If I want to live in Panama, what's the difference between citizenship and residency?
JuliAnne Murphy - Panama Pacifico
Becoming a resident means that you have the right to reside or live legally within Panama. This requires a Visa, if you are not a naturally-born Panamanian. Getting a Visa requires hiring a lawyer to take you through that process. There's a bunch of different types of visas you can get. Becoming a citizen means that you have received or been granted a Panamanian passport. This takes a long time. Residency is usually the first step toward getting your citizenship,...
Becoming a resident means that you have the right to reside or live legally within Panama. This requires a Visa, if you are not a naturally-born Panamanian. Getting a Visa requires hiring a lawyer to take you through that process. There's a bunch of different types of visas you can get. Becoming a citizen means that you have received or been granted a Panamanian passport. This takes a long time. Residency is usually the first step toward getting your citizenship, so start with that process first.
Posted April 10, 2013
Bill Hamilton - Bill Hamilton
You can get a citizenship in Panama after ten years, but you have to be a resident for 10 years before you can become a Panamanian citizen. When you get a residency, it does not mean that you give up your residence in your country of origin. Not at all. You’re both. You’re just a resident of Panama and you have the right to live in Panama legally, but if you are a citizen, you have to take the oath after 10 years. It is like becoming an American citizen. ...
You can get a citizenship in Panama after ten years, but you have to be a resident for 10 years before you can become a Panamanian citizen. When you get a residency, it does not mean that you give up your residence in your country of origin. Not at all. You’re both. You’re just a resident of Panama and you have the right to live in Panama legally, but if you are a citizen, you have to take the oath after 10 years. It is like becoming an American citizen. In order to be in Panama legally, you have to be on some type of visa, either jubilado (retiree) or business or company formation or investment in agriculture or forestry.
If you are just a resident and not a citizen, you cannot vote. There’s very little advantage to becoming a citizen, apart from getting a Panamanian passport. There’s not much of a reason to have a Panamanian passport because you can get it in certain circumstances like business and investment through a company. I don’t see the point of getting a citizenship, unless you have something to hide.
(The Attorney General's office, Panama, pictured.)
Posted February 4, 2015