Guides

In short: the Jetour T1 is a compact SUV with off-road styling sold in Panama in three versions: Comfort (32,000 dollars), Sport 2.0T XWD (38,000) and Plug-in Hybrid (38,000), ITBMS included, according to the September 2026 offer prices from Petromotors, the brand's official distributor. Power ranges from 181 hp in the entry version to 342 hp in the hybrid, and all have a 7-year or 200,000 km warranty. It arrived in the country in March 2025 and shares its platform with its bigger sibling, the Jetour T2. It is built in Fuzhou, China. In other markets it is known as…

In short: the Jetour G700 is a ladder-frame off-roader with an 892 hp plug-in hybrid system, sold in Panama from 60,000 dollars in the 5-seat version and 68,000 in the 6-seat version, ITBMS included, according to Petromotors, the brand's official distributor. It promises around 100 km in electric mode, 900 mm of wading depth and a 7-year or 200,000 km warranty. It is the flagship of Zongheng, Jetour's premium line, and is built in Fuzhou, China, on the GAIA off-road platform. Panama was the first country in the Americas to receive it, in January 2026, and its official launch was…

In short: since 16 September 2026 Executive Decree 17 has been in force, replacing Decree 722 of 2020 and setting the new thresholds for the qualified investor permit: 300,000 dollars in a new property or a purchase promise, 500,000 in a resale property, in Panama Stock Exchange securities or in a deposit with state banks, and 750,000 in a fixed-term deposit with private banks. It remains immediate permanent residency, with a 30-day resolution and the obligation to keep the investment for five years. Between July 2025 and June 2026 the State issued 268 certificates worth 113.6 million dollars, 87% of…

In short: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the work of getting ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot or Google's AI summaries to mention and cite a company when someone asks about its sector. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the part of that work focused on answering specific questions directly. Neither replaces classic SEO: they extend it. In Panama they matter more than in other markets because categories are small, many queries arrive in English from outside the country, and an AI answer that names three companies leaves out the rest of the sector. What GEO and AEO mean TermWhat it stands forWhat…

In short: the Public Registry of Panama is the body where the country's companies, foundations, properties and mortgages are recorded. Its portal lets anyone check for free, from anywhere, who owns a property, who the directors of a company are, or whether a property carries a mortgage. Official certificates are requested online, take 24 to 48 hours and are valid for 30 days. It is the first check anyone should make before buying property or contracting with a Panamanian company. What is recorded in the Public Registry SectionWhat it contains MercantileCorporations, limited liability companies, foreign companies, private interest foundations: directors,…

In short: Panama has moved a good part of its procedures online. Panamá Digital is the single portal where citizens register with their ID and access services from more than sixteen institutions; the qualified electronic signature, issued by the Public Registry, has the same legal validity as a handwritten one; and electronic invoicing is mandatory for almost all taxpayers. Police records, DGI tax clearance, Public Registry certificates and Immigration appointments are now obtained online without visiting an office. Panamá Digital: the single window Panamá Digital, run by the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), centralises State procedures on one site.…

In short: Panama offers three main residency routes for anyone arriving with capital or income of their own. Qualified Investor grants permanent residency in about 30 days with a minimum investment of 300,000 dollars in first-sale real estate (500,000 on the secondary market) or 500,000 in securities or deposits, under Executive Decree 17 of September 2026, which replaced Decree 722 of 2020. Friendly Nations grants two-year temporary residency, convertible to permanent, to nationals of a list of countries with a real estate investment of 200,000 dollars, an equivalent deposit or an employment contract. Pensionado grants permanent residency to anyone who…

In short: in Panama electronic invoicing has been mandatory for every new taxpayer since 2022, for government suppliers since 2023 and for independent professionals since 2024, and since 1 January 2026 the free invoicing tool of the Directorate General of Revenue may only be used by those invoicing up to 36,000 balboas a year and issuing at most 100 documents a month; everyone else must contract a Qualified Authorisation Provider (PAC). Each invoice is issued in XML format, validated before being delivered to the customer, receives a Unique Electronic Invoice Code (CUFE) and is represented in a readable receipt called…

In short: Panama is the point where the submarine internet cables linking North and South America, and the Caribbean with the Pacific, cross. Seven systems run through its waters today, TAM-1 arrived in 2026 with a capacity of 650 terabits per second, the Cabinet Council awarded two new 20-year concessions and Google announced in August 2026 the Americas Connect project, with the Alisios cable linking the Dominican Republic, Panama and Chile. On that network rest 14 data centres, the Multinational Headquarters regime, Ciudad del Saber and the Tocumen air hub. Radar Panamá explains what the country has, what it lacks…

In short: A path to switch exists, but it is temporary and conditional. Article 18 of Executive Decree 17 of 2026 allows anyone with a pending application or a valid permit as a permanent resident by own economic solvency to ask to move to Qualified Investor within twelve months of the decree taking effect, as long as they prove the minimum amounts and other requirements. Investments made before October 15, 2020 do not count for the switch. The rule does not describe an automatic conversion and does not say what happens to time already spent as a resident. Contents of…

In short: a seven-seat SUV in Panama is bought for two reasons, a large family or trips to the interior with luggage, and the third row is where models differ most: in mid-size SUVs it suits children or short trips, and only in large ones or minivans do seven adults travel comfortably. The offer ranges from truck-based off-roaders such as the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Montero Sport, to three-row crossovers such as the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander and Suzuki XL7, and to the Chinese brands growing fastest in the segment, such as SOUEAST with the S07 and…