Profession Check
Is the profession open for this route?
Panama / Extranjero Profesional
Can your degree support Panama's Professional Foreigner route?
Screen the profession first. Then check the academic file and immigration eligibility before spending on the formal process.
Quick Profession CheckFree
A quick first screen. Mixed or unusual titles may need individual review.
Start the Free Degree Screen
One form covers Profession Check and Academic Readiness. Any paid next step is explained before you proceed.
- This screen is preliminary, not an approval.
- Recognition cannot be guaranteed before a completed degree and full academic file are submitted.
- Legal eligibility and academic recognition are separate decisions.
What needs to be checked
A green profession result is only the first screen.
Academic Readiness
Can the academic file required for Panama's recognition process be assembled?
Immigration Eligibility
Does the route appear legally available for your case?
How it works
The free screen comes first. Paid work starts only if you choose to continue.
Free Degree Screen
- 1
Profession Check
Open, restricted, or manual review.
InstantFree - 2
Academic Readiness
Can your university supply the records required for Panama's degree-recognition process?
Same formFree - 3
Academic Eligibility Assessment
Where your degree needs individualized review, Panamanian counsel gives a written opinion on how it is likely to be classified, before you commit to the route.
- Study plan, transcript, credits, duration and delivery, for one programme
- Likely classification, and what would put recognition at risk
- What to address before graduating, and which evidence to obtain while enrolled
Optional, US$450Up to 5 business days from a complete file - 4
Degree Recognition File
After your official degree is issued, Plan B Expat prepares and coordinates one recognition file for the competent public university: checklist, requirements review, gaps, assembly and sequencing, and initial submission-stage follow-up.
- Missing university records
- Apostille or authentication needs
- Translation requirements
Plan B Expat coordination, US$500After the degree is issued - 5
Official Degree Review & Decision
The appropriate public university in Panama for your field evaluates the completed academic file and determines whether the foreign degree will be recognized.
Official filing fee variesApproximately six months, varies by case - 6
Residency Application
If recognition and legal requirements are satisfied, the immigration file proceeds through Panamanian counsel, whom you engage and pay directly.
Counsel and government fees paid direct - 7
Permanent Residence
A separate application follows after the two-year provisional period.
Future stage
Academic Eligibility Assessment
OptionalUS$450A written counsel assessment of whether your degree can support Panama residency, before you commit to the route.
For one specific university programme, Panamanian counsel reviews the study plan or curriculum, the current or final transcript, the programme duration and credits, the delivery modality, the theoretical and practical academic load and contact hours where relevant, and, where the programme offers more than one exit, how those exits compare. You receive a written opinion on how your title is likely to be classified against Panama's restricted professions, what would put future recognition at risk, what to address before graduating, which academic evidence to obtain while still enrolled, and a preliminary view of whether the degree can reasonably support a future Professional Foreigner strategy.
Offered where individualized academic or classification risk warrants it: students, titles close to a restricted profession, manual-review results, online or distance degrees, unclear credits or duration, or more than one exit within the same programme. Where classification is uncertain, it is the gate before a residency engagement.
Timing: up to 5 business days from receipt of a complete and legible academic file. The clock starts when your file is complete, not on payment. If documents are missing or clarification is needed, it starts once the information is in.
This evaluation is not the university's revalidation and does not substitute for its formal decision. It does not guarantee recognition and does not guarantee immigration approval. Its fee is not credited against later work. It is a standalone advisory service whose value is delivered at the assessment stage.
Ask for the assessmentNo work starts until the fee is confirmed with you.
Panama degree-recognition requirements
Foreign-degree recognition is handled by the appropriate public university in Panama for the academic field. Official filing fees and review times depend on the institution handling the case.
No advance guaranteeThe competent public university decides recognition after the completed file is submitted.
Official filing feeDepends on the public university handling the degree review.
Review timeFormal recognition takes approximately six months at the public university handling your academic field, once your degree has been issued and the file formally presented. Timing varies by institution and case.
- Completed degree and transcript
- Syllabi and detailed academic information
- Recognition or accreditation evidence
- Apostille or authentication, plus official Spanish translation where required
View degree-recognition requirements
Academic records
- Diploma and transcript
- Syllabi and detailed course content
- Study plan and grading scale
- Academic-year and contact-hour information
Recognition evidence
- Proof the university is officially recognized or accredited
- Official recognition of the university and academic program in the country of origin may need to be documented
Document formalities
- Foreign documents require authentication or apostille
- Non-Spanish documents require official Spanish translation
Decision
- The degree must first be completed and issued
- The reviewing university does not pre-approve a foreign degree
- Recognition is decided on the full file
Who does what
Plan B Expat screens the case and coordinates one degree-recognition file.
Counsel reviews immigration eligibility and legal issues.
Public university evaluates the completed academic file and decides whether the foreign degree is recognized.
What the route costs
Professional Foreigner residency, from US$4,110 for one principal applicant.
What the starting figure includes
Plan B Expat residency advisory and coordination, Plan B Expat coordination of one university-recognition file, counsel's professional fee, and the principal immigration and government costs in the base calculation. Of it, US$2,000 is the Plan B Expat fee: US$1,500 residency advisory and coordination plus US$500 recognition-file coordination. Counsel's fee and the government costs, from US$2,110, are paid by you directly to the law firm.
What varies
The final cost moves with notarial expenses, bank commissions, dependants and case-specific requirements.
What is excluded
The public university's own recognition or revalidation fee, which is separate and varies by institution; translations; apostilles and authentication; courier; remedial subjects and examinations; appeals and resubmissions; and other third-party academic-recognition costs.
The recognition file
Plan B Expat prepares and coordinates one recognition file for US$500, included above: document checklist, requirements review, gaps, assembly and sequencing, coordination, and initial submission-stage follow-up. The public university decides recognition. Formal recognition takes approximately six months at the public university handling your academic field, once your degree has been issued and the file formally presented. Timing varies by institution and case.
Couples and dependants
Plan B Expat advisory is US$1,500 for the principal, US$2,000 for a couple, and US$500 for each additional dependant. Recognition-file coordination is US$500 once for the principal degree. Counsel charges US$500 per dependant plus that dependant's own government and third-party costs. Family totals are quoted case by case.
Method. The checker applies Executive Decree 804 Article 2, then uses the current profession-specific legal audit. MITRADEL is a discovery index, not the final legal authority for a row.
Foreign degrees presented through this category require the applicable Panama recognition process before filing with Migracion. Resolution 17362 of 2015 corrected the earlier formulation to homologacion or revalida, as applicable.
Requirements, official fees and review times can vary according to the public university competent for the academic field.
Plan B Expat provides consulting and coordination, not legal or tax advice. Screening results are preliminary. Eligibility should be confirmed by Panamanian counsel, and final approval rests with Panama's immigration authority. Where legal or tax advice is required, consult an appropriately licensed professional.