--- titulo: "Humanitarian Security Protection Permit (PPSH) in Panama 2026: requirements, costs, and deadline" titulo_seo: "PPSH Permit in Panama 2026: Requirements and Costs" meta: "The PPSH window closes on March 13, 2027. Two years of legal residence plus a work permit, extendable to eight. Requirements, official costs, we file it." autor: "Diego Ospina Serna" fecha: 2026-07-10 actualizado: 2026-07-10 materia: "Immigration Law" idioma: "en" par: "permiso-de-proteccion-de-seguridad-humanitaria-ppsh-panama" resumen: "The Humanitarian Security Protection Permit (PPSH) is Panama's active path to regularize foreigners in an irregular situation. Executive Decree No. 5 of March 13, 2026 extended the application deadline to March 13, 2027. It grants a two-year temporary residence, extendable for six more years, plus a work permit. Here are the requirements, the up-to-date official costs, and how we handle it for you." tags: ["PPSH", "Immigration Regularization", "Expats Panama"] orden: 20260710 pasos: - name: "Assess the case" text: "We confirm you meet the one-year stay in Panama and the other conditions set by Executive Decree No. 5 of 2026." - name: "Prepare the power of attorney and assemble the file" text: "We draft the power of attorney and the application and gather your document file: passport, proof of address, police record, sworn statement and health certificate." - name: "File the migrant-labor registration with MITRADEL" text: "We process the migrant-labor registration before MITRADEL, which the immigration file requires." - name: "File with the National Immigration Service" text: "We formally file the application and follow up until approval and delivery of your card." faq: - q: "What is the PPSH in Panama?" a: "The Humanitarian Security Protection Permit (PPSH) is Panama's current pathway to regularize foreigners who are in an irregular migratory situation. It grants a two-year temporary residency, extendable for up to six more years, plus a work permit." - q: "Who can apply for the PPSH?" a: "Foreign nationals who have been in Panama for at least one year in an irregular situation. It replaced the former Temporary Protection Permit (PTP)." - q: "Until when can I apply for the PPSH?" a: "Until March 13, 2027, under Executive Decree No. 5 of 2026, which extended the application window by one year." - q: "Can I work with the PPSH?" a: "Yes. The work permit is processed together with the application to the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL), so the PPSH lets you work legally." fuentes: - tipo: "Legislation" nombre: "Executive Decree 6 of 11 March 2025, creating the Humanitarian Security Protection Permit. Official Gazette 30236." url: "https://infojuridica.procuraduria-admon.gob.pa/norma_screen?numsec=64357" - tipo: "Legislation" nombre: "Executive Decree 5 of 13 March 2026, amending articles 2, 5, 9 and 12 of Executive Decree 6 of 2025 and extending the application deadline to 13 March 2027. Official Gazette 30482." url: "https://infojuridica.procuraduria-admon.gob.pa/norma_screen?numsec=67064" - tipo: "Legislation" nombre: "Ministerial Resolution DM-056-2025 of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Development, recognising the Humanitarian Security Protection Permit as a work permit. Official Gazette 30258-A." url: "https://infojuridica.procuraduria-admon.gob.pa/norma_screen?numsec=64575" - tipo: "Institutions" nombre: "National Immigration Service" url: "https://iurispa.com/instituciones/servicio-nacional-de-migracion/" --- > [!tip] Program open — deadline March 13, 2027 > If you (or an employee, family member, or client of yours) are in an irregular immigration situation in Panama and have been in the country for at least one year, there is still time. At iurispa we handle your application end to end. [Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238) for a free assessment of your case, or see our [catalog of immigration permits](/servicios/migracion/). The **Humanitarian Security Protection Permit (PPSH)** is the immigration category Panama now uses to regularize foreign nationals who entered or stayed in the country without status. It was created by **Executive Decree No. 6 of March 11, 2025** and **extended by Executive Decree No. 5 of March 13, 2026**, which added one more year to the application window, through **March 13, 2027**. It replaced the former Temporary Protection Permit (PTP), whose window closed in July 2024, and improved on it: it includes an extension of up to six years. It is the most accessible path to regularization available today for anyone who wants to live and work legally. ## Who can apply for the PPSH? A foreign national who, when the decree took effect, meets these conditions may apply: 1. Is in an irregular immigration situation in Panama. 2. Has stayed in the country for no less than one year. If they left during that year, they cannot have been outside for more than sixty consecutive days. 3. Has no active immigration process and no criminal record. ## What the permit gives you - **Temporary residence for two (2) years**, allowing you to remain in the country legally. - **An extension of up to six (6) years** once the first two expire, meeting the updated requirements (for example, social-security proof or an income-tax filing). In practice, an eight-year path to immigration stability. See how it works in our guide to the **[PPSH renewal](/guias/renewal-humanitarian-security-protection-permit-ppsh-panama/)**. - **A work permit**, processed jointly with the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL). - **An ID card and multiple-entry visa**, letting you enter and leave the country. ## Requirements (Decree No. 5 of 2026) These are the documents the National Immigration Service requires: 1. Power of attorney and application filed through a legal representative. 2. Two passport-size photos, white or color background. 3. Full copy of the passport, duly notarized. 4. Proof of address, by one of three means: a notarized lease (with a copy of the landlord's ID or passport), a public-utility bill (electricity, water, cable, or internet), or a certification from the Community Judge. 5. Criminal background certificate from the country of origin, authenticated or [apostilled](/guias/apostille-and-document-authentication-panama/). 6. Sworn statement of personal background. 7. Health certificate issued by a licensed professional. 8. Copy of the migrant-labor registration filed with MITRADEL. 9. If the applicant is a minor: a notarized power of attorney granted by both parents or the legal guardian, a document proving the relationship, and an authenticated or apostilled letter of responsibility. ## Official costs Unlike other firms, we show you upfront what the State charges. These are the official PPSH fees under Decree No. 5 of 2026: | Item | Amount | Payable to | | --- | --- | --- | | Repatriation deposit | B/. 800.00 | National Immigration Service | | Immigration service | B/. 250.00 | National Immigration Service | | ID card and multiple-entry visa | B/. 100.00 | National Immigration Service | | Work permit | B/. 100.00 | National Treasury | | **Total official fees** | **B/. 1,250.00** | | Beyond those fees are the file's own expenses: professional fees, notarizations, the apostille or authentication of the criminal-record certificate, any translations, the health certificate, and the MITRADEL registration. In your assessment we give you a fixed quote, with no surprises. > [!tip] Do the numbers work for you? Let's take the first step > We give you a **free assessment**: we check whether you qualify and hand you your document checklist and a fixed quote. [Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238) or visit our [PPSH page](/en/lp/ppsh/) and let's start today — the deadline is March 13, 2027. ## How the process works, step by step 1. We assess your case and confirm you meet the one-year residence and the other conditions. 2. We prepare the power of attorney and application and assemble your document file. 3. We file the migrant-labor registration with MITRADEL. 4. We formally file the application with the National Immigration Service and follow up until approval and delivery of your card. > [!note] We handle it for you > Gathering apostilles, notarizations, and the MITRADEL registration — and meeting the deadlines — is where most applications get stuck. At iurispa we take care of the full file and of the follow-up with Immigration. [Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238) or from our [immigration services page](/servicios/migracion/), and we will tell you today whether you qualify. > [!info] The formal requirements are on the permit page > The [Humanitarian security protection](/en/migracion/proteccion-de-seguridad-humanitaria/) page lists the documents, the official fees and the estimated processing time.