Special System of Headquarters of Multinational Companies (SEM)

General information

Panama has a long history of seeking to attract and promote investment, create jobs and encourage technology transfer, with the intention of showing itself as a nerve center in the global economy. In this sense, the National Government in 2007 created Law No. 41 (amended by Law No. 45 of August 2012, Law No. 57 of October 2018 and Resolution December 15, 2018), which seeks to attract companies multinationals to Panamanian territory.

The SEMs (Multinational Company Headquarters) are companies that operate in a franchise model of a foreign company registered in Panama or as a Panamanian company incorporated into a transnational company. Their purpose is to provide specific services to their parent company, affiliate or subsidiary from their location in Panama.

Legal frame

That reforms Law 41 of 2007, which creates the special regime for the establishment and operation of headquarters of multinational companies and the commission of headquarters of multinational companies, and dictates another provision.

Modification – Law 45 (2012)

Executive Decree 28 (2009)

Executive Decree 39 (2009)
Executive Decree 9 (2013)
Executive Decree 291 (2009)

Executive Decree 96 (2009)

Modification – Law No. 57 (2018)

Resolution 15 (2018)
Executive Decree 241 (2020) – Modifies Executive Decree No. 28
Resolution 023-20 (2020)

Fiscal benefits

Benefits for foreign personnel

Work Incentives

Immigration Benefits

Note:

The Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) will offer the one-stop service for managing the EMMA (Multinational Company for the Provision of Manufacturing-Related Services) license and visas for foreign workers and their dependents.

Requirements

Activities

All SEM companies are able to provide the following services to their same business group

It is extremely important to highlight that all those SEM companies that want to increase or expand their activities to offer services related to manufacturing described in Law EMMA or Law 159 of August 31, 2020 may benefit from this regime, likewise the Technical Secretariat will be in its capacities to take into account all the documentation to procure a freer automation process.

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