# What changes after you become Panamanian

Your naturalization is complete only after two steps: you swear the oath before the governor of the province where you live, and you register the certificate with the Civil Registry. Until it is registered, the certificate has no legal effect. As a naturalized Panamanian you can hold most public offices, but the Constitution reserves some to Panamanians by birth and asks for waiting periods for others.

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## The oath

Once the President of the Republic issues the carta de naturaleza, you swear the oath before the governor of the province where you live. At that oath you declare that you renounce your civil and political ties to your country of origin.

Source: Decree-Law 3 of 2008, article 128

## Registration with the Civil Registry

The governor hands you the certificate and tells you to register it with the National Directorate of the Civil Registry, part of the Electoral Tribunal. Article 129 is clear: without that registration, the certificate has no legal effect.

Source: Decree-Law 3 of 2008, article 129

## Offices reserved to Panamanians by birth

[Photo: Mattias Hill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panama_City_,_Panama.jpg)· [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) 
- President and Vice President of the Republic.
- Ministers of State.
- Justices of the Supreme Court, and by reference the Attorney General, the Solicitor General for Administrative Affairs and the Ombudsman.

Source: Constitution of the Republic of Panama, articles 130, 179, 196, 204 and 221

## Offices open after a waiting period

| Office or activity | What the Constitution asks of a naturalized Panamanian |
| --- | --- |
| Deputy of the National Assembly | Fifteen years of residency after obtaining nationality |
| Local district representative | Nationality acquired definitively ten years before the election |
| Retail trade | Three years after the definitive certificate, with the exceptions of article 293 |

Source: Constitution of the Republic of Panama, articles 153, 226 and 293

## Your children born abroad

A child born abroad to a naturalized Panamanian father or mother is Panamanian by birth if that parent makes Panama their home and the child declares the wish to take Panamanian nationality no later than one year after reaching the age of majority.

Source: Constitution of the Republic of Panama, article 9, numeral 3

## How the nationality can be lost

A naturalized Panamanian loses the nationality by express renunciation, made in writing to the Executive, or by tacit renunciation, which the Constitution defines as acquiring another nationality or entering the service of an enemy state.

Source: Constitution of the Republic of Panama, article 13

## Questions people ask

### Am I Panamanian once the President signs?

Not yet. You still swear the oath before the governor and register the certificate with the Civil Registry. Without registration, the certificate has no legal effect.

### Can a naturalized Panamanian be elected to the National Assembly?

Yes, after fifteen years of residency counted from obtaining Panamanian nationality, under article 153 of the Constitution.

### Can I be President of Panama?

No. The Constitution reserves the presidency and vice presidency to Panamanians by birth.

## What the law does not say

- The cost and timing of the Civil Registry entry and of the first cédula.
- The requirements, cost and validity of the passport for a naturalized Panamanian. We have asked and will update this page.
- Waiting periods for mayor and for regulated professions, which are set by other laws we have not yet checked.

## Official sources

- [Constitution of the Republic of Panama, consolidated text of 2004, Official Gazette 25176](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2004/TEXTO%20UNICO/Administrador%20Legispan_25176_2004_11_15_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_1.pdf)
- [Decree-Law 3 of 2008, the Immigration Law, Official Gazette 25986](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2008/DECRETO%20LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_25986_2008_2_26_CONSEJO%20DE%20GABINETE_3.pdf)· [Full text](https://iurispa.com/legislacion/decreto-ley-3-de-2008/)

Last verified: October 26, 2026

## Keep reading

- [Does Panama allow dual citizenship?](/dual-citizenship/)
- [How the process works](/process/)
- [How much it costs](/cost/)

## Thinking about Panamanian citizenship?

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