How much does the Short-stay visa for remote workers cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $300 (B/.250 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración plus B/.50 for the visa card (carné)); Both amounts are on the SNM requirements sheet; lawyer's fees are extra and unavoidable because the application is filed by power of attorney. The extension repeats the same requirements and payments. Processing time: not stated. Neither the decree nor the SNM sheet states a decision time. The SNM issues a provisional card while the file is reviewed; expect several weeks to a few months in practice.

Do I need a Panamanian lawyer for the remote worker visa?

Yes. The Servicio Nacional de Migración's requirements sheet lists a notarised power of attorney as the first document, and migration filings in Panama must be made by a Panamanian attorney. Budget for legal fees on top of the US$300 in government charges.

Can I take on Panamanian clients while on the remote worker visa?

No. You must sign a sworn declaration that you will not accept work, services or business in Panama with nationals, residents, tourists or companies, and your work must produce its effects abroad. Breaking this can cancel the visa.

Digital nomad visa · Latin America

Panama digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Panama's short-stay visa for remote workers gives employees of foreign companies and self-employed teleworkers nine months in Panama, extendable once for nine more, if they earn at least US$36,000 a year from abroad. You apply in Panama through a Panamanian lawyer at the Servicio Nacional de Migración, pay US$250 plus US$50 for the card, and may not take work from Panamanian clients.

Official name: Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto (Decreto Ejecutivo No. 198 de 7 de mayo de 2021). Facts updated 2026-10-07 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Any nationality; Any nationality. You must either hold a contract as staff of a foreign transnational company or be a self-employed teleworker, perform work whose effects are abroad, and receive foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year (the balboa is pegged one to one to the US dollar).
Minimum income: $3,000/month; B/.36,000 a year (US$36,000) from foreign sources; the employer letter must show a monthly salary of at least B/.3,000
Fee: about $300; B/.250 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración plus B/.50 for the visa card (carné)
Processing time: not stated
Initial stay: 9 months, renewable up to 18 months
Where to apply: In the country; At the Servicio Nacional de Migración in Panama City, filed by a Panamanian lawyer holding a notarised power of attorney; you enter Panama as a tourist first and the lawyer lodges the file at the special services window.

Not yet reviewed by a person

Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-07. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Any nationality. You must either hold a contract as staff of a foreign transnational company or be a self-employed teleworker, perform work whose effects are abroad, and receive foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year (the balboa is pegged one to one to the US dollar).

What you need

Notarised power of attorney and application by a Panamanian lawyer, naming your parents and their nationalities
Three passport-size photographs
Notarised or authenticated copy of your full passport
Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin or residence, apostilled or legalised
Health certificate issued in Panama
Sworn declaration of personal background (SNM form), the application form including the commitment to pay your own return or repatriation, and the sworn declaration that you will not accept work or business offers in Panama
International health insurance policy with cover in Panama for the whole stay
Certificate or proof of the existence of the foreign employer, or of your own foreign-registered company if self-employed
Employer letter on letterhead signed by the legal representative giving your position, monthly income of at least B/.3,000 from a foreign source, payment frequency and remote-work arrangement; or, for the self-employed, a notarised sworn declaration describing clients, services, earnings and payment frequency
Bank certification or authenticated bank statements showing the income comes from abroad and is linked to the declared work

Income proof: The decree sets an annual minimum of B/.36,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency; the Servicio Nacional de Migración's requirements sheet asks the employer letter to state monthly income of at least B/.3,000. The balboa is at par with the US dollar, so no conversion is needed. ProPanamá does not list a separate family threshold.

Family: The decree does not create a dependant category for this visa. A spouse or children either enter as tourists or qualify for the visa in their own right; some lawyers file them under general dependant provisions, but the SNM sheet lists no family requirements or fees.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$3,000/monthB/.36,000 a year (US$36,000) from foreign sources; the employer letter must show a monthly salary of at least B/.3,000
Fee	about $300Both amounts are on the SNM requirements sheet; lawyer's fees are extra and unavoidable because the application is filed by power of attorney. The extension repeats the same requirements and payments.
Processing time	not statedNeither the decree nor the SNM sheet states a decision time. The SNM issues a provisional card while the file is reviewed; expect several weeks to a few months in practice.
Stay	9 months, renewable up to 18 months

How to apply

In the country. At the Servicio Nacional de Migración in Panama City, filed by a Panamanian lawyer holding a notarised power of attorney; you enter Panama as a tourist first and the lawyer lodges the file at the special services window.

Engage a Panamanian lawyer and sign a notarised power of attorney that names your parents' names and nationalities, as the SNM requires.
Collect the documents abroad before travelling: criminal-record certificate (apostilled), proof that your foreign employer or your own foreign company exists, the employer letter (or notarised sworn declaration of your client relationships if self-employed) and bank evidence that your income arrives from abroad.
Enter Panama, obtain a Panamanian health certificate, three photos and a notarised passport copy, and sign the sworn declarations of personal background and of not accepting work or business in Panama.
Your lawyer files the application with the B/.250 payment and the international health insurance policy; the SNM issues a provisional card while it decides.
Collect the nine-month visa card (B/.50); before it expires, file the extension with the same documents and updated bank proof.

After you arrive

Renewal: Issued for nine months and extendable once for the same period on the same requirements, including fresh proof that your income comes from abroad. It is a non-resident short-stay visa, so it ends after 18 months at most.

Residence: The visa sits in the non-resident category and does not count toward temporary or permanent residence. Nomads who want to stay switch to a residence programme such as the Friendly Nations, Qualified Investor or pensionado permits.

Taxes

Panama taxes only Panamanian-source income. Executive Decree 198 of 2021, which created this visa, requires your income to come from abroad but says nothing about income tax, and pay for work physically done in Panama can count as Panamanian-source. No official text confirms that remote income is exempt while you live there, so ask a Panamanian tax adviser before relying on it.

In practice

You cannot file this visa yourself: the SNM accepts applications only through a Panamanian lawyer with a notarised power of attorney, and the applicant must be in Panama.
Most nationalities can enter as tourists for 90 days (180 for some, including the US and Canada), which is enough time to gather the Panamanian health certificate and lodge the file.
Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalised under article 247 of Decreto Ejecutivo 320 de 2008 and translated into Spanish by a Panamanian certified translator.
Panama City has the region's best connectivity and many coworking spaces; Boquete's mountain climate attracts a quieter, older community with slower internet outside the town centre.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH, GB, US, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Enter visa-free as tourists (90 days, longer for some passports), engage a lawyer and apply in Panama; the US$36,000 income rule is the same for everyone.
AR, BR, CL, CR, MX, UY, CO, PE:Visa-free entry for tourism; Colombians and some other nationalities should check current entry rules before travelling. Same visa requirements apply.
All other passports:Nationals of restricted countries need a stamped or authorised visa to enter Panama first; the remote-worker visa is then requested in the same way through a lawyer.

Cities in Panama on Nostos

Bocas del Toro
Balanced score 62 · $1,550/month
Panama City
Balanced score 61 · $1,742/month
Pedasí
Balanced score 61 · $1,550/month
David (Panama)
Balanced score 58 · $1,204/month
Boquete
Balanced score 56 · $1,376/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Panama digital nomad visa?: Any nationality. You must either hold a contract as staff of a foreign transnational company or be a self-employed teleworker, perform work whose effects are abroad, and receive foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year (the balboa is pegged one to one to the US dollar). Panama's short-stay visa for remote workers gives employees of foreign companies and self-employed teleworkers nine months in Panama, extendable once for nine more, if they earn at least US$36,000 a year from abroad. You apply in Panama through a Panamanian lawyer at the Servicio Nacional de Migración, pay US$250 plus US$50 for the card, and may not take work from Panamanian clients.
How much income do you need for the Short-stay visa for remote workers?: About $3,000 per month (B/.36,000 a year (US$36,000) from foreign sources; the employer letter must show a monthly salary of at least B/.3,000). The decree sets an annual minimum of B/.36,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency; the Servicio Nacional de Migración's requirements sheet asks the employer letter to state monthly income of at least B/.3,000. The balboa is at par with the US dollar, so no conversion is needed. ProPanamá does not list a separate family threshold.
How much does the Short-stay visa for remote workers cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $300 (B/.250 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración plus B/.50 for the visa card (carné)); Both amounts are on the SNM requirements sheet; lawyer's fees are extra and unavoidable because the application is filed by power of attorney. The extension repeats the same requirements and payments. Processing time: not stated. Neither the decree nor the SNM sheet states a decision time. The SNM issues a provisional card while the file is reviewed; expect several weeks to a few months in practice.
How long can you stay in Panama on the Short-stay visa for remote workers, and can it be renewed?: 9 months, renewable up to 18 months. Issued for nine months and extendable once for the same period on the same requirements, including fresh proof that your income comes from abroad. It is a non-resident short-stay visa, so it ends after 18 months at most.
Does the Short-stay visa for remote workers lead to permanent residence in Panama?: Not by itself. The visa sits in the non-resident category and does not count toward temporary or permanent residence. Nomads who want to stay switch to a residence programme such as the Friendly Nations, Qualified Investor or pensionado permits.
Can family members come with you on the Short-stay visa for remote workers?: The decree does not create a dependant category for this visa. A spouse or children either enter as tourists or qualify for the visa in their own right; some lawyers file them under general dependant provisions, but the SNM sheet lists no family requirements or fees.
Do you pay tax in Panama on the Short-stay visa for remote workers?: Panama taxes only Panamanian-source income. Executive Decree 198 of 2021, which created this visa, requires your income to come from abroad but says nothing about income tax, and pay for work physically done in Panama can count as Panamanian-source. No official text confirms that remote income is exempt while you live there, so ask a Panamanian tax adviser before relying on it.
Where do you apply for the Short-stay visa for remote workers?: In the country: At the Servicio Nacional de Migración in Panama City, filed by a Panamanian lawyer holding a notarised power of attorney; you enter Panama as a tourist first and the lawyer lodges the file at the special services window.
Do I need a Panamanian lawyer for the remote worker visa?: Yes. The Servicio Nacional de Migración's requirements sheet lists a notarised power of attorney as the first document, and migration filings in Panama must be made by a Panamanian attorney. Budget for legal fees on top of the US$300 in government charges.
Can I take on Panamanian clients while on the remote worker visa?: No. You must sign a sworn declaration that you will not accept work, services or business in Panama with nationals, residents, tourists or companies, and your work must produce its effects abroad. Breaking this can cancel the visa.

Sources

Requisitos para solicitar Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto, Servicio Nacional de Migración, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública de Panamá · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Eligibility, B/.36,000 a year and B/.3,000 a month, nine months plus nine, B/.250 fee and B/.50 card, full document list, self-employed variant, extension
Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 29290-A de 20 de mayo de 2021, Gaceta Oficial de la República de Panamá · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Publication of Decreto Ejecutivo No. 198 de 7 de mayo de 2021 creating the visa (decree pages are scanned images; the index was read)
Visa para Nómadas Digitales, ProPanamá, Autoridad para la Atracción de Inversiones y Promoción de Exportaciones · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Nine months extendable, B/.36,000 income, US$250 payment, lawyer and in-country filing at the SNM special services window
Executive Decree No 198 of 7 May 2021 (full text), Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama (propanama.mici.gob.pa) · retrieved 2026-10-07 · Ten articles: foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year, nine months plus nine; no income-tax provision

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