Panama for remote workers first, retirees second.

Start with the remote worker visa

PROPANAMA, the government’s investment agency, publishes the rules for the short-stay visa for remote workers. You must work for a foreign company or for yourself, remotely. Your work must take effect outside Panama, and your income must come from abroad.

A lawyer in Panama files the application with the National Migration Service after you enter the country. Budget for legal fees on top of the government payment.

The annual test and the letter wording differ. Plan on showing more than US$3,000 a month to stay clear of both.

Source: PROPANAMA, short-stay visa for remote workers

What counts as proof

The checklist asks for a letter from your employer on letterhead, signed by its legal representative. It lists your job, your monthly pay, how often you are paid and that you work remotely. It also asks for a bank certification of income, a stamped bank statement and proof your employer exists.

Self-employed? Ask your lawyer which contracts and statements replace the employer letter. Keep every payment traceable to a foreign source.

Source: PROPANAMA, short-stay visa for remote workers

Working here

Local jobs are hard to get in Panama, and many are closed to you. The US State Department reports about 200 professions reserved for Panamanian nationals, including doctors, lawyers, engineers and accountants.

Retail ownership is restricted. Most retail businesses must be owned by Panamanians. Do not plan a shop or café that competes with local owners.

The remote worker visa covers work that takes effect abroad. Serving clients in Panama falls outside it. If a Panamanian business asks to hire you, stop and ask your lawyer first.

Source: US State Department, 2025 Investment Climate Statement: PanamaPROPANAMA, short-stay visa for remote workers

Retirement second: the pensionado route

Panama’s retiree and pensioner permit gives permanent residence to people with a lifetime pension. A Panamanian law firm lists the test as a monthly lifetime pension of at least US$1,000, from a government agency or a regulated private retirement company.

The same firm lists a lower test of US$750 a month if you buy property in Panama worth at least US$100,000. We could not load the National Migration Service site during our review. Confirm both figures with your lawyer before you apply.

Savings and investment income do not replace a lifetime pension on this route. The US$1,000 test is a residence rule, not a budget.

Source: Kraemer & Kraemer, Panama retiree and pensioner visa

Health insurance before Medicare

The remote worker visa checklist asks for international medical insurance that covers your stay in Panama. Buy it before you file.

Medicare usually does not cover care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not pay for prescriptions bought abroad. Decide whether to keep Part B for visits home, and ask about late penalties before you drop it.

Source: PROPANAMA, short-stay visa for remote workersMedicare, travel outside the U.S.

US tax filing still applies

US citizens file a US return every year, wherever they live. A Panama visa does not change that.

Ask a tax adviser who knows both countries how your pension, Social Security and remote pay are treated before you move.

Source: IRS, US citizens and resident aliens abroad