Panama Friendly Nations Visa for Remote Workers How to Apply

Panama’s Friendly Nations visa is a residence permit for citizens of listed countries. The permit starts with a two-year provisional stage and asks for a tie to Panama, such as a job, a property, or a bank deposit. The program was not written for remote workers, so many of them look at the short-stay remote worker visa first. This guide covers who qualifies, the three routes, the steps, the official costs, and the tax basics.

What Is the Panama Friendly Nations Visa?

The program is called Países Amigos in Spanish. The program sits inside Panama’s permanent resident category and begins with a provisional permit.

Official name: Friendly Nations (Países Amigos) residence, a subcategory of Permanent Resident.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 416 of 2012, updated by Decree 226 of 20 July 2021 and Decree 16 of 31 August 2026.
Type: A residence permit. The permit is not a digital nomad visa and does not grant work authorization by itself.
Where to apply: A Panamanian lawyer files the application with the National Migration Service (SNM).

Remote workers often find this program while searching for Panama residency. The program can work as a path to long-term residence for people who can show an economic tie. A person who only needs a place to work for a few months will usually find the paperwork and the money involved too heavy.

Who Qualifies for the Friendly Nations Visa?

Eligibility depends first on the passport and then on the economic tie. The file also needs clean records and a health certificate.

Passport: The program covers citizens of the countries on the official list. Decree 226 named 50 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, and Brazil. Decree 16 of 31 August 2026 added Ecuador.
Economic tie: One of three routes, described in the next section.
Records and health: A criminal record certificate, a health certificate, and a sworn declaration of personal background.
Dependents: Spouses and children can apply with proof of the family link, such as marriage or birth certificates. Children aged 18 to under 25 need proof of full-time study. The SNM sheet also asks for proof of income of at least B/.1,000 a month, plus B/.100 for each extra dependent. Readers planning a family move can compare visas with family and dependent provisions.

Passport holders from countries outside the list cannot use this program. Readers in that position may find a better match in nomad visas that accept non-Western passports. The full country list is on the SNM Friendly Nations sheet linked at the end of this guide.

Street scene in a colonial old town in Panama in the late afternoon

Which of the Three Routes Fits a Remote Worker?

Panama asks for one economic tie. The SNM sheet lists three options, and the applicant picks one.

Panamanian employment: A job letter on company letterhead that states the position and salary. The employer also provides a Public Registry certificate and a work permit application filed with the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL).
Real estate: Property worth at least B/.200,000. The balboa is tied to the US dollar at par, so this is about US$200,000. The applicant can hold it personally, through a company where the applicant is the final owner, or through a private interest foundation. A local bank can finance the purchase.
Fixed-term deposit: A deposit of at least B/.200,000 at a general-license bank in Panama. The deposit must be free of liens and held for 3 years. The same ownership options apply.

A remote worker who serves only foreign clients would not have the employment tie unless a Panamanian employer hires them. For most remote workers, the property route or the deposit route is the realistic choice. Both tie up the same amount of money, so the decision depends more on how long the funds can stay locked than on paperwork.

How Do You Apply for the Friendly Nations Visa?

A Panamanian lawyer handles the filing, so most of the applicant’s work is collecting documents. The steps below follow the SNM sheet.

Choose the route and set it up. The property deed or the deposit certificate becomes part of the file, so it comes first.
Hire a lawyer and sign a power of attorney. A notary must certify the document. The power must state the names and nationalities of the applicant’s parents.
Collect the home-country documents. These are a criminal record certificate, a health certificate, a certified passport copy, and three photographs. Panamanian law firms report that documents issued abroad need an apostille and a Spanish translation. Guides on getting a police clearance certificate and getting documents apostilled explain those two steps. A general documents checklist can help with sorting the rest.
Prepare the proof of the economic tie. The proof is a Public Registry certificate for property, a bank certificate for the deposit, or an employer file for a job.
Pay the two certified checks. One goes to the Tesoro Nacional and one goes to the SNM. The amounts are in the cost section below.
Let the lawyer file and track the case. The SNM sheet does not state a processing time. Firms report different timelines, so a written estimate from the lawyer is worth requesting before any payment.
Apply for the permanent stage. This comes after the two-year provisional permit.

Top-down flat lay on a warm sand colored desk showing a closed coral folder of documents

How Much Does the Friendly Nations Visa Cost?

The government fees are small compared with the qualifying money and the legal costs. The figures below separate official amounts from amounts reported by firms.

Official government payments: Two certified checks, B/.250 to the Tesoro Nacional and B/.800 to the SNM. Together they come to B/.1,050, or about US$1,050.
Qualifying money: B/.200,000 for the property or deposit route, as shown above.
Lawyer fees (reported by firms): One Panamanian law firm table lists about US$3,000 to US$6,000 for a main applicant. Another firm says the total can start from about US$5,000 when legal and government costs are added together. The government does not set these fees.
Other costs: Apostilles, translations, the medical certificate, and notary fees. The amounts depend on the country that issues the documents.
Permanent stage: The SNM sheet lists no check for this stage and leaves out the criminal record certificate.

The property route also adds purchase costs, taxes, and upkeep. A lawyer or an accountant can price these for a specific case.

How Long Is the Friendly Nations Visa Valid?

The permit moves in two stages. The first stage lasts two years, and the second stage is permanent residence.

Provisional permit: 2 years, as stated in Article 3 of the program rules.
Permanent stage: The applicant files again with the same documents. The SNM sheet leaves out the criminal record certificate and the checks for this stage.
Deposit period: The fixed-term deposit must run for 3 years, so it covers the whole provisional stage and one more year.

The Friendly Nations route can give a remote worker long-term residence in Panama, which the short-stay visa cannot. The cost is that the qualifying money stays committed for years. A reader who expects to move again within a year or two may find that trade-off hard to justify.

Large cargo ship passing through a wide canal lock at sunset

Can You Work Remotely on a Friendly Nations Permit?

The sources do not give one clear answer here, so the details need confirming with a lawyer. The points below show where the questions sit.

Working for a Panamanian employer: This needs a work permit from MITRADEL. Executive Decree 4 of 2 March 2023 sets the rules and includes a special conditions category for friendly nations. Hiring limits for foreign staff can still apply.
Working for foreign clients: Panamanian law firms give different answers on whether remote work for foreign clients needs a permit under this residence. No official page found during research settles the question.
Working on a tourist stamp: One 2026 Panama work visa guide warns that remote work for a Panamanian company counts as local work, even on a tourist stamp.

A written opinion from a lawyer on the exact work setup is a sensible step before filing. The answer can differ for an employee, a freelancer, and a company owner.

Should You Pick the Remote Worker Visa or the Friendly Nations Visa?

Most remote workers who want to live in Panama for a while look at the short-stay remote worker visa first. Decree 198 of 7 May 2021 created it for people who earn income from abroad.

Remote worker visa income: At least B/.36,000 a year from foreign sources, with an employer letter that shows at least B/.3,000 a month. A guide on income requirements by country puts this figure next to other countries.
Remote worker visa length: 9 months, extendable once for another 9 months.
Remote worker visa cost: B/.250 paid to the SNM and B/.50 for the visa card.
Insurance: A medical policy that covers the whole stay in Panama. A guide on health insurance plans for digital nomads names real providers.
Work rules: The remote worker visa is built for foreign income. The applicant signs a statement declining job offers or business in Panama.
Path to residence: None. The visa itself does not lead to residence.
Friendly Nations route: A B/.200,000 tie, a two-year provisional permit, and then permanent residence, with open questions about work rights.

The older Qualified Investor route was replaced by Decree 17 of 8 September 2026, with higher thresholds that start at US$300,000 for new property. A reader weighing a large deposit or purchase against other options can read about nomad visas compared with residency by investment.

Apartment balcony workspace in a tropical city at dusk

What Should Remote Workers Know About Panama and Taxes?

This section gives general information only and is not tax advice. A qualified tax professional can review an individual situation.

Territorial system: According to PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Panama uses a territorial tax system. Income from sources outside Panama is generally outside Panama’s tax base.
Residence days: PwC describes a tax resident as a person who is in Panama and generates income there for more than 183 days in the year.
Home country rules: Home-country taxes can still apply. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income. A guide on how US citizens file taxes while working abroad covers the basics.
Information sharing: Panama takes part in the OECD Common Reporting Standard, so some account details can reach other tax authorities.

Holding Panamanian residence does not change a home country’s rules. A reader who plans to stay more than 183 days in a year may want advice on both sides before moving.

Who the Friendly Nations Visa Fits and Who Should Skip It

The program suits a person who holds a listed passport, has B/.200,000 to commit, and plans to live in Panama for years. Someone who wants a trial stay of a few months will likely prefer the remote worker visa.

Good fit: Holders of listed passports who want long-term residence and can lock up B/.200,000.
Good fit: Families who want one residence route for spouse and children.
Better to skip: Remote workers who need a base for less than a year.
Better to skip: Applicants whose passport is not on the list.
Better to skip: Anyone who needs a clear written answer on remote work rights before committing money.

Readers who pick Panama City as a base can start with the Panama City guide on cost of living and visas.

Official Sources

Plan Your Move to Panama

Panama can fit a nine-month remote stay or a long move backed by B/.200,000, depending on the visa. Once the route is clear and the lawyer has given a timeline, search flights to Panama City on FlyBibe and pick dates that leave room for delays. Flexible dates can make it easier to adjust if a document takes longer than expected. A short stay on the remote worker visa can also work as a first look at the country before a larger commitment.

Immigration and tax rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Panamanian embassy, the National Migration Service, or a qualified immigration or tax professional before making plans. This article is general information and reflects what was found as of 2 November 2026, the date it was researched.