Panama (DNV)
Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers
Launched 2021.
- Income req
- $3K/mo
- Initial validity
- 9 mo
- Renewable
- Yes
- Application fee
- $250
- Permit fee
- $50
- Processing
- 4-6 wks
- Path to PR
- No
- Path to citizenship
- No
Income requirements
- Monthly minimum (USD): $3K
- Monthly minimum (native): 3,000 USD
Bank statements 3+ months + foreign-employer letter or freelance contracts
USD 3,000/mo (USD 36K/yr). Established by Executive Decree 198/2021.
Tax treatment
- Becomes tax resident: Panama applies territorial taxation — foreign-source income exempt for any resident
- Special regime: Statutory exemption for DNV holders on foreign income
- Foreign income: Foreign income is NOT taxable in Panama regardless of tax-residency status. Local income up to USD 11K/yr exempt, then 15-25%.
Panama's territorial taxation makes it one of the cleanest no-tax-on-foreign-income jurisdictions globally. Pair with Friendly Nations or QIV (see RBI/PA.json) for long-term PR.
Remote work requirements
- Must work for foreign employer: Yes
- Local clients allowed: No
- Local employment allowed: No
- Self-employed accepted: Yes
- Salaried vs freelance: both
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents dependent: No
Family included on the same visa.
Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residency
- Available: No
DNV does NOT lead to PR. After 18-month max, transition to Friendly Nations (USD 200K property/job/USD 200K deposit) or QIV (USD 300K property → USD 500K Oct 2026) for PR — see /research/rbi/PA.json.
Citizenship
- Available: No
Naturalization requires 5 years PR + Spanish exam (3 if Latin-American / Spanish nationality).
Eligibility requirements
- Non-Panamanian citizen
- Remote employment for foreign employer or freelance for foreign clients
- USD 3,000+/mo income
- Clean criminal record
- Health insurance valid in Panama
- Panama address (lease/hotel)
Disqualifiers
- Panamanian employer/clients
Recent changes
- 2021-05
Panama Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers established.
- 2024
Friendly Nations Visa (USD 200K) remains the dominant fast-track to Panama PR for US persons.
Notes
Panama DNV is short (18-month max) but territorial tax + low cost of living + USD economy + easy onward transition to Friendly Nations PR. Best for US nomads testing Panama before committing to RBI track.
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.