--- titulo: "Panama Friendly Nations Visa 2026: Requirements, Eligible Countries and Process" titulo_seo: "Panama Friendly Nations Visa 2026: Requirements" meta: "Decree 197 of 2021 opens Panama to 49 nationalities through a US$200,000 property buy or a job offer. Two years provisional, then permanent. The full list." autor: "Diego Ospina Serna" fecha: 2026-07-07 actualizado: 2026-07-07 materia: "Immigration Law" idioma: "en" par: "visa-paises-amigos-panama" resumen: "A complete guide to Panama's Friendly Nations Visa under Executive Decree 197 of 2021: the two qualifying routes (a US$200,000 real estate investment or a job offer with a work permit), the list of 49 eligible countries, the two-year provisional residency that leads to permanent residency, the documents required, and frequently asked questions." tags: ["Immigration", "Friendly Nations", "Expats Panama"] orden: 20260707 faq: - q: "What is the Panama Friendly Nations Visa?" a: "It is a residency permit for nationals of countries with friendly, professional or economic ties to Panama. Since the 2021 reform it grants a two-year provisional residency that then converts into permanent residency, based on either a real-estate investment or a local employment relationship." - q: "Which countries qualify for the Friendly Nations Visa?" a: "The list is set by Executive Decree 197 of 2021 and includes roughly 49 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, among them the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most of the European Union." - q: "How much do I need to invest?" a: "The most common route is a real-estate purchase of at least US$200,000 in your own name (which may be financed), or qualifying through a formal employment relationship with a Panamanian company." - q: "Does the Friendly Nations Visa grant permanent residency?" a: "Yes, but no longer immediately. Since 2021 you first receive a two-year provisional residency and then apply for permanent residency, keeping the conditions that gave you access." fuentes: - nombre: "Executive Decree 197 of May 7, 2021 (Official Gazette 29290-A)" - nombre: "National Immigration Service" url: "https://iurispa.com/instituciones/servicio-nacional-de-migracion/" --- The **Friendly Nations Visa** is one of Panama's best-known residency routes for citizens of a list of countries with which Panama has friendly, professional and economic ties. It was substantially reformed by **Executive Decree No. 197 of May 7, 2021**, so much of the information circulating online is outdated. This guide explains how it works today, with the correct figures. > This guide is informational and not personalized legal advice. ## What changed in 2021 Before the reform, the Friendly Nations Visa granted **permanent** residency almost immediately and accepted broad proof of "economic ties" (including simply forming a company). Executive Decree 197 of 2021 tightened it: - It now grants **two-year provisional residency** first; permanent residency is requested afterward. - The old "form a company" route as proof of solvency was **removed**. - Two concrete qualifying routes remain (below). ## Who qualifies: the two routes You must be a national of one of the eligible countries **and** qualify through one of these: 1. **Employment route**, a job offer from a Panamanian company, with a work-permit application to the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL). Requires the employer's letter, Public Registry certificate and Notice of Operation. 2. **Real estate investment route**, a real estate investment in your own name of at least **US$200,000** (which may be financed by a local bank). > Note: unlike some other categories, the Friendly Nations Visa has **no fixed-term bank deposit option**. The routes are employment **or** real estate. ## The 49 eligible countries Executive Decree 197 of 2021 lists **49 countries**, including: United Kingdom, Germany, Argentina, Australia, South Korea, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Spain, **United States**, Slovakia, France, Finland, Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Singapore, Uruguay, Chile, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus, Malta, Serbia, Montenegro, Israel, Denmark, South Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Mexico. ## From provisional to permanent residency 1. **Provisional residency (2 years):** filed with the National Immigration Service through a Panamanian attorney. 2. **Permanent residency:** requested after the provisional period, maintaining the same qualifying conditions. 3. After holding permanent residency, and meeting the general requirements, a foreigner may in time pursue naturalization, a separate process. ## Documents (typical) - Passport valid for at least 6 months and a second ID. - Police record from your country of origin (usually within the last 5 years), duly [apostilled](/guias/apostille-and-document-authentication-panama/). - Panamanian health certificate. - Proof of the qualifying route: title/promise of the US$200,000 property, **or** the employment package (letter, work permit, employer's Public Registry certificate and Notice of Operation). - Sworn affidavit and the migration forms. > [!info] The formal requirements are on the permit page > The [Friendly Nations (specific countries)](/en/migracion/paises-especificos/) page lists the documents, the official fees and the estimated time, as required by the National Immigration Service.