Bahamas or Panama
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Bahamas | Panama | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 10 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | yes | — |
| Parents | — | — |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 826 · estimate | $ 1 418 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 58,0 | $ 36,7 |
| Life expectancy | 74.71 | 79.78 |
| Homicides/100k | 29.9 | 12.78 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.5 | 5.2 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Bahamas — 17, Panama — 65. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment and retirement. Bahamas adds: repatriation. Panama adds: remote work and talent.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Bahamas: fees range from 200 to 25,000 BSD. Routes with a published decision deadline: 17; the shortest is 28 days. Panama: fees range from 100 to 250 PAB. Routes stating an income threshold: 10; the lowest is 850 PAB a month.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Bahamas with no residence period, Panama after 2 years. Citizenship: Bahamas after 10 years, Panama after 5 years.
Bahamas in brief
The Bahamas is an archipelago of more than 700 islands and cays southeast of Florida; the economy rests on tourism and the offshore financial sector. There is no personal income tax — the main budget revenue comes from VAT and customs duties (Department of Inland Revenue, inlandrevenue.finance.gov.bs). Permanent residence is available through the Economic Permanent Residence Certificate for an investment of $1.0 million or more in real estate or Central Bank of The Bahamas bonds, with no requirement for time resident in the country (Section 17A of the Immigration Act), or through long-term retention of a work permit (10–20 years depending on category). The cost of living is among the highest in the Caribbean: renting a one-bedroom flat in central Nassau exceeds $1,380 a month (livingcost.org, 2026). The country lies in an active tropical cyclone zone (season June–November, INFORM risk 7.4 out of 10, 2026): Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 nearly destroyed Marsh Harbour on Abaco and caused serious damage to Freeport on Grand Bahama.
Panama in brief
Panama rests on three things its neighbours lack: the dollar in circulation, the canal with the region's largest banking and logistics hub, and a position south of the hurricane belt — INFORM rates its cyclone risk at zero. Panama's famous "friendly nations" route is not open to everyone: the list of countries is closed. And since 2021 it has not been quick even for those on it: two years of temporary residence come first and permanent status only after, with an economic basis required — an employment contract or property worth at least 200,000 dollars. Citizenship takes five years after permanent residence, three with a Panamanian spouse or Panamanian children, and the previous passport must be renounced expressly and irrevocably; a basic-knowledge exam was added in August 2025. Homicide above the regional average and seismicity also weigh: earthquakes 7.8 and tsunamis 8.6 out of 10.
Other comparisons
Bahamas or… Costa Rica · Peru · Ecuador · Trinidad and Tobago · El Salvador · Cuba · Guyana · Honduras
Panama or… Nicaragua · Belize · Bolivia · Colombia · Greenland · Jamaica · Guatemala · Dominican Republic
More on each: Bahamas · Panama. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.