Panama’s Qualified Investor permanent residency program brought in $113.6 million between July 2025 and June 2026, according to figures released by the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI). The program issued 268 official certificates over that period, and the numbers point to one clear driver behind the growth: real estate.
The Numbers Behind the Growth
The latest 12-month period represents a clear acceleration from the one before it. Between July 2024 and June 2025, the program issued 193 certificates tied to just over $90.1 million in investment. Year over year, that’s an increase of 75 certificates and $23.4 million.
MICI credits the jump to a combination of continued promotion in key international markets and a new digital platform for processing Qualified Investor applications. Katherine Cardoze, MICI’s national director of Investments, said the platform “has made it possible to speed up application processing and double the number of certificates issued per month.”
Real Estate Keeps Winning
Of the three ways to qualify for the program, real estate, fixed-term deposits, and securities, property investment is by far the dominant choice. Real estate accounted for 87.3% of certificates issued in the most recent period, up from 85.5% the year before. Fixed-term deposits slipped to 7.5% (from 8.3%), and securities investment dropped to 5.2% (from 6.2%).
In other words, the overwhelming majority of people obtaining Panamanian residency through this program are doing it by buying property, and that share is still growing rather than leveling off.
Where the Money Is Coming From
The applicant pool is genuinely global. MICI’s data shows investors coming from the United States, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and China, spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia. That spread suggests Panama’s appeal as a residency and investment destination isn’t tied to any single region’s economic conditions or migration patterns, which tends to make demand more resilient over time.
What It Means for Property Buyers
A program built around real estate investment, growing faster every year, with an increasingly diverse and international applicant base, is a meaningful signal for anyone weighing a property purchase in Panama. It points to sustained foreign demand across the market rather than a one-off trend, and it’s the kind of steady policy-backed tailwind that tends to support values in the neighborhoods and regions most popular with these buyers.
Areas like Punta Pacifica and Costa del Este in Panama City, along with established expat destinations like Boquete, are typically where this kind of qualified-investor capital tends to land first.
Casa Solution Can Help
If you’re exploring the Qualified Investor program or simply want to understand how real estate fits into Panama’s residency options, Casa Solution’s team can help you find a property that qualifies and fits your goals. Reach out to get started.
Date written: July 12, 2026
