Getting a Job in Panama

It’s not that easy to get a job in Panama.  Panama’s rules say that the workforce at a company must be at least 90% Panamanian so that makes it harder for foreigners to get a job in Panama.  Wages for most jobs would be much less than what you are familiar with.   For most jobs, you’ll need to be fluent in Spanish too.  Because of the pandemic, unemployment is at about 18%.

The exception is multinational companies.  They pay more and some multinational companies have permission to hire foreigners even if they do not have 90% Panamanians working at their company.

Want to get a job in Panama and bypass the need to get a Visa or work permit first? The solution is to work for a multinational company that has established a headquarters in Panama. If you are offered a job by one of these companies, you may be able to get a 5-year Permanent Employee Visa which can be renewed. The Multinational company pays for the Visa (no cost to you) and you do not need to get a work permit. Click on the link below to see a brochure in English with more details about multinational company opportunities in Panama:

MULTINATIONAL COMPANY OPPORTUNITIES

Unfortunately, there is not a one-stop place to find a listing of all the jobs available through Multinational Companies.  You’ll need to go to each company’s website to see what jobs are available.  Spanish will be required for some jobs but not for all jobs.  (see the links at the bottom of the page for some job postings)

Several Panama Relocation Tour clients have obtained good-paying (6-figure salary) jobs with multinational companies.  So, it is possible to get a job in Panama but it will require a lot of investigating to find them.  You’ll need to check out the jobs for each company individually and it certainly helps to have an impressive resume.

If you get a job with a Multinational company you are also exempt from all taxes on your income in Panama.

EMPLOYEE VISAS

Law No. 41 in Panama created the Permanent Employee Visas specifically for foreign employees of the Multinational Company.   These special visas will be issued for a 5-year period and can be renewed.

Multinational headquarters are set up in certain areas in Panama City.  The City of Knowledge, Cuidad del Sabor, houses many Multinational companies with job opportunities.  Click on their website link below then Click on WORK AREAS, then click on the company logo to be taken to information about the company and a link to their website:

CITY OF KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION

Below is a list of additional Multinational companies in Panama.  To find out what jobs are available with the companies, you’ll need to do a google search the “company name Panama” then look for their careers or jobs listings.

EnterpriseCountryActivity
Maersk Central America S.A.DenmarkMaritime
Procter & Gamble International OperationsUSAGoods
Inelectra Panama S.A.VenezuelaConstruction and Engineering
Sinopec InternationalChinaEnergy
LG Consulting Corp.South KoreaGoods
Productos Roche Interamericana, S.A. (Prisa)SwitzerlandPharmacy
CaterpillarUSAConstruction
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. L.T.D.South Korea.Construction and Maritime
Aes Latin AmericaUSAEnergy
Total America Latina Y CaribeFranceEnergy
Grupo VolconsaSpainConstruction
Endress + Hauser Instruments International AgSwitzerlandMeasuring Instruments
Western UnionUSAMoney Transfer
Thunderbird Entertainment S.A.USAEntertainment
Peugeot Panama S.A.FranceAutomation
Halliburton International Inc.USAEnergy
Pan American Life Global Services, S.A.USAInsurance
Cemex Caribe, S.A.MexicoConstruction
Moffatt & Nichol Latinamerican Inc.USAEngineering
ABBSwitzerlandTechnology
Dell Panama Inc.USATechnology and Telecommunications
W. W. Grainger, Inc.USAIndustrial Supply
BASF S.E.GermanyChemical, plastics and technology
SamtecUSAElectronic Interconnect Industry
KLMNetherlandsAir Transit
Pfizer, IncUSAPharmaceutical
Hoffmann-La RocheSwitzerlandPharmaceutical
We Simplify the Internet (WSI)CanadaTechnology and Telecommunications
William Wrigley Jr. Company (Wrigley)USAFood Processing
DHL ExpressGermanyExpress and Logisticas
Safra J. Asset Management S.A.USAAdvising
Kumho Tire Panama Co. Inc.South KoreaAutomation
HeinekenHolandGoods
Sab MillerEnglandGoods
GenzymeUSAHealth
PhilipsHolandGoods
BMWGermanyAutomation
NestleSwitzerlandGoods
MarsUSAGoods
CargotecUSALogistics
Hyosung CorporationSouth KoreaIndustry
Sanofi AventisFrancePharmacy
OtisUSAElevators Manufacturing
EricssonSwedenTelecommunications
AdidasGermanyTextile Industry
SmartmaticVenezuelaTechnology
Vf SourcingLuxembourgTextile Industry
Alfa Laval, S.A.SwedenEngineering and Services
BWSCDenmarkEnergy

Here are a few websites where jobs are posted.  These are not necessarily Multinational companies though so some of these jobs would require a residency Visa and a work permit:

To find more jobs available, go to the WORK AREA section at the City of Knowledge website. See the list of company logs in each category, then click on the logo to be taken to the company website.

Even though it IS possible to get a job in Panama, you may be able to make more money by starting your own business which is easy to do in Panama.

Jackie Lange

Jackie Lange is the founder of Panama Relocation Tours. Since 2010, she has helped thousands of people relocate to Panama the right way!