EN · 7 articles
Visas & residency
Panama residency programs, demystified.
- Panama residency: the "Notification" stage as we lived it — from the lawyer's email to the provisional cardOn July 7, the law firm's email lands: "your file is at the Notification stage." Three days later, ticket L330 at the Servicio Nacional de Migración for the provisional card photo. Here is exactly how the final stretch of residency plays out — lived, not theorized.7 min
- Panamanian naturalization 2026: conditions, exams, real timelines (5 years → citizenship)5 years of permanent residence, Spanish and history exams, a hefty file. Officially 18-24 months; in practice 3-5 years. Dual citizenship with the US/UK works, but there are rules. The complete guide to the path to a Panamanian passport.8 min
- Friendly Nations Visa Panama: the step-by-step procedure in 12 steps (2026)You want your Panamanian residency via the Friendly Nations visa but don't know where to start. Here's the full route in 12 steps: documents to prepare at home, the Hague apostille, sworn translations, choosing a lawyer, the Migración appointment, conversion to permanent residency. With the real 2026 timelines and costs.9 min
- Friendly Nations, Pensionado, Inversionista: which Panamanian residency visa to choose in 2026Friendly Nations at $7,000, Pensionado at $5,500, Inversionista at $12,000 + $300,000 investment. 3 paths, 3 audiences, 3 timelines. The decision matrix by use case we wish we'd had before signing with the attorney.11 min
- Opening a Panamanian SA with Kraemer & Kraemer: our March–May 2026 timelineWe opened our Panamanian Sociedad Anónima in late March 2026 with Kraemer & Kraemer while filing our Friendly Nations Visa. Here's the week-by-week timeline, real costs, what we signed, what we didn't anticipate.6 min
- Panama Pensionado Visa 2026: conditions, costs, processThe Pensionado is the visa most loved by retirees in Panama: direct permanent residency + lifetime discounts. Here are the real 2026 conditions and the pitfalls to avoid.7 min
- The Friendly Nations Visa in 2026: conditions, costs, trapsThe Friendly Nations program was restructured in 2021. Here's what works in 2026, what doesn't, and the traps that cost you 6 months.4 min