- Panama’s Qualified Investor visa now sets property at US$500,000, with a lower carve-out for first-time developer purchases.
- Resale property falls outside the exception, while new-build property bought directly from the developer may still qualify at US$300,000.
- Advisers cite an October fifteenth, twenty twenty-six cutoff, but the decree text does not clearly state that expiry date.
Panama’s latest account of its Qualified Investor visa property route sets the minimum at US$500,000, while retaining a US$300,000 carve-out for a first purchase of new property directly from the developer. The update is dated September 17, 2026.
Resale property now falls under the higher threshold. New developer inventory may qualify for the lower amount.
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The distinction turns on the transaction itself. A first purchase of new-build property directly from its developer sits inside the exception, while a resale purchase sits outside it.
That leaves the route with two different entry points. The lower figure does not apply broadly to every property purchase described under the program.
The latest account conflicts with much of the 2026 guidance still circulating among immigration advisers and property firms. Those materials have generally described the real-estate option as remaining at the lower level until a later October date, followed by an increase.
A separate question concerns when, and on what legal basis, the higher amount takes effect.
Advisors and portals have circulated an “October 15, 2026 deadline” for the lower property amount. The governing decree does not clearly write that date into its text.
One detailed account identifies Executive Decree 193 of October 15, 2024, published in Official Gazette 30140-B, as the instrument that set the real-estate minimum at the lower level. It describes the amount as applying “as of its promulgation.”
The decree contains no 2026 expiry date for the lower property level.
The quoted wording comes from the detailed advisory account describing the decree. It leaves the October date as a deadline being circulated in 2026 guidance, rather than one clearly stated in the decree itself.
The property rule now carries two competing timelines
The property minimum historically stood at the higher level before Executive Decree 193 reduced it to US$300,000 on October 15, 2024. Multiple 2026 firms now expect the threshold to revert to US$500,000 on October 15, 2026.
Several guides describe that reported October increase as permanent unless the government issues a new decree. The newest account, however, treats the higher amount as already applying to purchases outside the developer exception.
The result is a divided message for applicants and sellers. One version uses the October date as the point when the threshold changes; the other distinguishes between resale property and qualifying new inventory now.
The difference can affect a buyer’s transaction planning. It also makes the purchase category central to the lower amount, rather than treating all real estate as one class.
Securities and deposits remain available at higher levels
Real estate is not the only investment route. The program also offers securities and a fixed-term bank deposit, each with a separate minimum.
| Investment route | Minimum amount | Required holding period |
|---|---|---|
| Property outside the developer exception | Same higher threshold | 5 years |
| Securities route | Same higher threshold | 5 years |
| Fixed-term deposit route | US$750,000 | 5 years |
The qualifying investment must be maintained for 5 years, according to multiple 2026 summaries. The securities option therefore carries the same minimum as property purchases outside the exception, while the fixed-term deposit requires US$750,000.
The property track has drawn the most attention because 2026 coverage describes it as the most accessible of the three investment options. A move from the lower level to the higher one would add US$200,000 for purchases that do not fit the developer exception.
The program links investment to direct permanent residency
Panama’s capital-based residence program is described as offering direct permanent residency without a temporary stage. Applicants must maintain the qualifying investment for five years.
Family inclusion options are also associated with the route. The property option’s lower reported entry point has helped keep it at the center of investor-migration discussions.
The program’s three routes create different financial choices. A buyer can consider qualifying property, securities, or a fixed-term deposit, but each path carries its own documentation and transaction requirements.
The current property distinction adds another layer. A resale buyer and a person purchasing new inventory directly from a developer may not face the same threshold.
Earlier threshold increases in another Panama visa category prompted applicants to “rushed to file,” according to one account. Advisers are treating the property distinction as deadline-driven and urging applicants to complete qualifying transactions before the reported cutoff.
That advice does not resolve the legal timing question. It does show how quickly demand can shift when investors believe a lower entry point is closing.
The decisive facts for a property applicant are the purchase type, the seller’s role, and the instructions in force when the application is submitted. Those details determine whether the transaction is treated as a first developer sale or as a resale outside the exception.
