Panama City, Panama
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Everything Panama Live · Work · Play
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Panama City

Moving to Panama is not the hard part. Finding people you can actually trust is.

Everything Panama began as a Facebook group. Today it is 10,000+ people asking the same questions about residency, banks, property and healthcare. We are part of it, we live here, and we have already made the mistakes you are about to make.

Tell us what you need
10,000+ members in the group
1 contact for everything you need
3 languages we work in
0 cost to ask

What we handle

Everything you need. One person to ask.

Most people arrive and end up with a lawyer who does not speak to their banker, a realtor who does not speak to either, and an insurance broker nobody checked. We are not the lawyer, the banker or the broker. We are the people who already found the good ones, and who stay involved until the job is finished.

01

Settle

Residency and visas

Friendly Nations, Pensionado, Qualified Investor. We put you in front of an immigration lawyer who works out which one you actually qualify for, before you spend a dollar on it.

  • Friendly Nations: $200,000 in property or a three year fixed deposit, plus a personal account holding $5,000
  • Pensionado: proof of a lifetime pension of $1,000 per month or more
  • Qualified Investor: $300,000 in real estate until 15 October 2026, then $500,000. Also $500,000 in securities or $750,000 on fixed deposit
  • Typical timeline to temporary residency is four to six months from filing
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Bank accounts

Panamanian banks turn down more foreign applicants than they accept. What changes the outcome is who introduces you and how the file is put together before it is submitted.

  • Personal and corporate accounts
  • Introductions to banks that are actually opening for non residents right now
  • The bankers we introduce you to build the file with you, instead of letting you find out at the counter what is missing
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Company formation

Panamanian corporations and private interest foundations, set up by lawyers we work with for a purpose rather than pulled off a shelf.

  • Corporations, foundations and holding structures
  • Registered agent and ongoing compliance
  • Coordinated with your residency and banking so the pieces match
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02

Invest

Real estate

Buying, selling and renting in Panama City and beyond. We put you with agents who work this market every day, and with the people who structure the ownership and the financing behind the purchase.

  • Residential and commercial, purchase and resale
  • Rental and property management once you own it
  • Title review and structuring before you commit, not after
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Financing

Mortgages for foreign buyers, corporate facilities and policy backed structures. Panamanian banks will lend to non residents, but the terms depend entirely on how you present.

  • Mortgage financing for non resident buyers
  • Corporate and project financing
  • Policy backed lending, premium financing and asset protection structures
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03

Protect

Life and health insurance

Local Panamanian cover is cheap and works well inside the country. International cover costs more and follows you home. On the life side, cover has to hold up for people who live in one country, hold assets in another and are taxed somewhere else again.

  • Local and international health plans compared side by side
  • Cover that works with Panama City’s private hospitals
  • Pre existing conditions handled honestly before you apply
  • Cross border life cover
  • Estate planning across the countries where you live, hold assets and pay tax
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Medical and stem cell treatment

Panama City is one of the established centres for regenerative and stem cell medicine, and people fly in for it. We handle the introduction, the scheduling and the logistics around the visit.

  • Clinic introductions and consultation scheduling
  • Travel, accommodation and ground logistics around treatment
  • We coordinate access. We do not give medical advice and we do not promise outcomes.
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04

Live

Moving and storage

Shipping a container into Panama is straightforward until it reaches customs. We use movers who have cleared it before and storage that is climate controlled, which in this humidity is not optional.

  • Container shipping and customs clearance
  • Climate controlled storage
  • Pet relocation
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Car rental and driving

Short term rental while you find your feet, longer term lease if you are staying, and converting your licence once you are resident.

  • Short and long term rental
  • Buying a car as a foreigner
  • Licence conversion once residency comes through
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Events and meetups

Two different rooms. One is for finding your feet, the other is for doing business.

Community meetups

Relaxed and open to anyone. New arrivals ask the awkward questions face to face and usually leave with three numbers in their phone. Announced in the Facebook group first.

Panama Circle

The investment side. Evenings with developers, investors and the people who structure deals here, run for networking rather than for introductions to Panama. Dates go out on Instagram first.

Follow on Instagram
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How it works

Three steps, one point of contact

01

Tell us what you need

Tick what applies below, or just write it in your own words. It costs nothing and there is no application to fill in.

02

We put you with the right person

Someone we have used ourselves and would use again. Not a paid listing, not a name off a directory.

03

We stay in it until it is done

You keep one point of contact instead of chasing five people who never speak to each other.

Some of the professionals we introduce you to pay us a referral fee. It never changes who we think is right for you, and you are never obliged to use anyone we suggest.

Who we are

The team behind Everything Panama

We are not a firm that opened a Panama desk, and we are not the lawyers, bankers or brokers ourselves. We moved here, we went through all of this, and along the way we learned who is worth your time. Behind us is a wider bench of vetted professionals who do the actual work, and we stay involved until it is finished.

Jake Smith

Jake Smith

Founder and admin of the Everything Panama group.
RE/MAX Realty Specialists.

Jake started the Everything Panama group and runs it day to day, and he is the one welcoming most new members. He works in real estate with RE/MAX and knows the market from the buyer's side, which is the side most people are on when they first call.

Connects you withProperty, community, events

Property delivered through RE/MAX and the Jake Smith Team. jakesmithteam.com

Ziv Mashar

Ziv Mashar

Founder, Panama Private Club.
Co-founder, Investo Capital.

Ziv co-founded Investo Capital, a US real estate firm with more than $700 million under management, and founded Panama Private Club. He works on cross border capital: structuring ownership, arranging financing and lining up the legal and banking pieces so they actually fit together.

Connects you withReal estate, life and health insurance, financing solutions, wealth structuring

Investment and wealth structuring delivered through Panama Private Club. panamaprivateclub.com

Simon Girard

Simon Girard

CEO, Inter Commerce Consulting.

Simon studied market finance at HEC Montreal and worked in business development for major financial institutions before moving into consulting. He has lived in Sao Paulo, New York, Montreal and now Panama City, and works in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Connects you withResidency, banking, company formation, financing, real estate

Residency, banking and company work delivered through Inter Commerce Consulting. intercommerce.consulting

Leidy Coll

Leidy Coll

Digital marketing and content.

Leidy is a digital marketing specialist working in Meta ads and audiovisual content. She turns ideas into campaigns quickly, building the digital presence that lets a brand reach the people it is actually trying to talk to.

Specialises inMeta ads, video and photography, brand presence

Residency check

Which Panama residency route fits you?

Four questions. It takes about thirty seconds and tells you which route to look at first. It is a starting point, not legal advice.

The group

This group was created to be a one-stop community for life in Panama, whether you are already living here or planning a move.

From the welcome post

  • Ask anything and you will have an answer within minutes
  • New members introduced by name rather than swallowed by the feed
  • Meetups and local events posted here first
Open the group on Facebook

Public group

10,000+ members and growing every week

Everything Panama: Live, Work, Play

Facebook · Panama

Open the group on Facebook

Partnerships

The group works alongside

Firms and teams we work with day to day. Your enquiry reaches the one that fits, not a directory listing.

Panama Circle Jake Smith Real Estate Team Conservatorio Grupo Los Pueblos Panama Private Club Partner (red mark) InterCommerce Consulting Partner (five stars) Partner (bear) Partner (pinwheel)

Questions

The questions we get asked most

Straight answers, with the numbers. Rules change, so confirm anything here with us before you act on it.

How long does it take to get residency in Panama?

Four to six months from filing to temporary residency on most routes. The Qualified Investor route is different: it grants permanent residency directly, without the two years of temporary status first. Getting your Panamanian bank account open is usually the step that holds a file up, so it is worth starting early.

How much do I need to invest to get Panama residency?

It depends which route you qualify for. Friendly Nations asks for $200,000 in property or a three year fixed deposit, plus a personal account here holding $5,000. Qualified Investor asks for $300,000 in real estate until 15 October 2026 and $500,000 after that, or $500,000 in securities, or $750,000 on fixed deposit, held for five years. Pensionado asks for no investment at all, only proof of a lifetime pension of $1,000 a month or more.

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Panama?

Yes, but Panamanian banks turn down more foreign applicants than they accept. What changes the outcome is who introduces you and how the file is put together before it is submitted, not how much money you have. The Friendly Nations route also requires a personal account here holding $5,000.

What currency does Panama use?

The US dollar. The balboa is the official currency and is pegged one to one with the dollar, but Panama prints no paper money of its own, so US dollars circulate as legal tender and balboas exist mainly as coins. There is no currency risk on money you bring from the United States.

Does Panama tax foreign income?

Panama runs a territorial tax system, so only income arising inside Panama is taxed there, at rates up to 25%. Foreign source income generally falls outside it. Rules for companies inside multinational groups tightened in 2026, and your home country may still tax you regardless, so confirm your own position with a tax adviser before relying on this.

Do I need to speak Spanish to live in Panama?

Spanish is the official language and you will need some outside the capital. In Panama City you can bank, get treated and do business in English, and plenty of people live here without becoming fluent. We work in English, French and Spanish.

What does Everything Panama cost?

Asking costs nothing and there is no application to fill in. Tell us what you need and we introduce you to the professional who handles it. They set and quote their own fees to you directly.

Contact

Tell us what you need

Pick whatever applies. It builds the message for you, so you are not staring at an empty box wondering where to start. No cost, no application.

What do you need help with?

Or reach us directly

WhatsApp or phone +507 6645 6736 Email info@everythingpanama.com
Based in Panama City, Panama

We use your details to answer you and nothing else. We do not sell them and we do not add you to a list.