🏠 Immigration & residency · data checked on 28 Oct 2026
Buying or renting a home in Panama as a foreigner
You do not need residency to rent or buy. But the home you choose can help you get it, and residency makes banking and mortgages easier.
Panama Golden Visa: residency by investment (Panama Vault) → Free consultation
Who is it for?
Foreigners who want to rent while settling in or buy to live or invest.
Key facts · data checked on 28 Oct 2026
- Legal limit
- Foreigners and companies with foreign capital cannot acquire land within 10 km of the borders (art. 291 of the Constitution)
- Pensionado
- With a home of your own worth over B/.100,000, the minimum pension drops to B/.750
- Friendly Nations
- Property worth at least B/.200,000 (local bank financing allowed)
- Qualified investor
- New property B/.300,000 or resale B/.500,000
- Renting
- You can rent with a passport; landlords and banks often ask for references and sometimes a residence card
General requirements
- Before signing, check the property at the Public Registry (owner, liens) and work with a broker licensed by the Junta Técnica de Bienes Raíces.
- For a mortgage, each bank sets the down payment and requirements for foreigners: compare them in our banks guide.
- If you buy for residency, confirm with your lawyer that the property and its registered value qualify.
Next step
Friendly Nations through property (Trámites Visa Panamá)
tramitesvisapanama.com →Panama Golden Visa: residency by investment (Panama Vault)
panamavault.com →Buying through a private interest foundation (Panama Vault)
panamavault.com →FAQ
Can a foreigner buy a home in Panama?
Yes. The only constitutional restriction is that foreigners and companies with foreign capital cannot acquire land within 10 km of the borders. It does not apply in Panama City.
Does buying a property give me residency?
It can be part of it: Friendly Nations accepts a B/.200,000 property and the qualified investor regime from B/.300,000 (new). Buying alone does not grant residency: you must apply.
Official sources (data checked on 28 Oct 2026): MINGOB/ONPAR – Vivienda, tierra y propiedad (art. 291 de la Constitución) · SNM – Países Específicos (inmueble B/.200,000) · MICI – Inversionista Calificado (DE 17 de 2026)
General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change: confirm them with the National Immigration Service or a lawyer before deciding. Where it says "ask", the authority does not publish that information and we do not make it up. TuHogar en Panamá is not a law firm or an immigration agency.