After you say yes, the work runs in a set order: the route and scope are agreed in writing, your documents are collected and checked, you file in person in Panama, and then Immigration decides. The details differ by route, so treat every timing here as what usually happens, not a promise.
General expectation: this is the usual process under normal circumstances. Immigration can change its approach at any time, although that is uncommon. Your lawyer will let you know of any change.
1. The Route and Scope Are Agreed
After your call, Plan B Expat confirms which route fits your situation and agrees the scope and next steps with you in writing. If residency is not a good fit, you are told so at this point.
The budget for your route is given only through Get Started and a call, as a personalised quote.
2. Your Documents Come First
You receive a checklist for your route. You gather the documents and have them apostilled, with guidance from Plan B Expat. The legal team reviews them before anything is submitted.
Some documents expire. Plan B Expat works to three months from the date of issue for a criminal record certificate, counted from the day it is issued, not the day it is apostilled or filed. Settle your travel dates first, then order it.
3. You File in Person in Panama
Expect at least one trip to Panama. What the trip involves depends on the route.
4. The Wait and the Later Trips
Two-year routes. About three months into the six, your lawyer tells you when to send your passport so the resolution can be processed. You usually return to Panama within the six months to collect the two-year card, and again near the end of the two years to convert to permanent residency. After the permanent card, ordinary cédula processing is currently about 3 to 4 months because of the backlog, so you normally leave and return later for the cédula. The optional VIP process is about 10 days, so you can instead extend that final residency trip by about 10 days. Details are in the Labor Reasons guide and the Friendly Nations guide.
Pensionado. You wait about three months for Immigration and do not need to stay in Panama. You then return for permanent residency, which takes 2 to 3 business days plus some margin. Under ordinary processing, the cédula is currently about 3 to 4 months after the permanent card, so plan a short third trip. The optional VIP process is about 10 days and can let you complete it on trip two if you stay about 10 additional days. Details are in the Pensionado guide.
What Stays the Same on Every Route
What to Do Next
Tell us your passport and your plans through Get Started, and we will confirm which of the above applies to you.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Timings are estimates under normal circumstances, and Immigration decides each file.
Michael L.
Canadian founder of Plan B Expat and a permanent resident of both Panama and Paraguay. Holds an MBA from SKEMA Business School, France, is trilingual (English, French, Spanish), and spent 21 years as a licensed real estate broker in Quebec and Ontario. Writes from direct experience with the immigration, banking, and relocation systems of both countries.
