What it is and who can apply
Panama created this subcategory in 2012 with Executive Decree 416 for citizens of countries with which it keeps “friendly, professional, economic and investment relations”. For nine years, opening a company and a bank account was enough. Decrees 197 and 226 of 2021 changed that: today applicants must prove a real link with the country through one of three routes, and permanent residency comes in a second phase.
List of countries included
The official list is published by the National Immigration Service. According to the law firms that reproduce it, after Ecuador’s entry these are the countries:
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Americas | Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador (from 1 September 2026), United States, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay |
| Europe | Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Asia and Oceania | Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore |
| Africa | South Africa |
Ecuador was added by Executive Decree 16 of 31 August 2026, published in Official Gazette 30601-B. Before that change the list had 50 countries; no other amendment is on record between 2024 and 2026.
The three routes
| Route | What is required | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | Contract with a Panamanian company | The company must be registered in the Public Registry and the worker on the Social Security payroll. Residency does not replace the work permit, which is requested separately from the Labour Ministry. |
| Real estate investment | Property worth at least 200,000 dollars | In the applicant’s personal name. It may be financed by a local bank. |
| Fixed-term deposit | At least 200,000 dollars | In a general-licence bank in Panama, free of liens, with a minimum term of three years. Route added by Decree 226 of 2021. |
Documents, costs and phases
The application is filed through a licensed lawyer with a special power of attorney. The usual documents are the full passport, a second identity document, five photos, an apostilled criminal record certificate, a health certificate issued in Panama less than 90 days earlier, a sworn statement and proof of the chosen route: contract and payroll, deed and Public Registry certificate, or bank certification of the fixed-term deposit. Dependants add marriage or birth certificates; children aged 18 to 25 must prove full-time studies.
| Item | Official amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee to the National Treasury | 250 balboas |
| Repatriation deposit to the National Immigration Service | 800 balboas |
| Processing card with multiple-entry visa | 100 balboas |
| Phase 1 | Two-year provisional permit |
| Phase 2 | Application for permanent residency after the two years |
Immigration does not publish official processing times. Firms that handle these permits report around six months for the provisional permit and another six for the permanent one, and warn that errors in apostilled documents or expired certificates are the most frequent cause of delays. A firm specialising in international clients such as Legal Solutions Panamá summarises the current requirements and the sequence of phases on its permit page.
What changed and why it matters
Until August 2021 the Friendly Nations route granted direct permanent residency with a paper company. That model attracted applications with no real link to Panama and the government closed it: the two-year provisional phase and the requirement of a job, property or deposit filter out those who are not going to live or invest in the country. The result shows in Immigration’s figures: in the first half of 2026, of 16,010 permits approved, 1,011 were Friendly Nations, behind humanitarian protection, dependants, regularisation and multinational headquarters.
What nobody has answered yet
- How many provisional Friendly Nations permits become permanent? Immigration publishes approvals by category, not the conversion rate between phases.
- What is the real processing time? There is no published official time; the six months are a market estimate.
- How many countries are on the list today? Sources range between 51 and 52 after Ecuador; only Immigration’s official PDF, currently inaccessible, settles the figure.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries qualify for Panama’s Friendly Nations visa?
More than 50, including the United States, Canada, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Costa Rica and, since September 2026, Ecuador, plus most of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Israel and South Africa.
How much do you have to invest for Friendly Nations residency?
200,000 dollars in a property in your personal name or 200,000 dollars in a three-year fixed-term deposit. The third route, an employment contract with a Panamanian company, requires no investment.
Is it permanent residency?
Not from the start. Since 2021 a two-year provisional permit is granted first and permanent residency is applied for afterwards.
How much does the process cost in official fees?
250 balboas to the National Treasury, 800 as a repatriation deposit and 100 for the processing card with multiple-entry visa, plus the lawyer’s fees, since a lawyer is required to file the application.
Related articles
Sources
- Official Gazette 29290-A, Executive Decree 197 of 2021.
- ECLAC, Executive Decree 226 of 2021.
- El Universo, Ecuador joins the Friendly Nations list.
- Infobae, residence permits approved in the first half of 2026.
- La Prensa, immigration fees.
- National Immigration Service, frequently asked questions.
- Labour Ministry, Friendly Nations work permit.
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