Panama Digital Nomad Visa | An Incomplete Guide

What is digital nomad visa?

“Digital nomads” represent a lifestyle trend that has gained prominence in the 21st century. With the advancement of information technology, an increasing number of professionals—such as IT workers, media personnel, language teachers, and freelancers—have broken free from traditional office settings. They now have the ability to work remotely from any location worldwide with internet access. This concept of remote work gained significant traction, especially before and during the pandemic.

Once liberated from office constraints, some remote workers choose to embrace a unique lifestyle: they carry their bags and travel to various destinations while continuing to work remotely. These individuals, known as “digital nomads,” experience a blend of exploring new cultures and working from different corners of the world.

To attract digital nomads and promote tourism and emerging industries, governments in at least 65 countries and regions worldwide have introduced specialized digital nomad visas. These visas typically have the following characteristics:

1. Applicants must be remote workers with stable monthly income and cannot be employed locally.

2. Digital nomad visas are essentially extended travel visas, often valid for one year and allowing residence for up to two to four years in the destination country without the option for permanent immigration.

However, in some Latin American and Southern European countries—such as Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, and Ecuador—digital nomads can eventually obtain local permanent residency or even naturalization after accumulating a certain length of stay.

For more information on digital nomad visa programs, explore the details in our “Global Digital Nomad Visas | An Incomplete Handbook” on this websites.

Panama Digital Nomad Visa:

Since May 2021, the Panamanian government has provided a digital nomad visa pathway called the “short stay visa for remote workers” for remote workers.

Currently, the Panama digital nomad visa is essentially an enhanced tourist visa: it is valid for only 9 months and can be renewed only once.

Economically, the Panama digital nomad visa requires applicants to have a remote work income of at least $36,000 per year.

Besides the economic requirements, the Panama digital nomad visa imposes the following restrictions on applicants:

1. You cannot work for a local Panamanian company.

2. You can only enter Panama alone; dependents cannot accompany you.

3. The digital nomad visa cannot be converted into permanent residency or a passport in Panama.

Application Process:

The Panama digital nomad visa currently cannot be applied for online and must be done offline. The application process is approximately as follows:

1. Appointment: The Panama digital nomad visa requires scheduling an appointment with the consulate as it cannot be applied for online.

2. Interview: Prepare all necessary documents and go to the Panamanian consulate at the appointed time and place to fill out the application form and complete the interview.

The required documents include:

• Applicant’s Identity Information: This includes a passport with at least 6 months validity and three passport-sized photos.

• Completed Application Form: In addition to downloading and filling out the short stay application form, you also need to provide a letter of commitment stating that you will not work for a Panamanian company during the visa validity period.

• No Criminal Record Certificate.

• Medical Certificate.

• Proof of Health Insurance: This should cover Panama.

• Proof of Income: You need to prove that your income comes from remote work and is stably above $3,000 per month.

All documents from outside Panama must be notarized, and all non-Spanish documents must be translated into Spanish.

3. Payment: The total fee is $300, which includes a $50 visa processing fee and a $250 review fee.

4. Visa Approval: The entire visa approval process takes about 30 to 40 working days. Once approved, you can freely prepare for your trip to Panama.