Panama Immigration Services

PANAMA IMMIGRATION SERVICES

IMMIGRATION VISAS

Panamanian laws offer several types of visas depending on the needs and profile of the applicant. Nationality is one of the main things to consider as is the type of activity to engage in once in Panama. Retirees and pensioners can find attractive incentives. Some of these visas are:

RESIDENCY VISAS OFFERING ATTRACTIVE INCENTIVES

PENSIONER TOURIST VISA - This visa is for retired or pensioned foreign citizens from any country or private company, who wish to live permanently in Panama. It's necessary that those people have a minimun USD$ 500.00 monthly pension or its equivalent on foreign currency. This visa grants special discounts in medical care and medicines, restaurants, movies and many other services and stores. It also allows applicants to bring their personal effects, including their car, free of introduction tax. They can also bring a new car every two years free from introduction tax.

BONHOLDER VISA - This visa can be requested by those foreign citizens that mantain a time deposit at the National Bank of Panama which provides them with a minimum monthly rent of USD$ 750.00 free of any kind of encumbrances or liens. The deposit must be established for a minimum period of five years. The holder of this visa has the right to a special Panamanian Passport. Also his wife and dependants under 18 years old can enjoy this benefit.

FORESTRY VISAS - This type is one of our favorite visas, because, in finding a means to legalize your permanent stay in Panama, you are contributing to the environment and lessening the greenhouse effect by investing in renewable resources, apart from making money in the return of your investment with the commercialization of the wood and the byproducts and the raising of the land’s value. Here, at Panama Legal Bureau, we are conscientious of the ecological problem, so we do not charge professional fees for the Macro Forestry Visa as our tiny contribution, since we do get retribution in other ways.

MICRO FORESTRY VISAS - By investing USD$40,000 in wood planted land in Panama, with which you get 10,000 sq mt [one hectarea] of titled, registered, land and a maintenance program for up to the trees’ seventh year of growth, you can be eligible to apply for a residency visa. In this modality you obtain a provisional residency for the first three years and at the fourth year [and at the fourth application] you receive your permanent residency and cedula.

MACRO FORESTRY VISAS - By investing USD$80,000 in wood planted land in Panama, with which you get 20,000 sq mt [two hectareas] of titled, registered, land and a maintenance program for up to the trees’ seventh year of growth, you are also eligible to apply for a residency visa, but, with this investment you can apply for the permanent residency and cedula at the second year [at the second application].

These immigrant visas grant highly attractive tax incentives for this industry, some of which are: 100% exemption from Real Estate Tax, income tax and 2% real estate conveyance tax: and 50% exemption on the capital gains tax.

There are other types of visas available in Panama, however, the most common are:

- Tourist
- Transient (artists, performers, athletes, technicians, etc.)
- Temporary Visitor as;
- Student
- Visiting relatives
- Medical treatment
- Press personnel
- Farmer
- Technician
- Working for the Government
- Working for International organizations, embassies or consulates
- Religious pesonnel
- International Companies Executive
- Colon Free Zone Executive
- Seafarers
- Immigrant (investor, work permit, married with a panamanian citizen, self support)
- Resident
- Investor (small entreprise, export proccesing zone, forestry, etc.)
- Multiple Return Visa

Panama Legal Bureau also assists international clients in obtaining:

- Work Permits
- Panamanian citizenship
- Personal Identity Cards or "Cedulas".

Call Free USA & Canada: 1- 877-2910410

Panama Legal Bureau
Phone: ++ (507) 213.2768 - Fax: ++ (507) 213.2767
Email: info@panamalegalbureau.com