Announcement

Panama replaces the Qualified Investor rules: resale property now takes USD 500,000

Panama replaced the Qualified Investor visa rules effective September 16, 2026. First sale property still qualifies at USD 300,000, but resale property, securities, and state bank deposits now take USD 500,000, and a private bank deposit takes USD 750,000. Permanent residence is still granted directly.

Published: 2026-10-15 · Effective: 2026-09-16 · Last verified: 2026-10-15

What changed

Decreto Ejecutivo 17 de 2026, signed on September 8, 2026 and published in Gaceta Oficial No. 30613, replaced Decreto Ejecutivo 722 de 2020 and its amendments outright. It took effect on September 16, 2026. The old decree let every real estate route in at USD 300,000 after a 2024 amendment. The new decree splits property by type and raises most of the money lines.

The new investment minimums:

• New real estate bought on a first sale from the developer: USD 300,000. This is the only property figure that did not rise.
• Secondary market real estate: USD 500,000, up from USD 300,000.
• A purchase promise contract (promesa): USD 300,000, with the money held in a licensed trust or paid to the developer against a bank guarantee. Status based only on a promise contract cannot exceed 3 years in total.
• Eligible Panamanian securities through a licensed brokerage: USD 500,000, held for 5 years.
• A fixed term deposit held for 5 years: USD 500,000 at the Banco Nacional de Panama or the Caja de Ahorros, or USD 750,000 at a private general license bank.

The valuation rules tightened with the figures. The amount that counts is the lower of the price paid and the proven commercial value, net of liens. The funds must be the applicant's own money from abroad; gifted funds do not count. The investment must be held for 5 years and proven to the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) every year, and a replacement investment of equal value is allowed within 90 days.

Who it affects

Anyone applying under the Qualified Investor category on or after September 16, 2026. Applications filed before the new decree took effect keep the rules in force when they were filed, so a file opened at the old USD 300,000 resale figure is not reopened. The practical casualty is the resale purchase budgeted at USD 300,000: it no longer qualifies on its own. Holders of the older economic solvency category have 12 months to convert into the Qualified Investor category if they meet the new amounts.

What did not change, and what to do instead

• The category still grants permanent residence directly, with no provisional period first. The MICI certifies the investment within 15 business days of a complete file, and the Servicio Nacional de Migracion must resolve the residence application within 30 business days. An application can be filed through an attorney before the investor enters Panama.
• To stay at the USD 300,000 line, buy new on a first sale from the developer, or use a purchase promise contract at the same figure. Budget USD 500,000 for any resale property, securities, or a state bank deposit, and USD 750,000 for a private bank deposit.
• Adding a dependent after the grant now has a stated price: USD 1,000 to the Tesoro Nacional plus USD 1,000 to Migracion per person (Article 17 of the new decree).

The Panama country page, linked below, carries the full Qualified Investor route under the new decree, plus every other long stay route, each with its own source and last verified date.