Rooted Relocation

Boutique firm · Panama

Moving isn't leaving home. It's giving home a new view.

Your home comes with you. The rest is on me: the house, the school, the city your kids haven't met yet. When you land, all that's left is to live it.

See if we're a fit45 min · complimentary · confidential
Priscila Segura, founder of Rooted RelocationPriscila Segura, founderTwo children in international schools in Panama · 15 years at ALCOA, GSK and UNCTAD / IDB · She replies herself.
  • Admissions navigated first-hand · MET · Balboa · ISP
  • More than 15 years in Latin America
  • Bilingual ES / EN
A family with their children, seen from behind and holding hands, walks toward the open gate of a colonial stone building in afternoon light.

01 · Your situation

I know what you are carrying. Tell me which of these three is yours.

Every family arrives with a different weight. If you see yourself in one of these, I already know where to start taking it off your shoulders.

  • SEM corporate families

    Your partner accepts a regional role in Panama and you have 60 to 120 days before you land.

    Immigration, schools, a home, your partner's network and the family's own, coordinated for families an SEM multinational transfers to Panama.

  • International families

    You come to Panama from Europe, North America or a multilateral organisation, and you need everything to work in your language, without rough translations.

    Spanish and English. International schools we know first hand and an existing expat community in Panama. With discretion.

  • You already live in the region

    You are in Costa Rica, Colombia or another Latin American country and your employer is moving you to Panama. You don't want to start from scratch.

    Your professional network crosses the border with you, the permits that apply to your case are set in motion, and introductions to an executive community that already knows the region.

Next chapter: Founder →

Priscila Segura, founder of Rooted Relocation

02 · Founder

We are the market we serve, because we crossed it first.

Today we have two children in international schools in Panama: one at MET Nord Anglia and one now at Balboa Academy, 2026-27 school year. Our eldest daughter graduated from MET in June 2026 and started university in Navarra, Spain, in September. As a family we went through admissions at four international schools in the country.

We watched executive colleagues move before us, in pieces: one provider for the visa, another for the house, nobody for the school or for the partner arriving without a network. What was missing was one person coordinating everything.

That is what we now do for other multinational, diplomatic and international families arriving in Panama.

My children are in these schools. I know exactly what you are feeling.
  • Track record

    ALCOA CARICAM · GSK regional LATAM · UNCTAD / IDB · Board Member, Casita San José, 2009 → January 2026

  • Family

    Two children in international schools in Panama · Eldest daughter in Navarra since September 2026 · More than 15 years as an executive in the region

  • Partners

    Licensed lawyer · Real estate broker licensed by ACOBIR

  • Languages

    Native Spanish (Panama) · Executive English · Basic Italian

Jaime Soria, co-founder

Jaime Soria · co-founder

CFO/COO 25+ years · $5B+ platforms · Walmart Central America · Dokka regional · MIT Sloan AI · INCAE MBA · PMP

Next chapter: What I solve →

03 · What I solve

Everything that keeps you up at night is on me.

One person in charge and one calendar. A fixed fee for the coordination, no surprises, and complete clarity on what the lawyer and the broker charge directly.

  • with allied attorney

    Immigration coordination

    Immigration paperwork is a language nobody wants to learn. You don't have to speak it: the partner lawyer advises and signs, I push the file. You land with your immigration in motion, not chasing it.

  • I lived it with my children

    School admissions, step by step

    Choosing your children's school blind, by photos and emails, is the decision that weighs most. I went through several admissions in Panama with my own children and I know how the process works from the inside: who decides, what they look at, when places open, what documentation to prepare early. I walk you through each step so your decision comes from real information, not a brochure. We guarantee the guidance; the seat is the school's call.

  • we run it ourselves

    Housing search

    Signing a lease in a neighbourhood you don't know, on a contract you'd rather not have to fight. You don't do it alone: I walk the neighbourhoods, filter the listings, we visit the options and I take you through to the signature. A home that feels yours from the first night.

  • and community on arrival

    Your partner, with a network

    The partner who follows often lands alone, staring at the ceiling while the other goes to work. That's where many moves break. I introduce your partner to a real network, not a screen. And both of you to a community that already exists in Panama: school parents, executive tables, professional circles. No promise of a job. No access beyond what a genuine introduction can open.

  • we screen and introduce

    Help at home

    Hiring household staff or childcare in a new country, blind through WhatsApp groups, is not a risk anyone wants to run alone. We shortlist options, coordinate interviews and check references. The final decision is always yours.

  • purchase, import or leasing

    Vehicle and mobility

    Buying a car in Panama without knowing which brand holds up, which seller is serious, or whether your case gives you the duty-free import. I guide you through the decision for your case: used from the brands that actually work here, duty-free import if you qualify under the Pensionado benefit, or corporate lease. So you don't walk into silly surprises in year one.

Our coordination fee is fixed and sits within what a global mobility programme usually budgets; we share the exact figure in the first conversation, once the scope is clear. Legal fees are invoiced by our partner lawyer and the real estate commission by the ACOBIR broker, each on their own. We take no commission on anything we don't coordinate ourselves.

See if we're a fit45 min · complimentary · confidential

Next chapter: Packages →

04 · Packages

Three ways to land with company.

Three packages so you choose how much to delegate. Fixed coordination fee, shared in the first conversation once we know the real shape of your case.

  • Essential coordination · up to 2 months

    Basic

    For families with half the move already sorted — school or home already decided — who just want the immigration side and the first weeks to stop being a knot in the stomach.

    • Immigration coordination with the partner lawyer
    • Your first three days, in order: airport pickup at Tocumen, mobile line active the same day, the full list of bank requirements in your hand (if your employer opens a payroll account, you know; if not, you walk into the appointment with everything the bank will ask for), and utilities verified at the house before you arrive.
    • A day-by-day calendar for the first two weeks, with a direct WhatsApp channel Monday to Friday 9 to 17, same-business-day reply. For real emergencies (medical, immigration, lost documents), a 24/7 number is available.
    • One point of contact, one calendar
    • When you need a paediatrician, a plumber or a mechanic, we introduce you to ours — one at a time, as the need appears. We don't hand over directories for you to pick from blind.
  • Full landing · 4 months

    Prime

    For executive families who have just accepted the move and suddenly have school, housing, immigration and community to resolve on the same calendar. One person leading, one plan, no loose pieces.

    • Everything in Basic
    • We guide you through the admission to international schools: shortlist, visits and follow-through on the process
    • House search that we run ourselves
    • Real introductions to people who have made the same landing: mothers at your children's school, executives in the corporate circle, people who can open doors for your partner. Always with each contact's prior yes.
    • Continuous coordination for four months, with weekly review windows
    • At the close, a document with the deadlines coming your way (visa, tuition, lease) and three bridges where the host is already expecting your call: one school group, one sports or cultural circle, one professional. Not a list — people ready to hear from you.
    • Family-car purchase decision guided step by step: which brands hold up in Panama, which sellers are serious, what to check before signing. The goal is not a fast close — the goal is that in six months you're still glad you bought it.
    • Household support: staff and childcare, references checked
  • Concierge · 6 months

    VIP

    For C-suite or high-net-worth families where the calendar leaves no room for error and the network is protected from day one. Discretion is a written protocol, not a marketing adjective.

    • Everything in Prime
    • Bilingual concierge (ES / EN) available on agreed hours
    • We guide you through the strategic choice of school, neighbourhood and tutors
    • Confidentiality: we don't publish your case or your name without your written authorisation
    • Family fleet, with the process laid out up front. If your case allows SEM duty-free, you know the procedure before you start it: one duty-free vehicle every two years, paperwork at ATTT and the municipality. The second vehicle follows the same decision filters as Prime: no regrets in six months.
    • We guide you in assembling the household team: interviews, background checks and contracts

We don't publish rates. The range depends on the immigration profile, the schools involved and the calendar. We talk it through, no commitment, in a 45-minute call.

See if we're a fit45 min · complimentary · confidential

Next chapter: Proof →

05 · Proof

Backing you can check.

Families trust us because everything we say can be verified.

More than 15 years of executive career at ALCOA CARICAM, GSK regional LATAM and UNCTAD / IDB. Two children at MET Nord Anglia and Balboa Academy, and an eldest daughter who started university in Navarra, Spain, in September 2026. Board member at Casita San José from 2009 to January 2026.

Verifiable

Everything we claim, you can check for yourself.

Priscila Segura
ALCOA CARICAM · GSK regional LATAM · UNCTAD / IDB
Jaime Soria
CFO/COO · Walmart Central America · INCAE MBA · PMP
Casita San José
Board member · 2009 to January 2026
Allied broker
Current JTBR licence (MICI) · ACOBIR member · the rental commission is paid by the property owner, not by the family
Allied attorney
Admitted to the bar in the Republic of Panama · invoices her fees directly

We publish no family's case without their written permission. That is a policy, not a lack of track record.

Next chapter: Your path →

06 · Your path

Your way home, in four steps. Never blind.

From first contact until the family has its community: between two and six months of continuous coordination depending on the package, most of it before your flight.

  1. Panama City at night, seen from afar: the stage before the flight.

    01 · 2 to 3 months before

    Diagnosis before the flight

    You haven't flown yet and you already have forty questions in your head.

    • A full map of the family: ages, languages, your partner's situation
    • School shortlist and virtual visits
    • Immigration preparation with our partner lawyer
  2. A street of balconies in Casco Antiguo in full daylight: the first walk after landing.

    02 · Weeks 1 and 2

    Landing

    You've landed. School starts. The house is counting the days.

    • House visits and accompaniment to the lease signature
    • Support with enrolment, uniforms and school logistics
    • Bank accounts and utilities
  3. The Cinta Costera and the city skyline on a clear day: a routine that starts to feel yours.

    03 · Months 1 to 3

    Stabilisation

    There's a routine now, but it feels borrowed. Your partner doesn't have their people yet.

    • Introductions to your partner's professional network
    • We sort out the frictions: health, banking, transport
    • We connect you with school families for the first friendships
  4. A Casco Antiguo street roofed with colourful umbrellas: community and colour.

    04 · Months 3 to 4

    Handover and community

    The family has its rhythm. Knows who to call. Is part of a community.

    • Formal handover with the list of providers you already use
    • Bridges already validated with three community circles: school, sports or culture, professional network
    • A case study, only if the family authorises it in writing

By month four, your family has what it needs to run on its own in Panama. We are still there, but now as friends you can call.

Next chapter: Companies →

Panama · Hub of the Americas

One flight from your people.

From Panama there are nonstop flights to North America, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. The grandparents, the old friends and the regional office are one direct flight away. Moving does not have to mean moving away.

07 · For corporate mobility teams

The company signs the assignment. The family decides whether it works.

We coordinate the family's arrival for SEM companies, diplomatic missions and multilateral organisations transferring executives to Panama with their partner and children. Your team deals with one person; the family has continuous support for about six months, from first contact.

  • Scope per assignee

    A four-stage calendar with verifiable milestones: diagnosis before the flight, landing, settling in and handover to the community.

  • Direct invoicing

    Our fee is fixed and sits within what a global mobility programme usually budgets; we share the exact figure in the first conversation, once the scope is clear. Legal fees are invoiced by the lawyer and the real estate commission by the ACOBIR broker, each directly, without passing through us.

  • One point of contact

    School, home, immigration and the partner's network, coordinated by the same person, in Spanish or English.

  • Confidentiality

    We publish no names, companies or cases without written permission. Discretion applies equally to the assignee and to the employer.

Next chapter: Questions →

08 · Questions

The questions people really ask.

Is this an immigration service?

No. The immigration work (SEM dependant visa, FNV, apostilles) is done and invoiced by a licensed partner lawyer. We coordinate the whole process so you don't have to deal with three providers. Legal fees appear on the lawyer's invoice, not ours.

Do you charge real-estate commission?

No. In Panama, the real estate commission is paid by the property owner, not by the tenant family. You sign only the rental agreement (typically the first month's rent plus one month's security deposit). Our coordination fee is fixed and clear from the start.

What if you cannot get us the school we want?

We went through several admissions at international schools in Panama with our own children and we know how each one decides, what documentation they require and when places open. If, at the end of the diagnosis (up to 2 months), we don't see a viable fit for your shortlist, we tell you and adjust the scope. We don't charge for promising what we can't deliver.

Do you work with non-SEM families?

Yes, selectively. Our focus is families with children whose arrival touches school, housing, immigration and community at the same time: that is where coordination under one owner actually moves the needle. We work with families from SEM multinationals, diplomatic, multilateral, French-speaking, and families along the Costa Rica–Panama and Colombia–Panama corridors, where the fit is high. When a case does not match what we do best, we would rather be honest and recommend another firm than deliver an average job. There is no automatic process; there is a 45-minute conversation to see if it makes sense.

How long does the whole process take?

It depends on the case. Most cases land around six months from first contact, with a ceiling in that order of magnitude — not a fixed deadline. We split it like this: Diagnosis, 2 to 3 months before the flight. Landing, weeks 1 and 2. Settling in, months 1 to 3. Handover to the community, months 3 to 4. For reference, immigration steps take: SEM dependant visa, about 90 days at the National Immigration Service; FNV, 4 to 6 months; apostilles, 15 to 30 days. The real calendar depends on your country's embassy, the target school and how much we can start before the flight.

How are the fees paid?

You receive two direct invoices: ours, for the coordination, which is fixed and transparent; and our partner lawyer's, for the immigration work, which varies with the scope. On the real-estate side there is no invoice to the family: the owner pays the broker, and the only document you sign is the rental agreement (or the purchase contract, if that is the route), with its usual terms. Nobody charges twice for the same thing and there are no hidden commissions.

Do you only work with families coming from abroad?

Mostly families arriving in Panama from abroad, because that is where our work pays off most. But we don't close the door to anyone. We receive and accompany individuals, couples or small groups looking to move to Panama: executives and diplomats, Asian families, Eastern European families, families already here who need to reorganise school or home. If your situation is not the typical one, let's still talk: the first call is 45 minutes and free of charge.

What do you guarantee?

We guarantee the process, not the outcome: the calendar agreed at the diagnosis, complete clarity on what the lawyer and the broker charge, and continuous coordination without interruptions. We don't guarantee a place at a specific school, immigration timelines or residency approval, because those depend on your profile.

Next chapter: Contact →

09 · Contact

Tell me what's worrying you.

45 minutes. No cost. Confidential. In your language. You leave with clarity about your case, or with the name of the provider who suits you better. That's the deal.

  1. You write, through the form or on WhatsApp.
  2. Priscila replies personally, usually within one business day.
  3. A 45-minute conversation, complimentary and confidential.
  4. You receive a written diagnosis, or a referral to the provider who fits better.

Book your conversation

For a more precise quoteOptional. The more you share, the tighter the range on the first call.
What you need

We do not share your data. Discretion is part of the service.

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