Davivienda Panamá: opening an account as a foreigner

Opening an account as a foreigner checked on 27 Oct 2026

Documents required:

• Original passport and a second ID (home-country ID card, driver's license or immigration card)
• Proof of income (employment letter, tax return, pay slips or financial statements)
• One bank reference letter

Is residency required?

Not listed as a requirement: the immigration card is one of the second-ID options.

Online or at a branch?

Ask the bank (not published on its website)

Bank reference letter

Yes: one bank reference letter.

Minimum opening deposit

$100 (savings account)

Mortgage: what it costs checked on 27 Oct 2026

Down payment (Panamanians and residents)

Financing percentage not published on davivienda.com.pa (depends on property value and type of income): ask the bank.

Down payment (foreigners)

Foreigners: passport, proof of income and 1 year of job stability (6 months for nationals). Percentage: ask the bank.

Reference rate

Not published on its website: ask the bank.

Preferential rate

Yes, it finances homes with and without the preferential law (rate: ask). Normally only new homes up to B/.120,000 for Panamanians or permanent residents (see below).

Maximum term

Up to 30 years.

Age

To apply: ages 20 to 70.

Maximum loan-to-value

Ask the bank (not published)

Debt-to-income

Ask the bank. One year of credit history is required.

Required insurance

Borrower life insurance and fire insurance on the home, assigned to the bank. The cost depends on age, loan amount and insurer: ask for it in writing before signing.

This bank's fees

Ask the bank (not published)

ESTIMATED example: $200,000 home

Illustrative only, not a quote. Principal and interest at the lowest published rate; excludes insurance, fees, FECI (unless stated) and taxes. The bank sets the rate and down payment based on your profile. At $200,000 the preferential rate does not apply (cap $120,000).

With no published rate or down payment we cannot estimate the payment.

What applies at every bank

• Preferential rate (Law 468 of 2025): Law 468 of 24 April 2025 replaced Law 3 of 1985 on preferential interest. The subsidy only applies to a brand-new home that will be your main residence, priced up to B/.120,000 (land and improvements included), for Panamanians or foreigners with permanent residency, once, and only if you have no other home registered in the Public Registry. In Panamá and Panamá Oeste the State subsidises the rate by up to 5.0 points for 8 years (homes up to B/.50,000), 4.5 points for 7 years (B/.50,000.01–80,000) and 4.0 points for 5 years (B/.80,000.01–120,000), never more than 85 % of the bank's rate. Loans that already had the Law 3 subsidy keep it.
• FECI: a 1 % annual surcharge on loans over $5,000. Main-home mortgages do not pay it; second, vacation and investment homes do, and (according to Banco General) so do foreigners without permanent residency.
• ITBI: Property transfer tax (ITBI): 2 % of the higher of the price and the updated cadastral value; by law the seller pays it. Since Law 546 of 31 August 2026, on the first sale of a brand-new home (within 2 years of the occupancy permit) the first B/.120,000 is exempt; between B/.120,000 and 200,000 the excess pays a 0.50 % to 1.80 % scale, and above B/.200,000 the excess pays the general rate.
• The buyer usually also pays the appraisal, legal and notary costs, Public Registry registration and, depending on the bank, a closing fee and a monthly handling fee. Each bank publishes its amounts in its fee schedule (this bank's are below).
• General information, not insurance advice: banks require borrower life insurance and fire insurance on the home, assigned to the loan. You can use the bank's group policy or, if the bank allows it, assign your own. We do not recommend insurers; compare and ask for the terms in writing.

Work out the payment for a specific property: every listing for sale has a calculator → · Compare all 10 banks

Sources: Davivienda Panamá – Préstamo hipotecario (27 oct 2026) · Gaceta Oficial 30264-A – Ley 468 de 2025 (interés preferencial) (24 abr 2025) · Asamblea Nacional – En vigencia Ley de Interés Preferencial (28 abr 2025) · DGI – Instructivo Formulario 106 (ITBI, incl. Ley 546 de 2026) (v4 2026) · DGI – Formulario 106, transferencia de bienes inmuebles (27 oct 2026)

Where it says "ask the bank", the bank does not publish that information. Rates and requirements change: confirm them with the bank before deciding. TuHogar en Panamá is not a bank, insurance broker or financial adviser.

International transfers checked on 27 Oct 2026

Receiving money from abroad

SWIFT/BIC code

CAFEPAPA (verified on the official website)

US intermediary bank

• Standard Chartered Bank N.Y. · SWIFT SCBLUS33XXX · ABA 026002561
• JPMorgan Chase Bank · SWIFT CHASUS33XXX · ABA 021000021
• Bank of America, N.A. · ABA 026009593
• Citibank N.A. · SWIFT CITIUS33XXX · ABA 021000089

What to give the sender

Correspondent bank with Banco Davivienda (Panamá), S.A.'s account (SWIFT CAFEPAPA) and, as final beneficiary, your account number and name. Note: the Wells Fargo instruction on the same page is for Davivienda Internacional (DAVPPAPA), a different bank.

Fee to receive

B/. 20.00 from other banks; B/. 0.00 from another Davivienda. Plus ITBMS tax.

Sending money abroad

How

Online banking, or by letter for manual processing.

Published fee

Online: B/. 25.00 (B/. 0.00 to another Davivienda). By letter (manual): local clients 0.07 % of the amount, minimum B/. 30.00, maximum B/. 500.00; foreign clients B/. 50.00. Plus ITBMS tax.

Limits

Ask the bank (not published on its website)

Timing

Ask the bank (not published on its website)

Documents required

Ask the bank (not published on its website)

Currencies

Accounts in Panama are in US dollars (USD). If someone sends you euros or another currency, it gets converted either by the sending bank or by the Panamanian bank, at its own exchange rate. Ask beforehand which one will do it.

It publishes a correspondent for EUR accounts (Standard Chartered, Frankfurt). Exchange rate: ask the bank.

Personal and SME fee schedule: last updated December 2025 (in force since July 2023). Fees change: confirm them with the bank before transferring. Intermediary banks and the sending bank may charge separately.

Sources (checked on 27 Oct 2026): Davivienda Panamá – Bancos corresponsales · Davivienda Panamá – Tarifario Personas y Pymes (PDF)

ACH, international (SWIFT) transfers and Wise: the differences →