident	Tourism, transit, crew, short stay visas	Tourists up to 90 days
Temporary resident	Work, education, special policies, religion, family reunification	Up to 6 years unless special laws differ
Permanent resident	Economic and investment reasons, special policies, demographic reasons	2 year provisional permit, then permanence
Under protection	Refugees, asylees, stateless persons, provisional humanitarian status	Per protection status

Panama's migration categories, Decreto Ley 3 de 2008 arts. 14 to 23

Worked example

A founder moving to Panama with a spouse files a permanent residence application through a Panamanian lawyer. Government payments under the general rule are B/.250 plus B/.800 each, B/.2,100 (US$2,100) for the couple, before professional fees; some special routes, such as the qualified investor, set their own higher amounts.
The couple receive two year provisional cards, then apply for permanence with largely the same documents, without the criminal record and the payments in most subcategories.

Step by step

Pick the subcategory first (investor, Friendly Nations, retiree, professional, remote worker); each sets its own extra requirements on top of art. 28.
Gather apostilled or legalized civil documents, a criminal record and a recent health certificate; translate them into Spanish through an authorized translator.
Grant a power of attorney to a Panamanian lawyer, who files the application with the Servicio Nacional de Migración and pays the fee and deposit.
Complete biometric registration and obtain the provisional card; get a multiple entry visa if you will travel while the file is pending.
Calendar the two year mark to apply for permanence, and work permits with MITRADEL where the route requires them.

Common traps

Residence is not a work permit: unless the decree for your subcategory says otherwise, a MITRADEL work permit is needed to be employed (see labor/foreign-workers-and-quotas).
The criminal record must come from the country of origin or residence; where none is issued, a consular certificate plus a notarized sworn statement is required.
Leaving Panama while an application is pending without a multiple entry visa can stall the file.
Requirement sheets published by the Servicio Nacional de Migración summarize the decrees but can lag behind amendments; check the decree text.

Sources

← Labor disputes in Panama: Juntas de Conciliación y Decisión, labor courts, MITRADEL authorizations and the 60 working day deadlineVisiting Panama for business: the 90 day tourist stay, visas for restricted nationalities, the 60 day extension to change status and fines for overstays and unauthorized work →

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