Remote’s guide to employing in

Panama
panama flag

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.

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor Management
  • Capital City

    Panama City

  • Currency

    United States Dollar ($, USD)

  • Languages

    Spanish

  • Population size

    4,176,869

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor Management
The skyline of panama city at dusk.

Facts & Stats

Panama
  • 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.

An aerial view of a tropical island in the ocean.

Employing in Panama

The Panamanian Labor 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 installments 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

Jan
Monday, January 1, 20241New Year's Day (Año Nuevo)
Tuesday, January 9, 20242Martyrs' Day (El día de los Mártires)
Feb
Monday, February 12, 20243Carnival Tuesday (Martes de Carnaval)
Mar
Friday, March 29, 20244Good Friday (Viernes Santo)
May
Wednesday, May 1, 20245Labor Day (Día del Trabajador)
Jul
Monday, July 1, 20246Presidential Inauguration
Nov
Sunday, November 3, 20247Independence Day (Día de la Independencia)
Monday, November 4, 20248Flag Day (Día de la Bandera)
Tuesday, November 5, 20249Colón Day (Día de Colón)
Sunday, November 10, 202410First Shout for Independence of La Villa de los Santos (Primer grito por la independencia de La Villa de los Santos)
Thursday, November 28, 202411Independence Day (Día de la Independencia)
Dec
Sunday, December 8, 202412Mother's Day (Día de la Madre)
Friday, December 20, 202413National Mourning Day (Dia de Duelo Nacional)
Wednesday, December 25, 202414Christmas Day (Navidad)

Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!

Effortless HR Panama: Take the Tour

Seamlessly manage your workforce, from first hire to final paycheck

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 practicing “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 fulfill 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 $599/month

for annual plans

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, localized benefits

Contractor Management

Compliantly onboard and pay contractors

$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, localized contracts

  • Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay

  • Transparent payments with complete visibility

Payroll

Consolidate your multi-country payroll

$29

per employee/month

Top features

  • Simplify: Comprehensive platform that integrates all payroll functions

  • Support: Personalized assistance with a dedicated team and specialists

  • Accuracy: Test runs and parallel pay runs before implementation

  • Compliance: Adhere to local labor laws in every country

  • Timeliness: Accurate and on-time payroll with labor authority reporting handled

  • Experience: Seamless payroll with easy access to payslips and expenses

HR Management

Manage all of your employees in one place

Free

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