Panama Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers / Friendly Nations Visa: Requirements

Panama offers a dedicated Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers alongside its long-standing Friendly Nations Visa, which isn't nomad-specific but is used by many remote workers from qualifying countries as an alternative path to longer-term residency.

The remote worker route — formally the Short-Stay Visa for Remote Workers, created by Executive Decree No. 198 of 2021 — requires proof of foreign-sourced income of at least $36,000/year (~$3,000/month), generally higher than Costa Rica's comparable program. Applicants need a genuine remote work relationship — either an employment contract with a foreign company or documented self-employed/freelance status — with the work's effects entirely outside Panama.

The Friendly Nations Visa is available only to citizens of roughly 50 countries Panama maintains reciprocal relationships with (including the US, Canada, the UK, most of the EU, Australia, and several Latin American countries). This program changed significantly in 2021: Executive Decree 197 eliminated the old, much-lower $5,000 bank deposit paired with a shell company that used to qualify almost anyone. Current routes require a genuinely substantial economic or professional tie — a real estate purchase or fixed-term bank deposit of roughly $200,000, or a real employment relationship with a Panamanian company and a work permit. If you've seen the old $5,000 figure quoted anywhere, it no longer reflects reality.

• Proof of foreign-sourced income — at least $36,000/year (~$3,000/month) for the remote worker route as of 2026
• Valid passport (Friendly Nations list applies for that specific route)
• Health insurance
• Clean criminal record