Colombia 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
| Colombia | Panama | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 10 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | no | — |
| Parents | difficult | — |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 10 | no limit |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 744 · estimate | $ 1 418 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 24,9 | $ 36,7 |
| Life expectancy | 77.91 | 79.78 |
| Homicides/100k | 24.35 | 12.78 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 6.5 | 5.2 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Colombia — 20, Panama — 65. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, talent and retirement. Colombia adds: repatriation and working holiday.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Colombia: fees range from 51 to 408 USD. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes with a published decision deadline: 20; the shortest is 30 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: Colombia after 5 years, Panama after 2 years. Citizenship: Colombia after 10 years, Panama after 5 years. Colombia allows a second citizenship, Panama does not.
Colombia in brief
Colombia offers an unusually detailed set of grounds — nine categories, from an employment contract to digital nomad and person of independent means — and a decision on a family visa is taken within 30 days. The main constraint is family-related: a beneficiary visa carries no right to work, so the second spouse remains without employment, and parents cannot be brought in at all — the list of beneficiaries is closed.
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
Colombia or… Costa Rica · Peru · Ecuador · Trinidad and Tobago · El Salvador · Cuba · Guyana · Honduras
Panama or… Nicaragua · Belize · Bolivia · Greenland · Jamaica · Bahamas · Guatemala · Dominican Republic
More on each: Colombia · 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.