Mundo's insight into the future of residency programs in Panama

Statistics show that foreigners focused on finding the best residency still choose Panama, but they are more inclined to choose self-solvency visas. Apparently, the future of Panama and its migration landscape may be changing soon, or may it not? Mundo analyses the current outlook of investment residency vs self-solvency in our favorite country.

Investment residency vs self-solvency: Panama residency outlook

In 2022, the Panamanian migration office approved almost 1500 Pensionado visas which was a record at least for a 10-year period. Also, in 2023 they already approved 375 of these permits. Parallelly, we have seen a decline when it comes to granting investment-based visas including the Friendly Nations, especially since this program established a threshold of 200,000 dollars for real estate investment.

Now, if you're wondering “what investment should I choose”, don't let these numbers scare you. Panama continues to be an excellent place to invest in many ways. But if you're asking “what residency should I choose”, the matter becomes completely different.

What residency should I choose in Panama

If finding the best residency is your only goal, then probably an investment visa is not the right choice. However, if you do want to invest, this country offers great opportunities when it comes to migration residency plus investment or Panama tax residency. Check out our real estate section to see what properties you can choose or find other options in this article on the Qualified Investor Visa. 

On the other hand, if you're part of the 1,500 people who prefer a self-solvency option, here we introduce the Pensionado visa.

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The future of Panama through Pensionado

Are you focused on finding the best residency? In Panama, you can access Pensionado by having a lifetime pension of at least $1000 a month. The spouse and the children can be added with 250 dollars extra per dependent on the minimum required. Thus, if you want to include your spouse and one child, you will need at least 1500 a month.

With a real estate investment, i.e., for the group of people who are still willing to invest in properties, the minimum amount is reduced to $750. Thus, the applicant, the spouse, and the child will need at least a $1250 pension each month. 

In this case, real estate can go beyond the investment residency versus self-solvency matter as you can make this property your home in Panama.

By analyzing these conditions, we understand why the Pensionado Visa has been so successful back in 2011 and last year, being the program that got more approvals.

The future of Panama: investment residency vs self-solvency

It's not easy to foresee what the future will bring. Visa programs are built for specific needs. While younger people may see real estate investment as an opportunity to grow their portfolio, retirees or people who already have a lifetime income prefer to simply settle down.

For some, it may take a while to reach the point in which they get a certain amount of stability from their investments so that they can simply enjoy the benefits. For others, it may take a while to find the right person who will manage their portfolio for them. If we consider this, it's clear why migration tendencies change: they depend on people's needs. At the end of the day, getting a Panama tax residency or migration permit must be a way to expand your freedom and development possibilities. Therefore, it's only natural that people's choices will vary throughout the years.

Disclaimer: this article presents a general view of Panama programs and the editor’s opinions. This article should not be considered legal advice.

What investment should I choose? Make the right decision!

One thing is for sure: in any case, you'll need a trustworthy advisor. Mundo helps you get residency in Panama through whichever program you may choose. Our experts and lawyers live and breathe Panama, so they have plenty of experience to back you up throughout your journey.

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