Panama or Paraguay
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
| Panama | Paraguay | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 3 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | — |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 418 · estimate | $ 687 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 36,7 | $ 22,9 |
| Life expectancy | 79.78 | 73.98 |
| Homicides/100k | 12.78 | 6.88 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 5.2 | 2.6 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Panama — 65, Paraguay — 11. Types present in both: family and investment. Panama adds: work, remote work, study, talent and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Panama: fees range from 100 to 250 PAB. Routes stating an income threshold: 10; the lowest is 850 PAB a month. Paraguay: fees range from 585,385 to 2,926,925 PYG. Routes with no fee: 2.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 2 years. Citizenship: Panama after 5 years, Paraguay after 3 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
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.
Paraguay in brief
Paraguay stands out for two things. The first is nature: earthquakes 0.1 out of 10, cyclones 0.0, an overall risk of 2.6 on the INFORM scale. That is one of the calmest profiles in this guide; what remains is river flooding and heat. The second is how residence is built: the temporary status under law No. 6984/2022 carries the right to work and study from the moment the application is filed, becomes permanent after two years, and three years after that opens the way to citizenship with no language exam. Count the whole chain, though: about five years from arrival, not three. The main constraint is that citizenship here replaces the old one rather than adding to it — multiple nationality is allowed only by international treaty, and a naturalised Paraguayan loses the passport on voluntarily acquiring another. Control of corruption at −1.02, among the worst in the region, also deserves weight.
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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.