PA · Panama
A legal membership for North Americans abroad, open in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Portugal and Spain.
Residency cards, the tasa única, resident agent records, property tax installments and the décimo for staff: the dates people living in Panama, or holding assets there, keep track of.
Receive legal notifications abroad.Legal dates that may apply to you in Panama
Panama's recurring dates fall on residency cards, on companies and foundations (the yearly tasa única and the records kept with your resident agent) and on property tax paid in three installments.
The free deadline check lists the Panama dates that may apply to you. Members confirm them on a call with a lawyer licensed in Panama.
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Dates to know in Panama
Provisional cards and the switch to permanent
Provisional residency cards expire on a printed date. Friendly Nations residents apply for permanent residency before the two-year provisional period ends.
Tasa única each year
Every sociedad anónima (US$300) and private interest foundation (US$400) pays the tasa única: July 15 if it was registered January to June, January 15 if July to December.
Records with your resident agent
Companies and foundations keep a resident agent and give it their accounting records, or a sworn statement, each year. Ownership changes are reported to the agent within 15 business days.
Property tax in three installments
Property tax is paid by April 30, August 31 and December 31, with a discount for paying early. A registered primary home (Vivienda Principal) can pay less or none.
Décimo tercer mes
Employers, including households with staff, pay the thirteenth-month salary in three parts: April 15, August 15 and December 15.
Your lawyer
Members book 20-minute video calls with a lawyer who holds an idoneidad from the Corte Suprema de Justicia, up to three a month. Your customer success manager (CSM) follows up on the next steps.
Good to know
- US dollar (balboa pegged 1:1)Currency
- SpanishLanguages
- PanamaTime zone
- Carné de residente, Cédula E, RUC and NIT (tax IDs)IDs you may deal with
- S.A., Fundación de interés privado, S. de R.L.Local company forms
- Corte Suprema de Justicia, Sala Cuarta de Negocios Generales (idoneidad)Who licenses lawyers
- Notarías públicas de PanamáNotaries
Every date we list for Panama comes from our research of official sources and is marked as something that may require review. Partner lawyers licensed in Panama confirm what applies to you.
Questions
Questions about Panama
When is the tasa única due in Panama?
Each corporation or foundation pays the annual franchise tax (tasa única) by July 15 if it was registered from January to June, or by January 15 if it was registered from July to December.
What does my resident agent need each year?
Companies and foundations that do not operate in Panama, or only hold assets, give their resident agent financial statements, a financial summary, an asset-holding affidavit or a no-activity sworn statement every year (Executive Decree 177 of 2024). The research lists April 30 as the date; confirm it with your resident agent or a lawyer.
When is property tax paid in Panama?
Property tax is paid in three installments: April 30, August 31 and December 31. Paying the year early, by April 30, can earn a discount. Registering your primary home (Vivienda Principal or Patrimonio Familiar) can change the tax, and it is not retroactive.
How does Friendly Nations residency become permanent?
It starts with a two-year provisional permit, and the application for permanent residency is made before the provisional period ends. Your provisional card's expiry date is the one to watch.
What changed for Qualified Investor residency in 2026?
Executive Decree 17 of 2026 raised the investment amounts for new applicants and added an annual filing with MICI within the 30 calendar days before each anniversary of the immigration resolution. This comes from secondary sources, so ask a lawyer licensed in Panama how it applies to you.
When is the thirteenth-month pay due for staff?
Employers pay the décimo tercer mes in three parts: April 15, August 15 and December 15.
These answers come from our research of official and professional sources and may require review. A lawyer licensed in Panama confirms what applies to you.
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