Panama Digital Nomad Visa: A Comprehensive 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: An Overview

Starting in May 2021, the Panamanian government has offered a digital nomad visa for remote workers, officially known as the Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers.

This visa is an excellent alternative to a tourist visa, as it is valid for nine months and can be renewed once.

However, the financial requirements for Panama’s digital nomad visa are somewhat higher than similar programs in other countries. Applicants must have a minimum annual remote work income of $36,000.

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 citizenship in Panama.