Technical Guide on Work Permits for Migrants in the Republic of Panama

• All work permits in Panama are requested directly from the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel). By means of Executive Decree No.6 of April 13, 2023.

• Mitradel established the regulation of these legal provisions through the Regulation of Labor Migration in Panama, determining classifications of work permits, according to the profiles of migrant populations.

• This Decree will be a comprehensive tool, which will allow migrants to know the requirements and steps to follow for each of the types of work permits to which they can apply, in a clear manner, attached to the regulations and human rights.

The FIRST thing that must be done by any migrant interested in applying for a work permit in Panama is:

• The Affiliation: This process is indispensable for the completion of the procedure, since it is the approach of the migrant person with the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development.

The objective is to be able to obtain information, of confidential use and with the purpose of knowing the person who is being granted an authorization to work and the contribution that he/she gives to the local labor market. To carry out the affiliation process, you must apply to the National Registry of Migrant Labor.

Normativa de la Migración Laboral, a guide containing the legal updates, types of permits, requirements and costs in force as of 2023 for migrants in the Republic of Panama.

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING A WORK PERMIT

1. Affiliation

2. Presentation of the requirements for work permit types

3. Preparation of the dossier

4. Analysis of the case

5. Approval of the case

6. Validation signature walk-through

7. Notification / Reconsideration 

8. Payment and generation of card 

9. Case file

10. Step by step to obtain the virtual work permit

WORK PERMIT CLASSIFICATIONS

Type 1 Permits: Equivalent to local labor under the same conditions as national workers.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1A

Migrant worker with ten (10) or more years of residence in Panama (Indefinite).

PERMIT TYPE 1B-1

For migrant worker with spouse of Panamanian nationality in case of current marriage.

WORK PERMIT 1B-2

For migrant worker with children of a spouse of Panamanian nationality with custody of a minor in case of divorce.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1B-3

For migrant worker with spouse of Panamanian nationality with parental authority of a minor in case of widow(er).

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1C

For migrant worker with special permanent residence, granted by the President of the Republic.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1D

for migrant worker as father or mother of a Panamanian national in condition of dependency.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1E

for migrant worker according to the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between the Republic of Panama and the Italian Republic.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 1F

for migrant workers dependent on diplomatic, consular, administrative personnel and international organizations accredited in the Republic of Panama.

WORK PERMITS TYPE 2: PERCENTAGES AUTHORIZED BY THE LABOR CODE

WORK PERMIT TYPE 2A

for migrant worker hired as regular personnel within ten percent (10%) of the total number of workers.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 2B

for migrant worker hired by an employer as specialized or technical personnel within fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of workers.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 2C

for Foreign Person hired as trust personnel by an employer within fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of workers.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 2D

for migrant worker hired as personnel of a micro or small employer (MIPE).

WORK PERMIT TYPE 2E

for migrant worker hired as trusted personnel of an employer whose transactions are perfected, consummated or take effect abroad, exclusively.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3: SPECIAL LAWS

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3A

for migrant worker hired as an executive by an employer in the Colon Free Zone, migrant persons working for any of these.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3B

for migrant worker hired by an authorized employer within the City of Knowledge Foundation regime, (any migrant person working for one of these companies as a researcher, teacher or technical personnel).

TYPE 3C WORK PERMIT

for migrant worker hired by an employer within the Panama Pacifico Area (the developer, the operator or the agency).

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3D

for a migrant worker hired by an employer within the special Free Zone regime or another special economic regime whose legislation refers to the Free Zone regime.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3E

for migrant worker holding a Temporary Multinational Company Personnel Visa for the provision of services related to Manufacturing (EMMA).

WORK PERMIT TYPE 3F

for migrant worker hired as a pilot or specialized personnel of a commercial aviation company. 

WORK PERMITS TYPE 4: SPECIAL ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT POLICIES

WORK PERMITS TYPE 5: MIGRANT WORKER UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE PANAMANIAN STATE

WORK PERMIT TYPE 5A

for migrant refugee worker, in all its modalities.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 5B

for migrant worker recognized as Political Asylee.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 5C

for migrant worker declared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIRE) as Stateless.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 5D

for a migrant worker recognized by the National Commission against Trafficking in Persons as a Victim of Trafficking (Temporary Humanitarian Protection).

WORK PERMIT TYPE 5E

for migrant worker under the protection of the State for humanitarian reasons.

WORK PERMITS TYPE 6: SPECIAL IMMIGRATION CONDITIONS

WORK PERMIT TYPE 7: TEMPORARY

WORK PERMIT TYPE 7A

for migrant worker hired by an employer as a temporary technician.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 7B

for a migrant worker hired by an employer as a sportsperson, as an employer, a sports club, sports association, sports corporation or other entity to hire professional sportspersons.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 7C

for migrant workers hired by an employer as artists; artists or entertainers as individuals or as part of a group performing an artistic activity in the national territory.

WORK PERMIT TYPE 7D

for migrant worker hired by an employer as night show workers; in an establishment, individually or as part of a group performing an artistic activity in the national territory.

Work permits have a cost. For more details and information, please consult the document Regulations for Labor Migration in Panama, where you will find detailed information.

We invite you to review the Guide for Domestic Workers in Panama.

What will you find in the Guide?

• Explanation of who is considered a domestic worker,

• Probationary period,

• Wages,

• Working hours and breaks,

• Benefits,

• Cost of work permits,

• Requirements to apply for a visa for domestic workers before the National Immigration Service in Panama,

• Affiliation to the Social Security Fund

• Steps to register in the employment service,

• Steps to register vacancies for domestic work employers in MITRADEL,

• Location for MITRADEL's employment service,

• What to do when I have a labor dispute with my boss?

• Sample Contract

• Domestic Worker Form

• Domestic Worker Visa Extension Requirements

• Affidavit of Personal History

Consult the Guide for Domestic Workers and Domestic Workers in Panama by clicking on the top.