Archivo de Iurispa · corte técnico 2026-09-12
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Tema: Real Estate · Ver todas las guías
The real estate route is the most used of Panama's residency-by-investment programmes, and also the one that sees the most applications stalled by defects that could have been spotted before signing. This guide explains what to verify in the property, which ownership structures are accepted, how the purchase relates to tax residency, and which mistakes invalidate the application.
Deslinde y amojonamiento is Panama's legal process for resolving doubt about a titled property's true boundaries: a judge appoints surveyors, who investigate on the ground and mark the actual limits with physical markers. This guide explains when the process is available, how it works, and how it connects to ANATI's role in subdividing and registering land.
Foreigners can own property in Panama with the same rights as citizens, which surprises many retirees who expected restrictions. The real risk in Panama real estate is not foreign ownership — it is buying land that was never properly titled in the first place. This guide explains the distinction and how to protect yourself.
Eviction for non-payment of rent in Panama (lanzamiento por mora) is a distinct legal process from removing a trespasser, governed by Law 93 of 1973 and heard by the Ministry of Housing's Rental Commissions. This guide explains the two-month non-payment threshold, the tenant's right to stop the case by paying what's owed, and the hardship defense available to residential tenants.
Panama's Rental Law (Law 93 of 1973, still in force with reforms) sets rules that surprise landlords used to other jurisdictions: a minimum three-year term with automatic renewal rights for tenants in good standing, mandatory written contracts filed with the General Directorate of Rentals, and clauses — like requiring advance rent — that are simply unenforceable regardless of what the lease says. What a compliant lease actually requires.
When someone occupies your property in Panama with no lease and no legal right to be there — a squatter, a holdover after a relationship ended, an outright intruder — the applicable process is lanzamiento por intruso, legally and procedurally distinct from evicting a tenant who stopped paying rent. This guide explains why the distinction matters and why speed is critical.
The promesa de compraventa is the instrument Panama's real estate market runs on, particularly for pre-construction condominiums: it locks in price and terms and obligates both parties to eventually sign the final deed of sale, but it does not itself transfer ownership. This guide explains what it does and does not protect, and the earnest-money mechanics that make it enforceable in practice.
Transferring title to Panamanian real estate requires a notarized deed and registration at the Public Registry — the step that actually makes a sale effective against third parties. This guide covers the deed and registration process, notary costs, and the property transfer tax (ITBI), including the April 2025 change that removed the exemption for first-time sales of new homes.
A guide to construction permits in Panama: the stages of the process (preliminary design, plans, construction permit and occupancy permit), the institutions involved (the municipal Directorate of Works and Constructions, the MIVIOT One-Stop Window and the Technical Board of Engineering and Architecture), the Structural Code (REP) and the role of licensed professionals.
A guide to zoning in Panama: what a property's zone code determines (land use, density, height, setbacks), who regulates it (MIVIOT and the municipalities), the zone categories (residential, commercial, industrial, mixed), and how to check the specific zoning of a lot before designing or buying.
How to convert a right of possession into registered ownership through Panama's National Land Administration Authority (ANATI): the crucial difference between possessing and owning, the adjudication and titling process, and why titling protects your land and its value — essential reading for foreign buyers.