For anyone looking to relocate to Panama for business, retirement, or work, you will undoubtably need to factor in location before making your decision. Panama has a lot to offer when it comes to strategic logistics, and its location at the crossroads of the Americas plays a big role in this. Panama is a small country, but a very important one when it comes to inter-American trade, transportation, and banking. It’s no coincidence that a significant factor in building these institutions has had to, and will always have to do with Panama’s strategic location. It’s part of what creates stability, opportunity, and ease of access, in every sense.
Panama’s physical location
Geographically speaking, it’s hard to get more centrally located than Panama. Panama is an isthmus that connects North and South America, spanning both the Caribbean and Pacific on either side. Obviously, this was the main consideration for why the Panama Canal was built, but 100+ years later, it’s also manifested itself through air travel. By air, Panama is reachable in under 7 hours from every major business/travel hub in the Americas. Many of the regions biggest cities are much closer than that, even. What this means is that Panama is not only a hub for shipping transits and trade by sea, but also a hub for both commercial and shipping air routes.
Copa Airlines, the nations flagship carrier that has used Panama City as their international hub for decades, has direct flights to nearly 90 cities worldwide. Many of these cities, particularly with long-distance travel between North and South America, connect their flights through Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport. From a business or leisure travel perspective, this is an advantage for those with Panama as a destination, as they are able to access flights to the country with ease, and usually at a good value. For those who want to retire in Panama, this makes it easier for them to visit home when needed, and for business, it cuts down on layover time that can slow efficiencies like in other cities within the region.
Business logistics
Outside of the benefits of physically visiting Panama, one of the biggest advantages of Panama’s location is what type of business opportunities it creates. Because it is one of the world’s top shipping channels, international trade is massive in Panama. With international trade and maritime services comes a lot of ancillary business opportunity. You see this play out in Panama with a lot of non-shipping businesses that still service the market. Meaning, in Panama, because of all the trade and shipping, other types of businesses have easy, and low-cost access to goods. Importing and exporting is reasonable and efficient, services are in high demand, and an international market base is much more likely than in other neighboring countries.
Banking
Banking also benefits from Panama’s location. Though maybe less so, due to the saturation of internet-based banking these days, Panama still has major advantages for people looking to invest in offshore accounts, or build residency through investment in Panama. Because Panama has historically been so accessible for international business, the banking industry has made a name for itself by attracting favorable international investment into the country. Whether you are opening a personal bank account in Panama or setting up a Panama LLC, you will find an international bank that will facilitate your needs.
All of these factors, when added together, are big parts of what makes Panama such a stable country to retire to, relocate to, or do business in. The value you get from Panama in time and access is unmatched in Central America, and continues to grow, even during unstable global times. To learn more about how to invest in Panama, retire in Panama, or relocate to Panama for work, don’t hesitate to call us today and speak to one of our legal associates!
