Panama Agricultural Investor Visa

Last updated on 30 July 2023. Written by Offshore Protection.

Panama Agricultural Investor Visa Description

The Panama Agricultural Investor program is designed for individuals who wish to become temporary residents of Panama through providing inward investment into Panamanian agribusiness.

This visa designation includes farms, agriculture and aquaculture businesses. The program requires a minimum investment of US$60,000 and offers temporary residency for 6 years, extendable every 2 years. Panama does also offer other passport and residency possibilities.

General Rules

The minimum investment sum increases by US$500 for each dependent in the application
All visa applications must be made via a lawyer in Panama
All documents from overseas must be fully authenticated (as described in the ‘Documents Required’ section below)
Agricultural investor visas cannot be used to obtain Permanent Residency or Panama citizenship
All investments must be made in areas that the Department of Farm Development considers to be of national interest

Documents

Documents Required from Home

Copies of valid passport (with at least 1 year to run) of the applicant and dependents that have been notarized by a Panamanian notary.
6 passport sized photos
A marriage certificate (if your spouse is to be listed as a dependent) or birth certificates of children that are dependents
Original police record covering the applicant’s place of residence for the last 5 years (including all dependents) which has been authenticated by the appropriate federal or governmental agencies in the country where the applicant resides and by the Panamanian Consul in that country or by an Apostille.

*All documents must be authenticated by a Notary and by the nearest Panamanian Consulate, or by a Notary and the Apostille. The Apostille (The Hague Convention of 1961) is a faster way of authenticating documents and is normally obtained through the Secretary of State Department in your home state (in the USA) or through the Foreign Office (in UK and Canada).

*All documents must be sufficiently up to date within 2 months of the visa application being made.

Documents to be Obtained in Panama

We will assist you with documentation to be obtained in Panama.

Applicants to the agricultural investor program must also submit:

An affidavit by the treasurer or secretary of the business verifying applicant’s shares and stock
Copies of the business tax return (a copy of the inscription in the Unique Registry of the applicant and a copy of the receipt of payment is required if a sufficient financial period has not elapsed since the business was established)
Certification of the business registration in the Panama Public Registry (Original document required)
An authenticated copy of the Panama farm investor’s share certificate

Additional documents are required to satisfy the conditions as laid out by the Department of Farm Development:

A Certification of the Authorized Public Account (CPA) that shows the direct investment of the applicant in agribusiness and/or aquaculture
Certification of the Panama Farm Unique Registration (copies are sufficient)
Certification of the Panama Farm registration with either the land registry or formal rental agreement
Proof of the minimum required investment (US$60,000), demonstrated through documentation such as the commercial bill, an audited financial statement or documents that provide conclusive proof of imported supplies or equipment. Banking certification of the transfer of funds or the payment itself is also mandatory.

Our firm will provide the following essential documents:

Certification that the applicant has, in effect, inspected the investment property and is committed to agribusiness in Panama. This is issued locally by the Sheriff (Corregidor) or Mayor (Alcalde)
Certification from the Ministry of Agricultural Development (Ministro de Desarrollo Agropecuario) confirming the applicant’s investment

Applicants wishing to extend their temporary stay in Panama on this visa must provide, in addition to the above, National 'Paz y Salvo' (proof of payment) regarding their income.

On arrival in Panama, all applicants and dependents must also undergo a medical in order to receive a Certificate of Good Health. These are signed by a licensed physician, indicating that all applicants are of sound physical and mental health, and carry no communicable disease threat. This medical must be completed on your initial visit.

Once visas have been approved, we recommend that all applicants remain in Panama for between 10-14 days. Immigration can hold passports for up to 5 days whilst all necessary paperwork is completed. Formal dress is required: applicants in shorts, t-shirts and sandals may be refused entry.

Panama Visas