Relocate

Same VA check. Twice the life.

Your compensation is paid in U.S. dollars wherever you live. Outside the United States those dollars stretch much further, and Panama is where veterans are making it work: no tax on foreign income, the U.S. dollar as currency, and Miami three hours away.

Book your free retirement plan call

Veteran-owned
Team on the ground in Panama
5.0 on Trustpilot and Google

The math

One check. Two lives.

Pick your rating. Watch what the same monthly deposit buys at home versus in Panama.

Your VA rating

$3,939a month, tax-free, 2026 rates, veteran alone

Not sure of your rating, or think it should be higher? Run the claims calculator.

In the U.S.

73%of a comfortable month
(about $5,400)

A 1-bedroom apartment
Groceries and utilities
Your own health insurance
Dinner out, once a month

Short $1,461 every month

In Panama

141%of a comfortable month
(about $2,800)

A 3-bedroom home with a view
Groceries and utilities
Private health insurance (VA still works)
A housekeeper and laundry service
Dinner out, every week

$1,139 left to invest every month

01 · The tax

Keep more of what you earned

Panama runs a territorial tax system: it only taxes income earned inside Panama. VA disability, pensions, remote consulting and U.S. rental income are foreign-source, so Panama doesn't tax them. And your VA disability compensation is already free of U.S. federal income tax.

The U.S. dollar is Panama's legal currency. No exchange rates, no surprises on deposit day.
Panamanian bank accounts that welcome American veterans, opened with you in person.

28%U.S. federal + state,
typical mid bracket

0%Panama tax on
foreign-source income

02 · The distance

Closer to home than most of the lower 48

Leave Panama City after breakfast, land in Miami before lunch. Direct flights to every major Southern and Eastern hub.

Miami, FLAmerican · Copa3h

Atlanta, GADelta · Copa3h 20m

Houston, TXUnited · Copa3h 30m

Dallas, TXAmerican3h 45m

03 · The retiree perks

The Pensionado program

Panama's retiree visa is one of the most generous in Latin America. Qualify with lifetime income of at least $1,000 a month, and VA compensation can count. Then the discounts start.

50^%off entertainment: movies, concerts, sporting events

25^%off airline tickets

30^%off public transportation

04 · The climate

Three Panamas. One country.

Veterans pick a climate, not just a country. City, mountains or beach, all within a few hours' drive.

75–90°F · Tropical

Panama City

A cosmopolitan capital with private hospitals, an international airport and the old town of Casco Viejo.

60–75°F · Highlands

Boquete

Coffee country in the mountains, with one of the strongest American expat communities in the country.

Warm · Pacific coast

Coronado

Pacific beaches about an hour and a half from the capital, and a fast-growing expat enclave.

05 · Care and safety

Your VA benefits come with you

VA healthcare works in Panama through the Foreign Medical Program, which reimburses service-connected care abroad. Panama's top private hospitals employ U.S.-trained physicians, and typical out-of-pocket costs run roughly 60–75% below the U.S.

Hospital Punta Pacifica, affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Hospital Nacional, the largest private hospital network in Panama
Gated expat communities and walkable mountain towns

Crime index · lower is safer

Panama38

United States49

Mexico55

Colombia58

06 · The path

Residency, handled

Friendly Nations or Pensionado, filed by our Panamanian immigration attorney. Temporary residency typically lands within weeks of filing.

2–3 weeksDocument prepWe gather and apostille your U.S. documents.
About 2 weeksFile in PanamaOur attorney submits your application in-country.
4–6 weeksTemporary residencyTravel freely, open bank accounts, buy property.
Within 24 monthsPermanent residencyOften sooner. Citizenship is optional, never required.