Panama: Corporate and Company Law

Following the enactment of Law 513 of 2026, the Executive Branch issued Executive Decree No. 1 of August 31, 2026, which regulates that law to facilitate compliance with the Law and the achievement of its objectives.

In Episode 2 of our Panama Qualified Investor Visa series, Ana Graciela Medina explains how the new decree allows qualifying investments to be made personally or through a duly established legal entity. She also discusses the importance of documenting beneficial ownership, effective control and the foreign origin of the funds.

A holding company incorporated in Panama that never had an office or employees, and that only receives dividends from a subsidiary in another country, is exactly one of the types of structures targeted by Law 526, which amends the Central American country’s Fiscal Code. That model, used for years in hundreds of wealth and corporate structures registered in Panama, will no longer be sufficient on its own starting in fiscal year 2027, when the new economic substance regime takes effect.

En febrero de este año, Panamá realizó una emisión de deuda soberana por 2.500 millones de dólares que tuvo una demanda cinco veces superior a la oferta hasta alcanzar los USD 13.000 millones, según informaron las autoridades locales. La alta demanda ilustra bien la confianza de los inversionistas, especialmente internacionales, en la buena salud del mercado de valores del país centroamericano.

In February of this year, Panama issued $2.5 billion in sovereign debt, which saw demand five times higher than the supply, reaching $13 billion, according to local authorities. The high demand clearly illustrates investor confidence—especially among international investors—in the strong health of the Central American country’s stock market.

En el contexto actual de fiscalidad internacional, transparencia y creciente escrutinio regulatorio, la selección de una jurisdicción offshore ya no puede basarse únicamente en beneficios fiscales tradicionales. Dentro de la práctica de planificación patrimonial y estructuras multinacionales, factores como eficiencia operativa, carga regulatoria, neutralidad fiscal y flexibilidad jurídica adquieren un peso determinante.

Seychelles es reconocida por su marco flexible y favorable para las International Business Companies (IBC).

Seychelles is renowned for its flexible and business-friendly International Business Companies (IBC) framework.

In the world of international finance and corporate structuring, choosing the right jurisdiction for incorporating an offshore company is crucial.