Economy

In short: Updated on 28 October 2026. As of that date, the Social Security Fund (CSS) has not announced the payment date for the December 2026 Christmas bonus. The bonus exists by law: B/. 60.00 for retirees and pensioners of the Disability, Old Age and Death and Occupational Risk programs on the second-fortnight December payroll, plus B/. 100.00 for one pension bracket. It is not the thirteenth-month pay. Contents of this guide What the Christmas bonus is Legal basis, amounts and who gets it When it is paid How to collect it and what to do if it does not…

In short: Panamanian law does not use the word aguinaldo: the legal bonus workers receive in three installments a year is called the thirteenth month payment (décimo tercer mes). The deadlines are 15 April, 15 August and 15 December, and the next one falls due on Tuesday, 15 December 2026. Social security contributions and income tax apply to each installment. The word "aguinaldo" does appear in Panamanian law, but for a separate Christmas gratuity that an employer gives by choice or by agreement. Checked on 28 October 2026. Contents of this guide What aguinaldo means in Panama Who is paid…

In short: in-house payroll suits companies with few employees, stable processes and someone trained in labor law; outsourced payroll suits those with several pay modalities, work peaks or a risk of errors with the social security fund (CSS) and the tax authority (DGI). In both cases the company remains the employer and must review what is filed. One legal distinction matters: outsourcing payroll calculation is not the same as outsourcing staff, and Panama's Labor Code regulates the latter with joint liability. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide Two different things: outsourcing payroll and outsourcing staff In-house versus outsourced…

In short: Cyber Monday 2026 falls on Monday, November 30, three days after Black Friday on Friday, November 27. It is the online sales day and, as of October 13, 2026, there is no nationwide announcement with official dates. Online purchases fall under the same rules of Law 45 of 2007 on advertising, price, invoices and warranty, but there is no general right to return something just because the buyer changed their mind. In this guide When Cyber Monday is in Panama How it differs from Black Friday Which Panamanian stores announce it How to shop online safely Consumer rights…

In short: Thirteenth-month pay is a bonus that every private-sector employer in Panama must pay in three installments, due by April 15, August 15 and December 15 each year. The third installment of 2026 falls due on Tuesday, December 15. In practice each installment equals one third of a month's pay, calculated on what the worker earned in the period. Checked on October 13, 2026. Contents of this guide What it is and who receives it The three installments and their dates How it is calculated, with an example Public and private sector If the employer does not pay Frequently…

In short: a high school graduate from abroad who wants to enter a university in Panama needs, besides ID, the secondary diploma and transcripts apostilled, the Certificate of Revalidation from the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) and, if the documents are not in Spanish, a translation by an authorized public translator. That is what the Universidad Latina de Panamá website details. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide Which documents are asked for In what order they are processed What MEDUCA revalidation is Apostille and translation Extra requirements for health programs Mistakes that delay admission Frequently asked questions Sources Which…

In short: Panama's Labor Code sets three surcharges for overtime: 25 percent when the extra hour falls in the daytime period, 50 percent in the nighttime period or when it extends a mixed shift that began by day, and 75 percent when it extends a night shift or a mixed shift that began at night. The cap is three overtime hours a day and nine a week. The surcharges are in article 33. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide The three surcharges in article 33 Day, night and mixed shifts How many overtime hours are allowed How pay…

In short: Law 32 of 2011 exempts companies established in free zones from "all direct and indirect taxes, contributions, fees, duties and national levies" on their operations, but keeps several payments: dividends at 5%, an annual tax of 1% of capital with a floor and a cap, the selective consumption tax, labor and social security contributions, and income tax on operations aimed at the national territory. The text read sets no exemption period. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide What the exemption covers Tax by tax Income tax: foreign versus domestic The exemption period Immigration and labor benefits…

In short: In Panama, every worker is entitled to paid annual leave of thirty days for each eleven continuous months of work, at one day for every eleven days of service, under article 54 of the Labor Code. If the relationship ends before the period is completed, the proportional days are paid in cash. The pay equals one month of salary, calculated on the average of the last eleven months when the pay includes commissions or other variable amounts. Updated in October 2026 using the text that includes reforms up to Law 44 of 1995. Contents of this guide How…

In short: Corporations, limited liability companies and other legal entities registered in Panama pay an annual single fee (tasa única) of 300 balboas, and private interest foundations pay 350 for the first fee and 400 afterwards, under article 318-A of the Fiscal Code. The due date depends on the registration month: July 15 for entities registered from January to June and January 15 for those registered from July to December. Updated in October 2026. Paying late costs a surcharge of 50 balboas per year or fraction, and prolonged default brings a fine, suspended Public Registry services and, after ten periods,…

In short: A final settlement (liquidación) is the last payment a worker receives when the employment relationship ends. Under the Labor Code, in an open-ended contract it includes the seniority premium (one week of pay for each year worked, article 224), proportional vacation (one day for every eleven worked, article 54) and, if the dismissal is unjustified or the cause is economic, the indemnity in article 225. Updated in October 2026 using the text that includes reforms up to Law 44 of 1995. Contents of this guide What the settlement includes, by cause Seniority premium Indemnity for unjustified dismissal Worked…

In short: Yes: a foreigner without residency can open a personal account in Panama. Agreement 1 of 2026 of the Superintendency of Banks identifies a foreign client by passport and does not make residency a condition for opening; each bank decides based on its own risk analysis. What is left out is simplified opening with its B/.5,000 cap, which the rule reserves for nationals and for foreign residents. Remote opening requires geolocation of the applicant, and banks have until June 30, 2027 to adapt. Checked on October 8, 2026. Contents of this guide What the rule allows a non-resident Limits…