Panama: The Ultimate Destination for Turkish Nationals Seeking New Opportunities

Mundo has written several times about the importance of getting second citizenship or residency as a contingency plan. It turns out that an escape scheme is not only necessary for economic or financial reasons. Sadly, natural disasters can also cause people to emigrate. That's why Mundo decided to write a piece for Turkish nationals that want to escape from Turkey and travel to Panama to find a new home.

A picture of a bleak situation

At the end of February, the rescue teams in Turkey have withdrawn and made room for the excavation equipment. This means that the humanitarian crisis in the affected countries is just beginning. Experts say that it could go on for several months and it may take years for the countries to recover.

Recent statistics revealed that the number of fatal victims is more than 40,000, but this could increase as they remove debris. The earthquake had a direct impact on nearly 13 million souls of which 1.2 million are now refugees and 400,000 have been moved to other provinces. Now the governments of the affected countries stated that they must assess the damage, establish a course of action, and estimate how much time it will take to implement it. What people need right now is food and a roof over their heads. What is worse, most of them still have not recovered from the shock of losing their loved ones. This is why international organizations are concerned as these people will certainly need support from psychologists and experts in sociology. 

Members of the said organizations in the field stated that many victims are sleeping in tents, in their cars, or in public buildings that are still standing. However, these refugee camps are not the best option because there is a risk that they will prevail over time. The co-director of the Institute of Conflict and Humanitarian Action Studies stated that, in Guatemala, after Hurricane Mitch, these camps lasted for years. In Turkey, survivors are lucky if they can stay with friends or family, but this doesn't mean that they don't need help.

In many similar cases, countries have used public spaces like schools to help the refugees, but this is not the best option because, according to Francisco Rey, the right to education is the first thing that's lost and one of the most difficult things to recover. The fact that children stop receiving an education is a tragedy in and of itself and brings nasty consequences in the long term both for the families and society.

The number of affected children is not yet clear, but 4.6 million of them live in the area of Turkey that was affected by seismic activity.

Opportunity for Turkish to find a new home: Go to Panama from Turkey 

If you want to get away from Turkey to a safe place, where you can start your life over, Panama is always open to receiving foreigners. However, Mundo recommends not waiting until a disaster happens because then everything will be more complicated.

This article is for people all over the world who still don't have a backup second residency or citizenship. Even if you live in a first-world country like Switzerland, you'll never know when you may need a plan B.

Why would a person want to travel to Panama and make it their second home? The answer is simple: if they find the following problems in their countries of origin. 

• High taxes
• Social conflicts
• Economic issues like inflation and unemployment
• Restrictive, Big-Brother-type governments
• Natural disasters

In the first bullet point, we can name countries like the United States, Sweden, and the European Union in general. The second and third bullet points include countries like Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil in Latin America, and Burundi and Zimbabwe in Africa. In the fourth group, we can include countries like, again, the United States, China, and Cuba. 

Finally, any place can fall into the last point as we never know when the next disaster will strike. Nowadays, Turkey and Syria fall into this category.

More information about gearing a plan B

Move to Panama from Turkey

Luckily, there are many visa alternatives for those who want to get away from Turkey or get a second residency to have in case of emergencies.

Pensionado visa 

You don't need to be rich to access the pensionado visa. All you have to do is prove that you have a steady income of $1000 a month for life. This can be either from government or private sources. Contact our dedicated team to find out more about pensionado or visit our article. 

Reforestation 

This is halfway between the Pensionado and the Qualified Investor. If you want to move to Panama from Turkey, or any other country, you can choose the Reforestation Visa as there are no nationality restrictions.

In this case, you can access Panama residency for an investment of only 80,000 dollars or $100, 000, depending on the option you choose. This is a great alternative if we compare it to the $300,000 required for the Qualified Investor Visa. 

The downside is that you can only invest in timberland and can sell only after the trees are fully grown. Either way, you will be free from capital gains and you'll obtain residency with a relatively low investment.

For an 80,000-dollar investment, you can buy a minimum of five hectares and will have residency for five years. After this period, there's no option to extend the stay permit which means you have to travel to Panama as a regular tourist.

For $100,000 the minimum is five hectares as well, but you can obtain permanent status after two years, which (in five years) leads to citizenship. 

For $350,000 you get immediate permanent residency. However, this is practically the same number that you will spend on the Qualified Investor Visa. 

Qualified investor visa

You can access permanent residency for $300,000 that you have to invest in property. In 3 to 6 months you’ll have virtually the same rights as a natural citizen. 

Friendly nations visa

This is not the best option if you want to escape from Turkey, because it's only available for citizens of certain nations in which Turkey is not included. The main advantage of the Friendly Nations Visa is that you can get residency (not permanent, not immediately) without making any investments.

Disclaimer: We don’t recommend making any migration or financial decisions without consulting with a certified professional. It’s the reader’s responsibility to find out whether the options described in this article are suitable and convenient for their particular cases. 

Travel to Panama and get to know your new home with Mundo

If one thing is sure, it’s that the future is unpredictable. When a tragedy strikes it may be too late or too hard to acquire second citizenship. Be prepared for what the future may bring and be smart enough to establish protective structures for the ones you love. If you want to move to Panama from Turkey now, there are many opportunities in the country of the canal. 

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