Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has published the results of the Qualified Investor Programme for the period from July 2025 to June 2026.
Eymi Castro, an investment migration expert, explains how demand for the programme has changed and which investment options applicants prefer.
What changed over the year
From July 2025 to June 2026, Panama issued 268 certificates to investors. This was 75 more than in the previous 12 months, an increase of 38.9%. During the earlier period, investors received 193 certificates[1]Source: Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry website, Qualified Investor Programme statistics.
The investment volume reached 113.6 million balboas. Capital inflows rose by more than 23.4 million balboas, or about 26% over the year. The Panamanian balboa is pegged to the US dollar at a rate of 1:1, so the amount is equivalent to US$113.6 million.
Eymi Castro,
Investment Migration Expert
Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry identifies two reasons for the programme’s growing popularity: promotion in international markets and the digitalisation of the application process.
A new online platform for investors was launched in December 2025. According to the ministry, it accelerated application processing and doubled the number of certificates issued each month.
Property purchase is the most popular option
Nearly 9 in 10 investors choose property. From July 2025 to June 2026, this option accounted for 87.3% of certificates and residence permits issued, compared with 85.5% a year earlier.
Other investment options are less popular. The share of fixed-term bank deposits fell from 8.3 to 7.5%, while the proportion of securities investments decreased from 6.2 to 5.2%.
Where investors come from
From July 2025 to June 2026, applications were submitted by citizens of:
- US,
- Canada,
- Colombia,
- Mexico,
- Brazil,
- Spain,
- Germany,
- Switzerland,
- Russia,
- China.
The applicants came from countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia. However, Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry did not disclose the number of applications by country, so this data cannot be used to identify the largest markets.
Requirements for obtaining permanent residence in Panama
The Qualified Investor Programme allows applicants to obtain permanent residence without first receiving temporary resident status.
Property has the lowest investment threshold, starting at $300,000. The minimum investment in securities is $500,000, while a fixed-term bank deposit requires at least $750,000.
Investments must be maintained for at least 5 years. To retain permanent resident status, the investor must visit Panama at least once every 2 years.
The application may include a spouse, children and parents, provided they meet the programme requirements. The process of adding family members can be initiated through a Panamanian lawyer before the investor arrives in the country.
Immigrant Invest lawyers will help applicants complete the preliminary assessment, select an investment option and prepare the required documents.
Trusted by 10,000+ investors
