Panama City – September 30, 2026 -- Mercan Group has broken ground on Albor at Santa María, a 48-story, 200-unit residential tower marking its first housing development in Panama and pushing the Canada-headquartered developer's country portfolio past US$200 million.
Panama tightens Qualified Investor real estate thresholds
The groundbreaking follows Executive Decree No. 17, issued September 8, 2026, which keeps the minimum investment for new, first-sale real estate at US$300,000 while setting a US$500,000 threshold for secondary-market properties under Panama's Qualified Investor Program. The decree also adds new investment alternatives and streamlines application procedures.
Certificate issuance jumped 39% year-over-year
Panama's Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) issued 268 Qualified Investor certificates between July 2025 and June 2026, representing US$113.6 million in investment, up from 193 certificates worth US$90.1 million in the prior 12 months. Real estate accounted for 87.3% of all certificates issued in the latest period.
"The updates to the Qualified Investor Program enhance Panama's competitive position in the global investment migration landscape,