Is It Worth Getting Naturalised by Rigoberto Coronado.docx
Click here to load reader
description
Transcript of Is It Worth Getting Naturalised by Rigoberto Coronado.docx
7/21/2019 Is It Worth Getting Naturalised by Rigoberto Coronado.docx
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-it-worth-getting-naturalised-by-rigoberto-coronadodocx 1/3
IS IT WORTH GETTING NATURALISED?
By Rigoberto Coronado
Panama is a country known for the diversity of nationalities that converge in its
territory. It is something that we Panamanians have seen since we were children. In
fact, many Panamanians have friends who remained in Panama due to work or love.It is common to encounter a Chinese owner of a convenience store, or a merchant
with a foreign accent in a shopping mall. The above-mentioned situations are but a
few examples of the great diversity of cultures in Panama.
However, despite the fact that Panama has a long-standing tradition of welcoming
foreigners from all over the world, it has developed labour laws designed to protect
Panamanians’ jobs. The labour laws in Panama limit the percentage of foreigners
that can work for a company. Several professional licenses are prohibited for
foreigners, including medicine and law. We do not intend to pass judgment on the
labour laws as appropriate or inappropriate; we only refer to them to inform ourreaders.
It has been possible to overcome some of these legal setbacks through the
promulgation of migratory and labour legislation creating new immigration
statuses. For example, foreign university graduates or nationals of a country among
those appearing on the list of 48 privileged countries, commonly known as “friendly
nations”, are now eligible for one of the new immigration statuses.
Nevertheless, this does not provide a solution for everyone, and much less to those
who, despite having one or more university degrees, cannot work in their professionas a result of a law that prevents them from obtaining a license reserved only for
Panamanian nationals.
Neither do such legal restrictions provide a solution to the ever growing number of
foreign investors who are eager to trade their products in the retail sector, which is
another activity reserved for Panamanians by the Constitution. Such persons, quite
often pressed by circumstances, may choose to naturalise or become citizens.
This is basic information for lawyers, but it is also good for others to keep in mind
that the National Constitution sets out three separate conditions under which aperson may request naturalisation:
1. Five consecutive years of residence in Panama
2. Three consecutive years of residence in Panama if there are children born to a
Panamanian mother or father or Panamanian spouse in Panama
7/21/2019 Is It Worth Getting Naturalised by Rigoberto Coronado.docx
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-it-worth-getting-naturalised-by-rigoberto-coronadodocx 2/3
3. By reciprocity, if the person is a national of Spain or another Latin American
country, and fulfils the same requirements for naturalisation of a Panamanian in
that country.
In any event, one should bear in mind that the above-mentioned residence needs to
be permanent and obtained in accordance with the respective migratory
procedures. In addition, proficiency in Spanish and basic knowledge of Geography,Spanish, and Panama Political Organization must be proven through a test given by
the Electoral Tribunal. A foreigner seeking naturalisation should note that the
National Constitution requires renouncing the nationality of origin. Although an
affidavit is used for this purpose, same which is attached to the naturalisation file,
those documents need not be presented to the country from which a person
renounces. Howeve r, it must be taken into account that in some countries
renouncing nationality has legal effects, whereas there are no such effects in others.
Naturalisation is usually a lengthy process considering that by law the President of
the Republic needs to review such requests, and that the matter itself, due tonational security, requires participation of certain government agencies.
As we do not foresee a Constitutional amendment in the near future, and
modification of certain laws regulating the subject entails long consultation periods,
it may well be wise to start thinking about the naturalisation process as a viable
option.
Immigration Services Offered by Mossack Fonseca
Our full suite of immigration services encompass all of the current Panama visaprograms for tourists, immigrants, workers, investors, foreigners married to
Panamanian businessmen/women, and others. A partial list of the many visa
programs we can assist you with includes:
• Naturalisation as Panamanian Citizen
• Friendly Nations Visa• Pensioner Visa
• Professional Employment Visa
• Reforestation Investor Visa• Self Economic Solvency Visa
• Business Investor Program• Married to Panama Citizen Visa• Parents of Child Born in Panama Visa
• Tourist Visa
• Tax Free Processing Zone Investor Program
7/21/2019 Is It Worth Getting Naturalised by Rigoberto Coronado.docx
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-it-worth-getting-naturalised-by-rigoberto-coronadodocx 3/3
In addition, we can assist clients with extensions, exit and entry permits, residency,
and a host of additional visa, immigration, and other legal services.
If you have any questions or would like further information, please do not hesitate
to contact your local Mossack Fonseca office, or email us at