Panama
Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers: health insurance requirements
Yes: health insurance is required
Yes. Panama's Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers (Executive Decree 198 of 2021) requires a valid medical insurance policy with coverage in Panama for the duration of stay. It is for people working for a foreign employer or foreign clients, on income of at least US$36,000 a year, and runs nine months, renewable once for about eighteen months total. No specific minimum coverage amount is published.
The requirements at a glance
| Local-licensed insurer required | No: compliant international IPMI is accepted |
|---|---|
| Accepted proof | A valid medical insurance policy with coverage in Panama for the full duration of stay. An international policy that covers Panama is accepted; no specific minimum coverage amount is published. |
Remote work for a foreign employer or foreign clients (a sworn non-competition declaration confirms you will not work in the Panamanian labour market); income of at least US$36,000/year; nine months, renewable once (about 18 months total); filed through a Panamanian lawyer. For longer-term residency, the Friendly Nations Visa now requires an economic tie (e.g. a US$200,000 property purchase or bank deposit).
Our take
The rule is 'covered in Panama', not a number, but Panama is the place not to under-insure: the top private hospitals (one a Johns Hopkins affiliate) can bill close to US prices, so a thin policy that clears the visa can still leave a big gap.
Carry a high limit plus medical evacuation, and do not let the dollar economy lull you into treating Panama as a cheap-care country at the top end.
What happens if you get it wrong
Without a policy covering Panama for the full stay, the application is incomplete.
Because no minimum is set, a low-limit policy can satisfy the lawyer's checklist yet fall far short of a Punta Pacífica bill.
Interactive
Verified pricesWhat would it cost in Panama without insurance?
You pay, out of pocket
$8,000–$40,000
Admission to major surgery; top JCI hospitals rival US prices.
Bars to scale. A flight home is in another league.
That is the bill you carry alone. Insurance exists for exactly this.
See what cover costsTypical private-care estimates for illustration, not a quote. Actual bills vary by hospital, city and severity.
FAQ
Yes, a valid medical policy with coverage in Panama for the duration of stay. No specific minimum amount is published, so insure for the real risk.
At least US$36,000 a year, from a foreign employer or foreign clients.
Nine months, renewable once, for about eighteen months total.
No. An international policy that covers Panama for the stay is accepted; it just has to cover Panama.
More than the visa technically needs. Top hospitals can approach US prices, so carry a high limit and medical evacuation.
Reviewed by Lukas Schönberg, Founder & researcher, Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ
Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ (Estonia) is an information and matching platform, not currently registered as a regulated insurance intermediary in any jurisdiction. See /how-it-works for the full disclosure.
Source: kraemerlaw.comLast verified
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