Costa Rica Immigration And Residency Overview
Immigration laws in Costa Rica offer numerous options for people to relocate to the country. There are opportunities for retirees, people on fixed incomes, investors, spouses or parents of a Costa Rican, self-employed persons or entrepreneurs, and employees of a company.
Residency from Disability or Retiree Pension (Pensionados)
This is available for people who are currently retired and receive retirement income of at least $1,000 USD per month. The income can originate from a pension from your home country’s Social Security System or Pension System. This residency is also available for people who receive income for disability.
Residency from Fixed Income – Rentor (Rentistas)
Under this option, it is required to show that you receive at least $2,500 every month. One option is by depositing the amount equal to 2 years of income which is $60,000 USD, in a bank abroad or in Costa Rica. Another option is to certify your income from abroad or to open a trust.
Residency for Investors (Inversionista)
Recently, the Costa Rican government lowered the minimum investment amount to $150,000 USD in Costa Rica. The investment can be in a business or in assets such as real estate.
Residency as Spouse
The marriage category is available to foreign nationals who marry a Costa Rican. After 2 years of being married and residing in Costa Rica, it is possible to obtain citizenship.
Residency as a Parent
Foreign nationals who have children born in Costa Rica are eligible for residency.
Residency for Foreign Workers
There are options for companies to hire foreign workers. Whether they are executives, managers, technicians, consultants, etc. The Costa Rican regulations allow multiple options for hiring foreign workers.
Residency for Self-employed People or Entrepreneurs
This category is available for people who want to work for themselves or open their own businesses in Costa Rica. No minimum amount of money is required, only to have a business. People with a particular skill or area of specialization qualify for a Residency for Skilled Workers and thus it is required to demonstrate your skills. There is also a residency for people who have a brick-and-mortar business, such as a hotel or restaurant.
Permanent Residency (Permanente)
Have you been a Temporary Resident of Costa Rica for the past 3 years? If so, you may qualify for a Permanent Residency in Costa Rica. Permanent residency certainly comes with more benefits than temporary residency. For example, you have the majority of the rights of a citizen (except voting) and can work legally in Costa Rica as well.
Citizenship (Naturalization)
Many expats and immigrants ultimately take the final step of immigration to Costa Rica and become naturalized citizens. First, you must pass through Temporary and Permanent Residencies before applying for Citizenship (Naturalization).
Digital Nomad visa in Costa Rica
Are you considering moving to Costa Rica but unsure if this is the country you would like to make your new home? You can qualify for the Digital Nomad visa if you work remotely and earn at least $3,000 USD per month (or $4,000+ USD per family). This type of visa allows you to stay longer in Costa Rica than a regular tourist visa.
General Immigration Requirements
The following list outlines the general requirements for any application for residency.
Verification of the main requirement- Depending on the category you will be applying for, documentation will be required to confirm eligibility under that category. For instance, people applying under the retirement category must produce a letter providing confirmation of their retirement income; people applying under the investment category must provide certifications of the investment regardless of whether the investment is in real estate or in a business; people applying for residency through marriage must produce a marriage certificate from Costa Rica.
Background check- A national authority should issue this document. In the case of US nationals, for instance, it should be from the FBI. In the case of Canadian nationals, it should be issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In the case of UK nationals, it should be issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Birth certificate- A copy of your birth certificate must be apostilled and submitted before it is considered outdated at 6 months old.
Application form- We complete this for our clients.
Cover letter- We complete this for our clients.
Fingerprints- Generally obtained at a police department. We will coordinate with you in order to receive these, assisting in San José or Liberia by driving you from our office to the location concerned and handling the corresponding forms.
Certified passport copy- We certify your passport copy.
Consular registration- Registration with your country’s consulate is required; we also complete this for our clients.
Passport-size photographs- A service we provide, or you can bring your own.
Government fees- Initially, it is required to pay $251 USD in application fees. At the end of the process, it is required to pay an additional $433 USD in government fees.
Important Notes About The Documents.
All documents in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish.
All documents from abroad must be authenticated for use in Costa Rica.
The background check and other documents from abroad must be issued within 6 months before filing the application.
Background checks must be from the country where you lived legally in the past 3 years.
