As long as you keep your residency up to date, you will be able to start your citizenship application five years after having obtained your permanency in Panama.
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As an immigrant investor, what kind of ties do I need to establish with Panama to obtain citizenship there?
About a year ago, I obtained Panama permanent residency through the Friendly Nations visa. However, I only spend a few weeks in the country a year. Given that, I still want to become a Panama citizen, but what do I need to establish to prove ties to this country and get my application approved?
Answers
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Panama's immigration law provides that once every two years you can maintain permanent resident status, visiting Panama even for a single day. However, the visa of friendly countries also grants you the right to personal identity card type "E", granting you the same rights as a Panamanian national. To obtain the Panamanian passport you need the following: permanent resident status; obtained if you are not married to a Panamanian national, you must have five years of continuous residency in Panama, if you are married to a national only three years. These terms start counting from the first resolution issued by the National Migration Service through which you are recognized as a permanent resident. It must comply with a series of requirements, the most important being the criminal or police record, proving economic solvency and verifying good fiscal behavior. The last and most important is to submit the naturalization application form, complying with all the substantive requirements and form that the law mandates. Remember, once you accept and are approved for Panamanian nationality, you renounce your nationality of origin.
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Please note that the requirements for a citizenship application don’t include proving ties to Panama. Therefore, you can spend just a few weeks per year and get your application approved.
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Along with the standard background check, the citizenship application just requires you to pass the test of proficiency in the Spanish language and general knowledge of Panama. A declaration of economic solvency and ties to Panama is presented in a signed sworn declaration to be drafted by your attorney, along with income tax returns from Panama and bank reference letter.
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