Why so many people are looking at Panama
A large share of the people who write to us are from Canada, and the rest come from the United States, Europe and Latin America. The reasons they give are usually the same few.
Panama uses the US dollar, so there is no currency risk on money you bring with you. Its tax system is territorial, which means only income arising inside Panama is taxed there, although your home country may still tax you, so that needs checking with an adviser. It has several established residency routes, the best known being Friendly Nations, Pensionado and Qualified Investor. And Panama City has good private healthcare and a growing international community, so daily life works in English while you pick up Spanish.
What actually makes the move hard
The paperwork is rarely the real problem. The problem is finding people you can trust, in a country where you do not yet know anyone.
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. Each one handles a single piece. Nobody owns the whole move, and the gaps between them are where time and money disappear.
Bank accounts are the clearest example. Panamanian banks turn down more foreign applicants than they accept, and a residency file can sit waiting for months because the account was never opened. What changes the outcome is who introduces you and how the file is put together before it is submitted.
How the Everything Panama team helps
We are not lawyers, bankers or brokers ourselves. We moved here, went through all of this, and learned along the way who is worth your time. Our work rests on three steps.
- Tell us what you need. In your own words, on the website or on WhatsApp. There is no application to fill in.
- We put you with the right person. Someone we have used ourselves and would use again, not a paid listing or a name off a directory.
- 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.
What we cover, stage by stage
Before you move
- Residency. An immigration lawyer works out which route you actually qualify for before you spend anything on it. Our residency check gives you a first idea in four questions.
- Banking. We introduce you to the banks and prepare the file so it is accepted the first time.
- Company formation. If you need a Panamanian corporation or a private interest foundation, the lawyers we work with set it up for a clear purpose.
- Shipping. We ship household goods and parcels into Panama from most countries, by sea or by air: a full container, a share of one, or a courier. We help with customs and the paperwork, and members of the group get a lower rate.
When you arrive
- A place to live. Agents who work the Panama City market every day, for renting first or buying when you are ready, and mortgages for foreign buyers when you need financing.
- Insurance. Local health cover, which is affordable and works well inside Panama, or international cover that follows you home. Life cover set up for people who live in one country and hold assets in another.
- Getting around. A short term rental car while you find your feet, a longer lease if you are staying, and converting your licence once you are resident.
Once you are settled
- People. A community of more than 16,000 on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and our other channels, where questions get answered by people who have already done it, and regular meetups where new arrivals meet the community face to face.
- Business and investment. Networking evenings with developers, investors and the people who structure deals here, and a weekly webinar with a different guest each time. Guests and dates are announced on our social channels.
- Time off. Fishing, golf, island days and trips to the highlands, booked for you so you only have to turn up.
What it costs
Asking costs nothing. We introduce you to the professional who handles your case, and they set and quote their own fees directly to you. Some of the professionals we introduce 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 is behind Everything Panama
The team is small, and every one of us lives in Panama. Jake Smith founded the Everything Panama group and runs it day to day, and works in real estate. Ziv Mashar co-founded Investo Capital, a US real estate firm with more than $700 million under management, and founded Panama Private Club. Simon Girard is CEO of Inter Commerce Consulting and handles residency, banking and company formation. Leidy Coll runs digital marketing and content. Between us we work in English, French, German and Spanish.
How to start
Tell us where you are, who is coming with you and roughly when you want to move. Send us a message or write to us on WhatsApp, and one of us will come back to you personally, usually within a day.
