A Panama City, Panama Residence Visa (1)

A Panama City, Panama Residence Visa (1):

Some people remain perpetual tourists, and some do it quite successfully for extended period of time, but in a manner similar to the United States, once an illegal immigrant is located, they are banned.

I am trying to move to Panama with my family and obtain work authorization. That means to me that I am not going to be a tourist for very long. I can postpone the inevitable and wait until I am on Panamanian soil before I apply for permanent residency and citizenship, but at least I am going to find out whether or not there is anything I can set in motion before I leave a familiar bureaucracy behind.

1.   To apply for a residence visa in Panama, I am required to hire a Panamanian lawyer;

2.   To acquire a residence visa, my dependents and I have to obtain certificates of health; and

3.   We are also required to submit to testing for HIV. Great!

This link will take you directly to the website for the Embassy of Panama in Washington D.C. There are several Panamanian Consulates located around the country and they will be happy to assist any applicant with their visa application: http://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/consulates3.php

So, I looked into what sorts of visas are available and, of course, there was no concise list that contained all of the information I needed, but this is what I found from the Embassy website:

There are many different residency visa options, some of which will grant Panamanian passports and the option of becoming a Panamanian citizen, after five years of permanent resident status.

1.   (Solvencia economica propia)

A Self Economic Solvency Visa is a citizenship visa that requires either:

a.    Opening a $200,000 CD for one-year at a local bank; or

b.    Purchasing a $200,000 piece of property; or

c.    Purchasing an $80,000 piece of property and opening a $120,000 CD.

2.   (Inversionista)

An Investors Visa is a citizenship visa that requires a minimum investment of $100,000 and a minimum of three permanent Panamanian employees;

3.   (Inversionista de pequena empresa)

A Small Business Investors Visa is a citizenship visa that requires a minimum investment of $40,000 and a minimum of three permanent Panamanian employees;

4.   (Rentista Retirado)

A Private Income Retiree Visa is a non-citizenship visa that requires a lump-sum deposited in a Panamanian bank CD will yield a minimum of $750 monthly. A travel passport is granted;

5.   (Turista pensionado)

A Retired Tourist Visa is a non-citizenship visa; this type of resident visa does not grant the bearer the right to work, except in limited circumstances; and involves a one-time application, in which the bearer must prove ownership of a Minimum $500 monthly pension;

For most visa applications a waiting time of between 1 and 2 months is applicable, although if incorrect information is supplied or documents are missing this can be much longer. Application forms can be obtained from the Panamanian consulate or embassy in an expat's home country. For the residents of some countries, a visit to Panama can be made on one of the 30 day tourist visas and the application made while they are in the country (this is not essential for some visas which can be applied for while still in the home country). Fees for each type of visa are different and are subject to regular reviews. A medical exam is not essential for all types of visas.