Panama · Retirement
Pensioner Visa (Pensionado, Retired Persons)
Open
Last verified July 2026
One of the oldest and most stable retirement programmes in the world. The Law 6 discount schedule is set by statute, not left to discretion.
This is the cheapest permanent residency in the Americas for anyone with a qualifying pension. The statutory discounts add up to real money over a retirement: 25% off restaurants, 20% off medical consultations, 25% off utilities. It is rarely the right tool for a UHNW family, though, because the income must come from a genuine lifetime pension.
Qualifying routes
$1k
Lifetime pension
per month, guaranteed for life. Add USD 250/month per dependant.
$750
Reduced pension with Panamanian property
per month, where the applicant owns Panamanian real estate worth over USD 100,000
The facts
- Minimum
- $1k
- Total landed cost
- Roughly USD 3–5k in legal and government fees for a couple. No investment required.
- Route type
- Pension requirement
- Timeline
- 3–6 months (Permanent residency is granted from the outset.)
- Physical presence
- Enter Panama at least once every two years. There is no annual stay requirement.
- Family
- SpouseDependent children
- Permanent residency
- Immediate. Permanent from the moment it's granted.
- Citizenship
- 5 years of permanent residency
- Language test
- Spanish plus an examination on Panamanian history and civics
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- certified proof of a lifetime pension of at least USD 1,000/montha clean criminal record, apostilleda health certificate issued in Panamafiling through a Panamanian lawyer
What can go wrong
- The pension must be guaranteed for life by a foreign government, an international organisation, or a legally established private company. Income from your own bank accounts, foundations, trusts or investment portfolios does not qualify, and the application will be refused. This catches wealthy applicants constantly, because portfolio income is exactly what they tend to have.
- A private-company pension requires proof that the payer is solvent and legally established. That is a documentation burden most applicants underestimate.
- Permanent residency is not citizenship, and Panama's naturalisation process is slow and discretionary.