Can I obtain a Panama passport if I have records of being detained by the police?

I was detained by the police for 15 days due to an affray offence when I was 20 years old. I am 35 years old now and want to apply for Panama’s citizenship-by-investment program. I wonder if the public order offence record would impact my application.

Answers

On February 14, 2020 Natalia Mulford answered:

Regarding your criminal records, it depends. You will need approval by the Migration Department before submitting any visa application.

On February 13, 2020 Emilio Cornejo Vernaza answered:

Applicants having any kind of police or criminal records will be subject to deeper evaluation by our Immigration authorities. Your attorney may always submit an explanatory note of the situation, but it will be left to the discretion of the immigration authorities whether to approve or reject a residency application with these types of circumstances.

On February 15, 2020 Marcos Kraemer answered:

Passport via citizenship can only be obtained once the citizenship process has started and been approved. To apply for citizenship, five years of permanent residency is required. Residency can be approved as long as a clean police record is presented. In the event of misdemeanors, a pre-approval request can be filed with immigration for their review, and after its approval, the residency can be applied for.

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