OffshoreGuy
Jurisdiction · PA

Panama

Panama Foundations (Fundación de Interés Privado) are the classic civil-law asset-protection structure, filed under Law 25 of 1995. Long history, mature jurisprudence, well-understood across Latin America. Panama is on EU Annex I as of Feb 2026; we disclose this honestly and let buyers self-select.

GRAY7-day formationApostille supportedNo public UBO registerEU annex1
Why this jurisdiction

What makes Panama different

  • Foundation specialty: civil-law asset-protection vehicle distinct from a trust.
  • Law 25 of 1995 is mature, well-litigated, and clean as a statutory framework.
  • Long-standing Latin-American operator-friendly jurisdiction.
  • EU Annex I disclosed honestly. The Liechtenstein Foundation is our EEA-aligned alternative for clients whose counterparties treat Annex I as a hard block.
KYC reality

What we collect, and what Panama filing requires

We collect
  • Email, country of residence, intended use statement
  • OFAC + EU + UN sanctions screen
  • Tier 1 KYC on this SKU when it ships in Phase 2
Local filing requires
  • Beneficial owner identification per local AML obligations
  • Notarized passport copies and proof of address

The honest note: Panama licensed agents apply local AML rules to every formation. Anonymous formation is not available.

Banking compatibility

Where Panama entities bank

Local Panama banksVariable acceptance. Work with licensed agent on referrals.
Bitcoin-native bankBitcoin-native fallback when EU banking refuses.

Banking compatibility varies. We surface the rail categories that have a track record of onboarding Panama entities. See the Banking page for named rails.

Full banking ranking
Case for / case against

When this jurisdiction is right (and wrong)

Case for

If you need a civil-law foundation (not a trust) for estate planning or asset-protection structuring, Panama is the most-mature option in the Americas.

If you're operating in Latin America and want a regionally-recognized holding structure, Panama is the natural choice.

If your counterparty pool is EU-heavy, evaluate the Liechtenstein Foundation instead. Same civil-law mechanics, EEA-aligned.

Case against

EU Annex I status is real. Many EU counter-parties will refuse to deal with Panama entities or apply enhanced due diligence by default. Plan banking accordingly.

US persons should be especially cautious. IRS scrutiny of Panama structures is meaningfully higher than for most other jurisdictions; get cross-border tax counsel before forming.

If your priority is EU passporting or mainstream EU banking with minimal friction, this is the wrong tool. Pick Cyprus, Liechtenstein, or Gibraltar.

FAQ

Common Panama questions

How long does Panama formation take?

Most Panama formations are filed within the published timeline shown on the jurisdiction's at-a-glance card. Apostille turnaround adds 5-10 business days where required.

Can I form a Panama entity in Bitcoin?

Yes. Accepted forms of payment are BTC (on-chain and Lightning) and USDT (TRC-20 / ERC-20), settled via BitSettle, our proprietary settlement system. Settlement to local providers happens off-platform via our OTC desk where required.

Does the licensed agent collect KYC even if I'm in Tier 0?

Yes. The licensed registered agent in your selected jurisdiction is a regulated trust-and-corporate-service provider statutorily required to identify the beneficial owner regardless of our platform-level KYC tier.

What banking works with this entity?

See the banking page for our full ranking by rail. The most common rails for this jurisdiction are listed in the Banking compatibility section above.

Can I dissolve the entity later?

Yes. Dissolution / strike-off is a standalone SKU. Pass-through state fees apply per jurisdiction.