PROPERTY · RESIDENCY · RELOCATION
Latitude Panama is the international private-client division of Grupo Terrabona. We help North American families evaluate whether Panama fits — the property, the residency route, and the move — with one coordinated team and one point of accountability.
About a third of the people who speak with us conclude that Panama is not the right answer. We would rather you reach that conclusion on a call than after a wire transfer.
15 years developing in Panama
Approx. 1,700 units in the development pipeline
380+ closed transactions
APPROX. 1,700 UNITS IN DEVELOPMENT
We are not a new company created to sell to foreigners. We are the international desk of a Panamanian group that has been building here since 2011.
9°00′N
Where property and residency intersect.
Residency thresholds are a constraint, not a reason to buy. A property that makes no sense as an asset does not become a good decision because it clears a visa threshold. We evaluate the property first.
A dollarised economy
Panama has used the U.S. dollar as legal tender since 1904, which removes exchange-rate exposure between your home currency and your Panamanian assets.
2h 45m
Nonstop from Miami. 18 U.S. cities direct. 6h from Toronto.
Territorial tax system
Panama generally operates on a territorial tax system, which may offer significant advantages on foreign-sourced income.
Consistently ranked among the top
retirement destinations worldwide by International Living.
Outside the Atlantic hurricane belt
Panama sits below the main Atlantic hurricane belt and has historically seen far less tropical storm activity than the Caribbean or the Gulf coast.
Hospitals featuring JCI-accredited facilities
Many U.S.-trained physicians.
8°40′N
Property, title, residency coordination, banking introductions and rental operation are handled by one group with a single point of contact. Fewer parties. Clearer accountability.
8°50′N
THREE RESIDENCY ROUTES
Three residency routes to assess.
These are immigration programmes, not products we sell. Which one fits depends on your age, your income, your timeline and your objectives — and sometimes the answer is none of them.
We will tell you if the residency route you are considering does not require a property purchase at all. The Pensionado programme, for example, does not.
FRIENDLY NATIONS VISA
Titled property purchase
Two years provisional, then permanent
4–6 months; local financing permitted
For buyers with time
QUALIFIED INVESTOR VISA
Permanent residency granted on first approval
Subject to meeting all programme requirements and to review by the National Immigration Service.
30–90 days; remote filing available
PENSIONADO VISA — FOR RETIREES
Verifiable lifetime pension income
No property purchase; permanent residency
National discounts on travel, care, dining, utilities and more
A leading retirement programme in the hemisphere
Thresholds and requirements are set by Panamanian law and may change. Independent counsel can confirm current requirements for your file.
Every Pensionado still needs somewhere to live. Many of our buyers combine the two — the pension gets them residency, the property gets them a home and rental income.
See What Qualifies
WHAT WE HANDLE
What sits under one roof, and what deliberately does not.
BUILD — We design and construct the buildings.
TITLE — Registered in your name at the Public Registry. Title status and encumbrances are verified by your independent counsel before closing.
RESIDENCY — Coordinated with independent licensed Panamanian counsel, engaged directly by you at a fixed fee.
BANKING — Introductions and document preparation.
RENT — Operated under Panama’s tourism regime by a professional hotel operator.
When something goes wrong on a foreign property purchase, the first thing you discover is how many parties can point at each other. Buying at source removes most of that chain. It does not make problems impossible. It makes it obvious who has to fix them.
8°30′N
Panama, the country
PANAMA CITY
A real capital: skyline, hospitals, restaurants, direct flights.
CORONADO & THE PACIFIC COAST
Beach living one hour from the capital.
BOQUETE
3,900 feet, 70°F year round, coffee farms, largest expat community.
BOCAS DEL TORO & SAN BLAS
Caribbean islands, turquoise water, near-empty.
CARE IN PANAMA CITY
The healthcare question, answered.
PACÍFICA SALUD
The first hospital in Latin America and the Caribbean affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Of its roughly 250 physicians, most trained in the United States or Europe and many speak English. Two locations: Punta Pacífica and Costa del Este.
HOSPITEN PAITILLA
Founded in 1975 and part of Hospiten, an international network with 20 hospitals across Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Panama. Over 600 staff across all medical specialties.
THE PANAMA CLINIC
A newer private hospital in Punta Pacífica, built to U.S. and European standards, with robotic surgery, a 24-hour emergency room, and a dedicated medical tourism department.
The standard in Panama City is excellent. The standard in a small mountain town is not the same. Where you live in Panama is a healthcare decision, not only a lifestyle one.
What a month actually costs.
ILLUSTRATIVE RANGES — FIGURES VARY BY LIFESTYLE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD.
MONTHLY ESTIMATE
PANAMA CITY
INTERIOR TOWNS
A MID-SIZED U.S. CITY
Rent, two bedrooms
$1,200–2,000
$700–1,300
$1,600–2,600
Utilities and internet
$150–280
$100–190
$250–400
Groceries
$500–750
$400–600
$700–1,000
Health insurance, couple 60
$200–400
$200–400
$1,000–1,800
Housekeeping, twice weekly
$120–200
$100–170
$300–500
Dining out, four times a month
$160–280
$120–220
$240–400
Illustrative ranges based on general market observation. Not a study, index or guarantee. Actual costs depend on neighbourhood, property and personal circumstances.
Panama is cheaper than the United States. It is not the cheapest country in Latin America, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. Imported goods cost what imported goods cost.
COMPLIMENTARY BRIEFING
The 2026 Panama Residency & Property Briefing
A general guide to Panamanian residency through property — the routes available, orders of magnitude for costs, documents typically required, and how ownership works for foreigners. Sent personally, not automatically.
LATITUDE PANAMA · 8°58′N · 79°32′W
The 2026 Panama Residency & Property Briefing
RESIDENCY ROUTES COMPARED
PROPERTY OWNERSHIP FOR FOREIGNERS
COSTS AND TIMELINES
DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST
HEALTHCARE AND COST OF LIVING
THE FOUR REGIONS
Prepared for prospective buyers in the United States and Canada
Three days in Panama.
Buildings, neighbourhoods, a bank, and a sit-down with the immigration attorney. The fee credits against your purchase. About a third of visitors decide Panama isn’t for them — that’s a good outcome, and far cheaper than learning it after a deposit.
WHAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO
The question is not what is available. It is what fits.
Panama is a small country with a wide range of options. We work across the group’s own developments and a broader network of Panamanian developers, which means the conversation starts with your situation rather than with whatever we happen to be holding.
PANAMA CITY — SHORT-STAY
Apartments in central districts operated under Panama’s tourism regime by licensed hotel operators. For buyers who want the unit worked while they are away.
PANAMA CITY — RESIDENTIAL
Larger floor plans in established neighbourhoods, close to hospitals and the financial district. For buyers who intend to live here part or full time.
PACIFIC COAST
Beach and gated community living approximately one hour from the capital. Houses with gardens rather than apartments.
INTERIOR AND HIGHLANDS
Cooler elevations and established towns, including the areas with the largest expatriate communities in the country.
We do not publish inventory. Specific projects, floor plans, availability and pricing are discussed after an introductory conversation, once we understand what you are actually solving for.
Start with a conversation
What you can verify before you commit.
Before any money moves, you receive the following. Your own counsel and your own accountant are welcome to review all of it.
PUBLIC REGISTRY CERTIFICATE
The property’s registered title and current status, issued by the Panamanian Public Registry.
ENCUMBRANCE CHECK
Confirmation of liens, mortgages or restrictions on the title, verified by independent counsel.
BUILDING LEGAL REGIME
The horizontal property or tourism regime the building operates under, in writing.
DEVELOPER RECORD
Completed projects with addresses, delivery dates and current occupancy.
FULL COST BREAKDOWN
Purchase price, transfer tax, capital gains withholding, notary, registry, legal and residency fees, itemised before you sign anything.
IMMIGRATION FEE SCHEDULE
The independent law firm’s fixed fees and published timeline, provided by them directly.
If a seller anywhere in Panama cannot produce these, that is your answer. Apply the same standard to us.
8°10′N
What happens after you book the call.
01 A conversation, not a pitch — thirty minutes. We evaluate whether a Panamanian property makes sense for you as an asset. Only then do we look at how it might fit a residency strategy.
02 Discovery trip — three days, fee credits against purchase.
03 Reserve and contract — you sign directly with the developer.
04 Title and file — title registers in your name; independent licensed counsel files with Immigration.
05 Keys or an operator — you use it, rent it, or both.
No money moves until step three, and nothing is signed until you have stood inside the unit.
8°00′N
The people on your side of the table.
GONZALO GROOSCORS
Commercial Director
22 years in Panamanian real estate, 380+ closed transactions. He takes the first call himself.
AGUSTÍN RENDÓN
Investment Director
Advises buyers on rental performance, payment structures and how a Panamanian property fits a wider portfolio.
SALOMÓN DÍAZ
Relocation Services Director
Coordinates the discovery trip, banking introductions, shipping and the practical side of arriving in Panama.
Immigration matters on every file are handled by an independent, licensed Panamanian law firm, engaged and paid directly by you at a published fixed fee. Latitude Panama coordinates the process. Counsel advises on the law. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.
Questions worth asking before you buy.
Do I have to live in Panama to keep residency?
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No. Neither route requires you to relocate. Permanent residents are generally expected to enter Panama at least once every two years. Many of our buyers spend a few weeks a year here and rent the property the rest of the time.
Does this change my U.S. or Canadian taxes?
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Panamanian residency does not change U.S. tax obligations — the United States taxes citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live. Panama’s territorial system means Panama does not tax your foreign income. Speak to your own accountant; we do not advise on tax.
Can a foreigner own property outright?
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Yes. Panama places no restriction on foreign ownership of titled property. It records in your name, or your company’s, at the Public Registry — the same instrument a Panamanian receives.
Who provides the legal work?
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An independent licensed Panamanian law firm, named on your engagement letter, engaged and paid directly by you at a fixed fee. Latitude Panama is not a law firm and does not give legal or immigration advice. We coordinate; counsel advises.
Is short-term rental legal in Panama?
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Panama City restricts rentals under 45 days. The lawful path is a building held under the tourism property regime, where the owner places the unit with a licensed hotel operator. That is the structure our short-stay properties use, and we put it in writing.
What does it cost beyond the property?
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Budget roughly $5,000 to $10,000 in legal and government fees on the Friendly Nations route, plus a $5,000 government fee on the Qualified Investor route, plus closing costs and apostilles. You get a written estimate before you commit to anything.
How is healthcare?
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Panama City has internationally accredited hospitals and many U.S.-trained, English-speaking specialists, at a fraction of American prices. Honestly: the standard in Panama City is excellent, the standard in a small mountain town is not the same. Where you live is a healthcare decision.
What if I change my mind?
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The discovery trip exists to answer that before money moves. About a third of visitors decide Panama is not for them. That is a good outcome and far cheaper than learning it after a deposit.
No presentation, no floor plans, no pressure. We ask about your situation, walk you through the three routes, and tell you what it would actually cost. If Panama is wrong for you, we will say so on the call.
Book a 30-Minute Private Consultation
CALLS IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH · 9AM–6PM EASTERN
BACKED BY
Latitude Panama is the North American division of Grupo Terrabona, working alongside Palo Verde in construction and Orizon in marketing intelligence. Fifteen years of development in Panama, 1,700 units in execution.
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