Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · Panama
Company registration in Panama territorialtax and settlements in dollars
Foreign-sourced income is outside the Panamanian charge, settlements run in US dollars and the country operates the largest ship registry in the world. A jurisdiction for owning assets and maritime activity.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Name check and preparation of the constitution
- 02Incorporation of the corporation through a local agent
- 03Local agent and address for the first year
- 04Full set of corporate documents with apostille
- 05Arrangements for keeping accounting records
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who Panama suits
- Owning assets and shares in other companies
- Ship ownership and maritime activity
- Trade with Latin American markets
- Private foundations for succession planning
- Structures settling in US dollars
- You need EU market access and EU VAT
- You are counting on anonymity: a beneficial ownership register is maintained
- Working with European corporate clients
- You expect a simple account with no checks
Company types
What structures are available in Panama
The classic Panamanian corporation is complemented by the private foundation and partnerships.
A company limited by shares with a flexible constitution and minimal capital requirements.
- For whom
- Asset ownership, trade, ship ownership.
- Advantage
- A time-tested form recognised in international transactions.
- Limit
- Three directors and a local agent are required.
A form with participation interests and simplified management.
- For whom
- Small business and joint projects.
- Advantage
- Simpler to manage than a corporation.
- Limit
- Less familiar to international counterparties.
A structure with no members owning assets for the benefit of beneficiaries.
- For whom
- Succession planning and asset protection.
- Advantage
- Assets are separated from the founder’s personal property.
- Limit
- Tax consequences are assessed for the beneficiary.
Companies are incorporated through a local agent, who also holds beneficial ownership information in the prescribed manner.
Comparison
Panama or the UAE
Two jurisdictions frequently used to hold assets and run international settlements.
| Panama | UAE | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | territorial basis | 9% with a tax-free threshold and free zone regimes |
| Settlement currency | US dollar | dirham pegged to the dollar |
| Bank account | realistic, with a long review | realistic with a local presence |
| Reputation | offshore | neutral and improving |
| Ship registry | the largest in the world | developing |
| Presence | not formally required | office and visa where needed |
| Who it suits better | asset ownership and vessels | operating business and trade |
Panama is strong on maritime matters and asset ownership; the UAE on operating trade and how counterparties perceive you.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in Panama
The key questions are the source of income and where the settlements will run.
What we check
- Where the income arises: in Panama or outside it
- Whether activity inside the country is planned
- Where the account will be opened
- Whether a private foundation is needed for succession planning
- Whether a vessel registration is planned
- Who will act as directors
- How the origin of capital is evidenced
- Who the beneficiaries are and where they are resident
- What reporting will be needed
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
The territorial basis does not remove reporting: companies keep accounting records and store them in the prescribed manner.
Licensing
Activities and licences
International activity needs no licence; local and financial activity does.
No licence required, but a local agent is.
Possible; foreign-sourced income is outside the charge.
Requires a commercial licence and is taxed.
Licensed by the supervisory authorities.
Registration in the largest ship registry in the world.
Special regimes exist for trade and logistics.
What sets the licence
- The source of income: Panama or external markets
- Whether a commercial licence is required
- Whether operations in a free zone are planned
- Where the account will be
- Expected turnover
- Who the beneficiaries are
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios, from asset ownership to a maritime structure.
from $1 600
Owning assets and shares
1-2 weeks
Included
- Name check and preparation of the constitution
- Incorporation of the corporation through a local agent
- Local agent and address for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents with apostille
- Arrangements for keeping accounting records
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Registry and annual fees
Not included
- The bank account — handled as a separate stage
- A licence for local activity
from $3 900
A working structure settling in dollars
6-12 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- Bank file and submission to local banks
- Certificates and apostille for the bank
- Preparation of the business description and contracts
- Support with correspondence and meetings through to the result
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
- Apostille fees
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the bank decides
by project
Succession planning or ship ownership
from 4 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company and account package
- Establishment of a private foundation or registration of a vessel
- Drafting the foundation statutes and appointing the council
- Support with the ship registry
- Agreeing the tax position of the beneficiaries
- Annual support of the structure
Government fees, paid separately
- Ship registry fees
- Council member fees
Registry fees and agent fees appear as separate lines in the quote. The banking review takes longer than the incorporation.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, the source of income, the account and the structure. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: foundations and maritime projects are priced separately.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
Establishment and drafting of the statutes.
Working with the largest registry in the world.
Maintenance and storage as the law requires.
For operating inside the country.
Documents for banks and transactions.
Selection of a bank or a payment institution.
Director, shareholder and capital changes.
Proper closure of the company or foundation.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
Panamanian banks work with international clients but review applications slowly and in detail.
The activity, the counterparties, turnover, the origin of capital and the beneficiaries’ tax history.
The corporate set with apostille, contracts, evidence of the source of funds and references.
With local banks and with payment institutions for operating settlements.
We prepare the file, choose the bank and support the submission, including the meetings.
The review takes weeks and sometimes months. The bank requires full transparency: without a documented source of funds the account will not open.
Tax
Taxes in Panama
A territorial basis applies: income from sources within the country is taxed.
Not taxed in Panama.
Subject to corporate income tax under the general rules.
Applies to transactions within the country.
Mandatory to keep and store in the prescribed manner.
Information is provided to the agent and available to the competent authorities.
Controlled foreign company rules apply in full.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: the position on the source of income is assessed individually.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected remotely; documents are in English or Spanish.
- 01Passport with a certified copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Two references: banking and professional
- 04Curriculum vitae and description of the activity
- 05Evidence of the source of funds
Panamanian banks traditionally ask for two references. We prepare them in advance so the submission is not delayed.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Upkeep is moderate and predictable.
Paid within the prescribed deadline.
A mandatory requirement, renewed annually.
Maintained and stored in the prescribed manner.
Filed where there is income from local sources.
Provided to the agent when they change.
Apostilled documents refreshed for the bank.
Periodic requests from the bank.
For structures with a ship, annual payments to the registry.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Annual government fee
- Local agent and address
- Accounting records
- Tax reporting
- Updating beneficiary details
- Renewal of certificates
- Bank compliance
- Vessel fees
- Annual government fee
- Local agent and address
- Accounting records
- Tax reporting
- Updating beneficiary details
- Renewal of certificates
- Bank compliance
- Vessel fees
- Annual government fee
- Local agent and address
- Accounting records
- Tax reporting
- Updating beneficiary details
- Renewal of certificates
- Bank compliance
- Vessel fees
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, source of income, the account, company form.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 daysVerification of beneficiaries and collection of the set.
3-10 daysFiling with the registry and issue of apostilled documents.
5-10 daysPreparing documents, references and the business description.
1-2 weeksSubmission, meetings and account opening.
The bank sets the timingThe outcome is a Panamanian structure with a full set of documents, settlements arranged in dollars and accounting records properly kept.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessShares, properties and other assets under one company.
DirectionAn international company as the holder of the asset.
BankingThe account is opened with a bank or a payment institution by profile.
BusinessHolding shares in the operating companies of the group.
DirectionA holding structure without operating activity.
BankingThe bank looks at the group as a whole and at the source of capital.
BusinessSeparating one project or investment.
DirectionA dedicated company for the project and its life span.
BankingAn account for settlements on the project.
BusinessPayments with counterparties in different countries.
DirectionA company with real activity and contracts that can be evidenced.
BankingThe main work is the banking profile, not the incorporation itself.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
The territorial basis is not automatic: we look at where the income genuinely arises.
We assemble the file in advance so months are not lost to queries.
Some counterparties treat Panamanian companies with caution.
Controlled foreign company rules apply in full.
Agent, renewals, records, apostille — three years ahead.
Beneficial ownership data is provided to the agent and available to the competent authorities.
FAQ
Questions and answers
A territorial basis applies: income from foreign sources is not taxed, while income sourced in Panama is.
The US dollar circulates alongside the national currency, and settlements are made in dollars.
Five to ten days with the registry after agent compliance.
A corporation requires three directors; they may be individuals or legal entities.
Banks work with international clients, but the review is long and requires two references and evidence of the source of funds.
There is no public register of beneficial owners, but the information is provided to the agent and available to the competent authorities.
Yes, keeping and storing accounting records is mandatory.
A structure with no members that owns assets for the benefit of beneficiaries; it is used for succession planning.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do and where the income arises. We will assess the tax position, the banking odds and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.