Panama visa for professionals

Professional Visa in Panama may be requested by professional foreigners who hold a college degree, Master’s or Doctorate ( from careers that are not reserved to Panamanian nationals).

According to the immigration laws of Panama, this permit is among the permits allowing permanent residence card to applicants.

The Foreign Professional Visa in Panama is a residence permit that will allow the applicant to practice as your career in Panama, enable the applicant to obtain a work permit and enable the applicant to obtain a permanent residence permit in Panama.

What is a Panama visa for professionals?

It is a residence permit in Panama named by the National Immigration Service as Permanent Resident Permit as a foreign professional, established in the immigration laws of Panama in the Executive Decree Executive Decree 804 of October 9, 2012.

The law states that residence in Panama is granted for a period of two years.

After the expiration date, once a series of requirements have been met, permanent stay in the country is granted.

It should be noted that one of the indispensable requirements is the fact of not having a profession within the list of restricted professions to be exercised only by Panamanian nationals within the country.

List of restricted professions to be exercised only by Panamanian nationals within the Republic of Panama

Homologation of Foreign University Degree in Panama

A requirement which may delay the application for a residence permit through the visa for foreign professional in Panama is the fact a university degree must be approved by the NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF PANAMA, this entity in this case acts as an accreditation organism for diplomas to be presented before the national migration service as main proof within the application.

Once the diploma is submitted with all the other requirements, the response time by the NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF PANAMA is 6 months after the beginning of the diploma homologation process.

What are the requirements to obtain Panama visa for professionals?

This visa grants the foreign professional a provisional permit for 2 years, which is then renewed as a permanent residence permit, i.e., the applicant must go through two phases to obtain the permanent residence permit in Panama.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Power of attorney through a Panamanian lawyer and Application drafted by a lawyer.
• Five (5) passport size photographs with white background.
• Duly verified copy of the passport before public notary or corresponding authority.
• Police Record or Criminal Record Verification from the country of the last 5 years residence. This document must be “original”, “official”, “updated” and “authenticated” (see explanation of these terms below).
• Health Certificate with at least 3 months of validity.
• Certified or cashier’s check for B/.250.00 in favor of the National Treasury.
• Certified or cashier’s check for B/.800.00 in favor of the National Immigration Service.
• Personal Background Affidavit Form (We process it at the firm).
• Diploma or University Degree (T.S.U, Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate) duly apostilled.
• Identity card or ID from your country (can be driver’s license, driver’s license, driver’s license, etc.),
• Fulfill the homologation process before the corresponding national authorities in this case the University of Panama or the Technological University (this will be explained later in the phases of this permit).

APPLICATION FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT

In order to request the permanence the previous requirements will be presented with the exception of the
Certificate of Criminal Record and the checks, the applicant will additionally have to provide
must also provide:

Certification of tax status of the applicant (must have the tax account free of pending payments).

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Tips to start legal procedures in Panama

• If possible, meet in person at the law firm’s business premises.
• Request a professional services contract with your attorney.
• If you decide to work with an independent attorney, check your attorney’s credentials against the Supreme Court’s database.

Main Benefits of having a Professional Visa in Panama

• Will be able to apply for the permanent residence permit in Panama in a few phases, (this permit will grant you the “CEDULA E”).
• Once the “CEDULA E” is obtained and the requirements are fulfilled, you will be able to obtain a Panamanian passport through naturalization (once you obtain the “CEDULA E”).
• May obtain a work permit under the Panama Foreign Professional Visa.
• Enjoy all the benefits enjoyed by Panamanian nationals in banks, businesses and governmental entities.

What are the steps to follow for obtaining permanent residency with the Professional Visa in Panama?

PHASE 1:

Day 1: Interview with lawyer

The meeting with the lawyer takes place to review the requirements and the payment of the fees to initiate the immigration process.

DAY 2: (Requires only the presence of the foreigner)

Foreign applicant and the legal representative or his/her assistant will appear before the Panama National Migration Service offices to present an official request for the application for the Panama Professional Visa.

In the same day the first provisional residence card will be issued to the foreign applicant, valid for 6 months, in addition to a multiple entry and exit visa stamped in the passport that will allow him/her to enter and leave Panama without any problems and without paying any exit tax.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS?

Normally the immigration agents will tell you to wait from 3 to 5 months while the officers in charge of document review in immigration issue the resolution of approval of the resident permit by means of the Foreign Professional Visa in Panama.

At the moment the immigration resolution is ready, the attorney is notified by the national immigration service of Panama that the resolution has been issued and from that moment on they can and must attend the immigration offices in Panama to obtain a new provisional residency card through the Foreign Professional Visa in Panama.

This new card is a provisional permit through the Panama Professional Visa, is valid for 2 years and has a cost of 50 dollars.

PHASE 2: Application for the Permanent Residence Permit through the Panama Professional Visa.

After 23 months the foreigner can apply for the permanent residence permit.

To apply for the permanent residence permit for the Foreign Professional Visa in Panama the applicant must provide all the requirements that were provided the first time (except the certified checks and the police record) and must add

National Paz y Salvo of the applicant.
This time the complete process of DAY 1 and DAY 2 of PHASE 1 is done again.

That same day the foreign applicant will be given a provisional residency card, valid for 6 months.

Once the immigration resolution is approved, the lawyer is notified by the national immigration service of Panama that the resolution has been issued and from that moment on they can and must attend the immigration offices in Panama to obtain a new permanent residency card.

COST OF PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD THROUGH PANAMA PROFESSIONAL VISA

This new card is a permanent permit for the Panama Professional Visa, it has a cost of 100 dollars.

A month later Panama’s national migration service will issue a note called “Nota de Cédula”, with this note the foreigner must schedule an appointment before the electoral tribunal, which is generally granted for a few working days after requesting it.

The day of appointment foreigners must go to the electoral court of Panama to make the fingerprint and facial registry, one week later they can get the Cédula “E”, which will be their new legal identity document to circulate in Panama.

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