Tier 2 · Visas and residency by investment
Executive Decree 199 of May 7, 2021 — Panama Forestry Visa
Decree 199 of 2021 establishes the Forestry Investor Visa (Forestry Visa / Reforestation Investor Visa) of Panama: permanent residency for foreigners acquiring rights to MiAmbiente-approved forestry projects, in two modalities — Regular and Express.
The two modalities
Forestry Visa Regular
- Minimum investment USD 100,000 in approved forestry project.
- Initial provisional residency (2 years).
- Conversion to permanent residency at year 3 of investment.
- Citizenship eligible: 5 years from permanent residency.
- Approximate legal/immigration costs: USD 5,000 initial + USD 1,400 at completion.
Forestry Visa Express
- Minimum investment USD 350,000 in approved forestry project.
- Direct grant of permanent residency.
- Approximate processing time: 6 months.
- Citizenship eligible: 5 years from permanent residency.
- Approximate legal/immigration costs: USD 7,500 + dependents.
Amounts and timelines verified against documented communication from registered forestry operators and public references as of 2026. Amounts are not at operator discretion — they are decree requirements. What varies is project structure and ancillary costs.
Basic requirements
- Effective investment in forestry project with MiAmbiente resolution in force (RF / RF-DRPO).
- Apostilled criminal background from country of origin.
- Valid passport.
- Panamanian medical certificate.
- Local bank account (recommended, not always required).
- Proof of source of funds.
- Acceptance letter from approved forestry operator.
Non-exhaustive list. Each case is individually reviewed by Migration. Full analysis covers verbatim list from the decree and current official forms.
Operators with approved projects
As of the last update, two Panamanian operators meet all four investor-facing criteria (Forestry Visa eligible, ANARAP members, Panamanian capital, sale of titled lots): United Nature and Foresteak. See independent 15-axis comparison.
Complete analysis · Decree 199 of 2021
Verbatim list of requirements, timelines per stage, official letter templates required by Migration, common mistakes that delay processing, and Forestry vs QIV vs FNV decision matrix.
PDF · 5-8 pages · instant delivery
Or included in the Complete Legal Framework bundle USD 99.
Official sources
Original decree: Official Gazette · May 7, 2021 · available at National Assembly LEGISPAN and the National Migration Service portal.
Related statute: Law 3 of 2008 (National Migration Service), applicable to all immigration categories.
Ministry of Environment: issues the RF resolution certifying the forestry project — verifiable at miambiente.gob.pa.