Panama
Make employment in Panama easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Panama, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Panama City
- Currency
United States Dollar ($, USD)
- Languages
Spanish
- Population size
4,176,869
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Panama City
- Currency
United States Dollar ($, USD)
- Languages
Spanish
- Population size
4,176,869
- Ease of doing business
Easy
- Cost of living index
$$$ (2021)
- Payroll frequency
Semi-Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
7%
- GDP - real growth rate
3.0 (2019)
The Republic of Panama (República del Panama) is a unitary presidential republic split across North and South America and that’s home to the famed Panama hat, a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific, and more biodiversity that the United States, Canada, and Europe combined.
Panama is a high-income economy with a strong performance in banking, commerce, tourism, and transportation, all of which has cemented its place as Latin America’s seventh strongest economy.
Grow your team in Panama with Remote
Looking to employ workers in Panama? Companies hiring in Panama must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.
Remote can employ your team in Panama on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Panama team. You can also pay contractors now in Panama with Remote in some currencies (talk to an expert now for full details).
Risks of misclassification
Panama, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Panama may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Panama
The Panamanian Labour Code of 1971 spells out provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights for Panama’s workforce of just under 2 million.
Employees in Panama enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Panama.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage is determined by activity, company size, and region. Salaries higher than the new minimum wage will remain valid.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal semi-monthly instalments.
Wet Signature Requirement
Please note that Employment Agreements must be signed in Panama by a Panamanian national or legal resident. Documents cannot be signed digitally, they must be signed in wet-ink in the country. The document must be an original, so scanned signatures will not work.
Decimo Tercer Mes - 13th Salary
The 13th salary is mandatory in Panama and this payment accounts to one month of additional pay per year. It is paid out in three instalments over April, August, and December.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in Panama fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 6 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
14 Public holidays
Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!
Effortless HR in Panama: Take the Tour
Competitive benefits package in Panama
At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practising fair equity, which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).
Our benefits packages in Panama are tailored to fulfil the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Fair Pricing in Panama
Employer of Record
Hire and pay your global team
Starting at US$599/month
paid annually, or $699/month paid monthly
Top features
Satisfaction guaranteed
No deposits or hidden fees
Zero onboarding or offboarding fees
Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting
Built-in security and compliance
Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)
Flexible, localised benefits
Contractor Management
Compliantly onboard and pay contractors
US$29
per contractor/month
Top features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with contractors in 200+ countries and territories
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localised contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Payroll
Consolidate your multi-country payroll
US$29
per employee/month
Top features
Simplify: Comprehensive platform that integrates all payroll functions
Support: Personalised assistance with a dedicated team and specialists
Accuracy: Test runs and parallel pay runs before implementation
Compliance: Adhere to local labour laws in every country
Timeliness: Accurate and on-time payroll with labour authority reporting handled
Experience: Seamless payroll with easy access to payslips and expenses
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Time and attendance (time off and tracking)
Expense management and reimbursement
Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app