Panama: Special Passport for Qualified Investors and Retired Rentiers

By De Puy & Asociados

On October 28, 2025, Panama enacted Law No. 493, which amended the 2013 statute that created the Autoridad de Pasaportes de Panamá (Panama Passport Authority). The reform expands the Authority’s functions by assigning it responsibility for the issuance and authorization of special passports for certain categories of foreign residents, specifically retired rentiers and qualified investors.

Scope of the Reform

Under the new legal framework, the Panama Passport Authority is empowered to issue special passports to foreign nationals who have been granted specific immigration statuses by the National Immigration Service. These include:

• Foreigners granted temporary residence under special policies, such as retired rentiers, as well as their dependents.

• Foreigners granted permanent residence for economic reasons, particularly under the subcategory of qualified investors, along with their dependents.

The law links the issuance of these passports directly to the holder’s recognized immigration status, as approved by the competent migration authority.

Requirements for Issuance

To obtain one of these special passports, applicants must:

• Present an administrative resolution issued and authenticated by the Servicio Nacional de Migración, certifying the approval of their immigration status.

• Pay the applicable fees and charges established by the Panama Passport Authority.

• Complete the required forms and comply with any additional requirements set by the Authority within its administrative powers.

These requirements place the Passport Authority in a coordinating role, relying on prior immigration approval rather than independently assessing residency eligibility.

Validity and Legal Effects

The special passports created under Law No. 493 have a limited duration, corresponding strictly to the period of validity of the holder’s residence permit. Once the immigration status expires or is terminated, the passport’s validity likewise ends.

Importantly, the law makes clear that:

• These passports do not replace the ordinary passport issued by the holder’s country of nationality.

• They do not confer Panamanian nationality, citizenship rights, or political status.

• Their function is administrative and practical, serving as an official travel and identification document linked to lawful residence in Panama.