Panama Nomad Visa

What is the Panama digital nomad visa?

Panama's version is the Short Stay Visa as a Remote Worker, a non-resident visa created by Executive Decree 198 of 7 May 2021. It lets you live in Panama and keep working remotely for a foreign employer or for your own foreign business.

Once granted, you need no other permit from any Panamanian agency to work remotely or live in the country. It is a temporary stay, not residence: it lasts nine months and can be extended once.

Who can apply for the Panama digital nomad visa?

The National Migration Service (SNM) checklist sets three conditions.

• You work remotely either under a contract with a foreign transnational company, or as a self-employed remote worker.
• Your work has its effect abroad, not in Panama.
• Your income comes from foreign sources and is at least B/.36,000 a year.

You must also sign a sworn statement that you will not accept work or service offers in Panama from nationals, residents, tourists or Panamanian companies. If you are still looking for a foreign employer or client, begin with remote jobs, because the income has to exist before you apply.

How much income do you need for the Panama digital nomad visa?

You need foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year. The balboa (B/.) trades at par with the US dollar, and the rules accept the equivalent in another currency.

Employees also need a letter from the company showing a monthly income of at least B/.3,000. You prove that the money comes from abroad with a bank certificate, or with a stamped statement from a foreign or local bank showing the transfers and linking them to the work you declared.

How long can you stay, and can you renew it?

The visa lasts nine months and can be extended once for another nine months, so 18 months in total.

To extend, you file the same requirements again, including fresh proof that your income comes from abroad. The checklist does not describe a path from this visa to residence, so if you want to stay longer, you would need to qualify for a different category.

How much does it cost?

The official fees are a B/.250 payment to the National Migration Service and B/.50 for the ID card (carné).

Expect other costs that the SNM does not set: notarising the power of attorney and passport copy, a criminal record certificate, a health certificate, apostilles and Spanish translations, and health insurance. The SNM does not publish these, so get quotes before you commit.

What documents do you need?

The SNM checklist for employees asks for:

• A notarised power of attorney and the application. The power of attorney must state your parents' names and nationalities.
• Three photographs and a certified copy of your passport.
• A criminal record certificate and a health certificate.
• A sworn personal history form, and the application form in which you agree to pay your own return travel if needed.
• Health insurance that covers you in Panama for the whole stay.
• Proof that the foreign company exists where it is registered, and a signed letter on company letterhead giving your role, your monthly income (at least B/.3,000), how often you are paid, that you work remotely, and that the company will cover your return if needed.
• The sworn statement that you will not take work in Panama.
• Receipt for the B/.250 payment.

Self-employed applicants replace the company documents with a certificate showing their own business is registered abroad, and a notarised sworn statement describing each client, the services, the amounts earned, where the money comes from and how often it is paid. All foreign documents must meet Panama's legalisation and translation rules.

How do you apply from Nigeria?

The application goes to the SNM, and the checklist starts with a notarised power of attorney, which means the file is lodged through a representative. Plan the entry question first.

1. Check whether your Nigerian passport needs a Panamanian entry visa, using the SNM site or a Panamanian consulate. The SNM's general rules say visitors from visa-required countries must hold that visa, a passport valid for at least three months, proof of at least B/.500 in funds and an onward ticket.
2. Collect your Nigerian police certificate, health certificate and income evidence, then have them apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish as Panama requires.
3. Get the company letter (or, if self-employed, your business certificate and client statement) and buy health insurance valid in Panama.
4. Sign the power of attorney before a notary and pass the file to your representative, who submits it to the SNM with the B/.250 payment.
5. Once approved, collect the B/.50 ID card, then diarise the extension well before month nine.

Our Premium membership includes nomad visa assistance if you want a second pair of eyes on the file.

How long does processing take?

The SNM does not publish a processing time for this visa. Ask your representative for a current estimate, and allow extra time before filing for notarisation, apostilles and Spanish translations.

Do you pay tax in Panama on a digital nomad visa?

The SNM checklist does not address tax. They only require that your income comes from abroad and that you do not work for anyone in Panama.

Before you move, ask Panama's tax authority, the Dirección General de Ingresos (DGI), how it treats your situation, and check your position in Nigeria too. This is general information, not tax advice.

Can you bring your family?

The official checklist covers the main applicant only and says nothing about dependants. Ask the SNM before you plan around a spouse or children joining you; they may need their own immigration status.

What to know before you move

• Working hours: Panama is on UTC-5 all year, six hours behind Lagos. A 9am start in Panama City is 3pm in Lagos, and Panama is on the same clock as the US East Coast in winter and one hour behind it in summer.
• Money: official amounts are in balboas, which are at par with the US dollar, so dollar income is simple to budget against the threshold.
• Insurance: the policy must cover you in Panama for the full stay, so match its end date to your visa and extension.
• Local work: the sworn statement means no local clients, even small ones. Keep your client base outside Panama.
• Arrival rules: the SNM's visitor rules require proof of funds and an onward ticket, so carry both when you land.

If you want a longer status, compare Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil.