Curated legal framework · Verified May 2026

The laws governing reforestation and forestry investment in Panama.

Complete map of laws and decrees — in force, modified and partially derogated — affecting forestry investment, residency by investment (Forestry Visa, QIV) and forest land ownership in Panama. Each entry points to the official source. The free version covers status and modified articles; full analysis — implications by investor profile, derogation chain, verbatim before-and-after text — is available as PDF report.

How to read this framework. The status of each law reflects the best public synthesis available. Recent modifications may be pending regulation. This map does not substitute individual legal opinion — confirm with MiAmbiente, DGI (tax authority), Public Registry and a Panamanian tax attorney before any capital or residency decision. Panforestal is independent, does not represent any forestry company and does not receive referral commissions.

Tier 1 — Forestry incentives (core)

Laws and decrees defining tax exemptions, deductions and direct incentives for reforestation activity. Core of any forestry tax analysis.

Statute	Description	Status	Analysis
Law 24 of Nov 23, 1992Reforestation Incentives	Established income tax exemption for registered forest plantations, deduction of forestry investments, import duty exemption. Articles 6 and 7 were derogated by Law 69/2017.Regulated by Executive Decree 89/1993 and 170/1993.	Partially modified	View analysis →
Law 1 of Feb 3, 1994Panama Forestry Law	Framework law for forestry sector — defines forest property, harvesting, forest registry, sanctions. Article 91 was derogated by Law 69/2017.	Partially modified	View analysis →
Law 69 of Oct 30, 2017Reforesta Panamá Program	Creates the Reforesta Panamá Fund (mixed administration) with direct incentives for forest coverage and conservation of natural forests. Partially supersedes the exemption regime of Law 24/1992.Regulated by Executive Decree 129/2018.	In force	View analysis →
Executive Decree 89 of Jun 8, 1993Original regulation of Law 24/1992	Regulates registration procedures in Forest Registry, plantation certification and application of Law 24 exemptions. Applicability changed after derogation of Articles 6 and 7 of Law 24 in 2017.	Restricted application	View analysis →
Executive Decree 170 of 1993Income Tax Regulation (forestry part)	Defines specific tax treatment of forestry investments under the Tax Code. Some provisions lost effect when Article 7 of Law 24/1992 was derogated.	Restricted application	View analysis →
Executive Decree 129 of 2018Regulation of Law 69/2017	Regulates operation of the Reforesta Panamá Fund, eligibility criteria for incentives and application procedures.	In force	View analysis →

Tier 2 — Visas and residency by investment

Executive decrees governing the Forestry Visa (Reforestation Investor Visa) and the Qualified Investor Visa (QIV) — the two Panamanian residency paths relevant for foreign forestry investment.

Statute	Description	Status	Analysis
Executive Decree 199 of May 7, 2021Forestry / Reforestation Investor Visa	Defines eligibility for permanent residency via investment in an approved forestry project. Three modalities: Regular (USD 100K → 3 years to PR), Express (USD 350K → 6 months to PR).	In force	View analysis →
Executive Decree 722Qualified Investor Visa (QIV)	Permanent residency for qualified investors (real estate / time deposit / securities). Current real-estate threshold USD 300,000; transition to USD 500,000 effective October 15, 2026.	In force · transition Oct 15, 2026	View analysis →

Tier 3 — Environmental framework governing forestry activity

General environmental laws defining forestry Environmental Impact Assessments, protected areas and the institutional authority (Ministry of Environment, MiAmbiente).

Statute	Description	Status	Analysis
Law 41 of Jul 1, 1998General Environment Law	General environmental framework. Regulates forestry EIAs (Categories I, II, III), National System of Protected Areas (SINAP). Updated Unified Text consolidates subsequent modifications.	In force · Unified Text	View analysis →
Law 8 of Mar 25, 2015Creates Ministry of Environment	Elevates the former National Environment Authority (ANAM) to Ministry rank. Modifies Law 41/1998 and Law 44/2006.	In force	View analysis →
Law 44 of 2006Aquatic Resources Authority	Related — modified by Law 8/2015 in its institutional component. Relevant where forestry projects interact with water recharge zones.	Modified	View analysis →

Complete Analysis · Panama Forestry Legal Framework 2026

The 10 critical statutes analyzed in depth: verbatim text of each in-force and derogated article, chain of modifications since 1992, cross-matrix of applicability by investor profile (Forestry Visa Regular, Forestry Express, QIV, grandfathered pre-2017), and resolved practical cases.

Verbatim text of each articleBefore-and-after of each modification Applicability matrix by investor profileCross-referenced derogation chain Bilingual EN + ESParalegal-ready citable footnotes Homonymy alerts between lawsFree updates for 12 months

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⚠️ Homonymy alert — multiple "Law 24" coexist. Only Law 24 of November 23, 1992 deals with reforestation. The following are different laws sharing the same number that do NOT regulate forestry activity:

Law 24 of 1988 — different subject
Law 24 of 1995 — different subject
Law 24 of Jun 4, 2001 — regulates a non-forestry government fund
Law 24 of Jul 5, 2006 — different subject
Law 24 of 2007 — different subject

When consulting sources or drafting agreements, always cite the full date to avoid application errors.

Full legal notice. This legal map is informational, based on official public sources (National Assembly, Official Gazette, MiAmbiente, FAOLEX, OAS) verified at the last update date indicated on each page. Applicability of any law to a specific case depends on the project's registration date, the investor's corporate structure, applicable residency regime and subsequent rules that may not yet be integrated. For binding legal opinion consult a Panamanian attorney experienced in forestry, tax and immigration law. Panforestal is an independent documentary intelligence platform: we do not provide legal services, do not act as investment agent, do not receive commission from sector operators and are not liable for decisions made solely based on this content.