Luxury Reimagined Through Connection
Prepared by The Agency Panama — Victoria Levitam C.
Every Era Has Its Capital
The 2000s were Miami. The 2010s were Los Cabos.And as we move through 2026, the smart money is converging on Panama the next decade’s capital of connection.
WHY PANAMA, WHY NOW
A Market of Asymmetry: Global Access with Zero Drag
Panama is the only fully dollarized, low-inflation economy in Latin America. It offers what investors crave most: stability, liquidity, and speed.
Where others tax success, Panama rewards mobility.
0 % tax on offshore income · 0 % inheritance tax · 0 % capital-repatriation limits · no currency conversion risk.
Brazil taxes global income, imposes FX controls, and slows exits.
Panama taxes only what you earn inside the country — and lets your capital flow freely.
120 years of USD stability | BBB credit rating | Inflation < 1 % | 80 + international routes | Residency in ≈ 30 days with USD 300 K investment
The New Luxury Map
Urban Core — Panama City
Punta Pacífica · Santa María · Costa del Este
Prime new-builds and branded residences rivaling Miami design, but at half the price.
- Premium new-builds: USD $3 500 – $6 000 / m²
- City average: USD $2 400 – $2 800 / m²
- Ultra-prime (Ocean Reef, high-rise penthouses): USD $6 000 – $8 000 / m²
Coastal & Interior – Lifestyle and Legacy
Pearl Island · Buenaventura · Pedasí · Boquete
Panama’s next wealth corridors — where wellness, ocean access, and generational assets converge.
- Villas & residences: USD $1.1 M – $2.6 M +
- Early-stage parcels: USD $30 – $300 / m² (depending on access & view)
Performs like a mature market — prices like an emerging one.
Buyer Segments & Returns
|
Segment |
Typical Investment (USD) |
Buyer Type |
Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
|
City Luxury Condos |
500 K – 1.5 M |
North Am./EU 2nd-home buyers |
6 – 8 % gross yield |
|
Branded Residences |
1.2 M – 3 M + |
Global HNW families |
5 – 7 % YoY appreciation |
|
Coastal Villas |
1.1 M – 3 M + |
UHNW legacy buyers |
Lifestyle + preservation |
|
Boutique Hospitality / Development Sites |
4 M + |
Developers · Family Offices |
Double-digit IRR |
Key Drivers — 2025 → 2030
$30 B national infrastructure plan · Canal modernization · Digital Gateway · Metro Line 3 · Fourth Bridge · Tourism +48 % YoY · FDI 2.8 % GDP
Panama’s five-year window: infrastructure meets capital inflow before pricing resets.
RESIDENCY, TAX ADVANTAGE & COMPETITIVENESS
Residency & Citizenship Advantage
Qualified Investor Visa (QIV): USD 300 K real estate → permanent residency in ≈ 30 days (extended to Oct 2026).
Friendly Nations Visa: USD 200 K real estate or time deposit → residency in ≈ 90 days.
Citizenship: eligible after 5 years of continuous residency.
Tax neutrality: territorial system = foreign income exempt · 0 % inheritance tax · 0 % currency risk.
No country in the hemisphere combines tax neutrality, USD stability, and fast-track residency like Panama.
RESIDENCY · MOBILITY · FISCAL ADVANTAGE
Law 493 of 2025 — The Special Passport for Qualified Investors
Panama has redefined global residency.
Through Law No. 493 of 2025 (Gaceta Oficial No. 30397-A, Oct 29 2025), the government now authorizes a Special Passport for Qualified Investors who hold Permanent Residency, including their dependents.
This state-issued travel document—not a nationality—solidifies Panama’s position as the only USD-based jurisdiction offering permanent residency, territorial taxation, and now a globally recognized mobility credential.
(Sources: Quijano & Associates · CLD Legal · Morimor Law.)
Highlights
- Eligibility: Permanent Residents via Qualified Investor Visa (min. USD $300 K real estate).
- Validity: Issued by the Passport Authority · Active while residency remains valid · Does not grant citizenship.
- Value: Enhances travel status · Integrates mobility with fiscal certainty · Anchored in a century of USD stability.
“Law 493 transformed residency into a platform for mobility, Panama is now where wealth finds a passport.”
Global Residency-by-Investment Comparison (2025 Benchmark)
|
Country |
Minimum Investment |
Residency Timeline |
Tax Regime / Currency |
Distinct Edge 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Panama |
USD $300 K (real estate) |
Permanent ≈ 30 days · Citizenship 5 yrs · Special Passport (Law 493) |
USD · 0 % foreign-income · 0 % inheritance tax |
Fastest & Safest USD Residency Worldwide |
|
Portugal |
€500 K + |
Residency 1–2 yrs · Citizenship 5 yrs |
EUR · Global taxation · High living costs |
Prestige without speed or tax relief |
|
Costa Rica |
USD $150–200 K |
Temporary → Permanent in years |
CRC · Tax on foreign income |
Lifestyle > Liquidity |
|
Mexico |
USD $200 K + |
Residency ≈ 1 yr · Citizenship 5 yrs |
MXN · Global tax · FX volatility |
Growth, less stability |
|
Uruguay |
USD $400–500 K |
Residency 6 mo · Citizenship 3–5 yrs |
UYU · Global tax after 5 yrs |
Stable but costly |
|
🏝️ Caribbean CBI |
USD $200–400 K |
Citizenship 4–6 mo |
USD · FATF scrutiny |
Fast but fragile prestige |
Interpretation: While others trade speed for stability or cost for credibility, Panama delivers all three — permanence, predictability, and profitability.
Feeder Markets
|
Region |
Momentum |
Motivation |
|---|---|---|
|
U.S. |
15,000+ new residents since 2020 |
Tax + lifestyle stability |
|
Canada |
+60 % YoY inquiries |
Plan B residency · USD hedge |
|
Brazil |
Rising HNWI migration |
Tax optimization · Currency protection |
|
Europe (Italy · Spain · Germany) |
Growing interest |
Fiscal residency + climate |
|
LATAM Expats |
Strong movement |
Safety · Currency hedge |
The Competitive Landscape
|
Factor |
Panama |
Costa Rica |
Mexico |
Portugal |
Brazil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Currency |
USD |
CRC |
MXN |
EUR |
BRL |
|
Tax on foreign income |
0 % |
15–30 % |
30 % |
28 % |
Up to 27.5 % |
|
Residency by investment |
300 K → 30 days |
150 K (slow) |
varies |
500 K → 12 mo |
700 K + (slow) |
|
Inheritance tax |
0 % |
15 % |
10 %+ |
10 %+ |
Up to 8 % |
|
Market cycle |
Early Expansion |
Mature |
Late |
Plateau |
Overregulated |
Panama is the only LATAM jurisdiction to offer dollar-denominated transactions, territorial taxation, and unrestricted capital mobility.
“Other countries offer access. Panama offers permanence — and in this decade, permanence is power.”
Author’s Note — Victoria Levitam C.
For over two decades, I’ve helped shape Panama’s story — from oceanfront islands to branded residences and private sanctuaries that redefine what living well truly means.
What makes Panama extraordinary isn’t only its financial stability; it’s the energy that moves through it — a current of creation that connects continents, people, and purpose.
I’ve seen visionaries arrive here and find not just opportunity, but alignment — between ambition and peace, between legacy and lifestyle.
Because Panama isn’t just a market.
It’s where freedom meets foresight — and where the next chapter for the world’s visionaries begins.
PANAMA ISN’T A DESTINATION — IT’S A DECISION.
The decision to own your time, your taxes, and your tomorrow.
Where others chase opportunity, you create it, and Panama is where it begins.