Immigration categories

Eight ways to live here legally.

Each category has its own evidence, its own term and its own family coverage. Read the requirement first: that is usually where the decision is made.

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01Category

Digital Nomad Visa

Deposits of at least USD 3,000 per month during the last 12 months, or USD 4,000 for a couple.

A permit for remote workers and international service providers: 12 months, extendable to 24. Income tax and social security are exempt, and holders can open local bank accounts and drive with their home licence.

Talk about this route

Who it covers

The applicant
Spouse
Children under 25
Parents of the applicant

Term: 12 months, extendable to 24.
Condition: Remote income of USD 3,000 a month, or USD 4,000 for a couple. Spouse, children under 25 and parents can be included.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica with income tax and social security exempt.

02Category

Investor Residency

An investment of USD 200,000 held in your own name: real estate, shares of a company registered with the tax authority, securities, venture capital funds, or projects of national interest or sustainable tourism.

Residency through capital placed in the country, in the personal capacity rather than through a corporation.

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Who it covers

The applicant
Spouse
Children under 25
Parents of the applicant

Term: Two years, renewable. After three years you can apply for permanent residency.
Condition: USD 200,000 invested in your own name. Spouse, children under 25 and parents aged 65 or over can be included.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica. The permanent residence document then renews every three, five and seven years.

03Category

Rentist Residency

A stable passive income of at least USD 2,500 per month, for a minimum of two years, under Article 82 of the Immigration Law.

For people who live from investments, dividends or other passive income rather than a salary. The evidence is the income itself, documented over time.

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Who it covers

The applicant
Dependants, reviewed case by case

Term: Two years, renewable. After three years you can apply for permanent residency.
Condition: Passive income of USD 2,500 a month or more. Spouse, children under 25 and parents aged 65 or over can be included.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica on passive income, with no local employment needed. The permanent residence document then renews every three, five and seven years.

04Category

Retired Residency (Pensionado)

A lifetime monthly pension of at least USD 1,000, received individually by the applicant or the spouse.

The classic retirement route. The principal applicant can bring a spouse and children as dependants, and the file turns on proving that the pension is permanent rather than temporary.

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Who it covers

The applicant
Spouse
Children as dependants

Term: Two years, renewable. After three years you can apply for permanent residency.
Condition: Lifetime pension of USD 1,000 a month or more, from Social Security or any other source, including a military pension. Spouse, children under 25 and parents aged 65 or over can be included.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica on your pension. The permanent residence document then renews every three, five and seven years.

05Category

Marriage or Family Residency

Marriage to a Costa Rican or to a foreigner with legal residency, children born in Costa Rica, or being the parent of a legal resident.

Family ties are their own route. It covers children under 25 and children with a disability, and same sex couples receive the same treatment under Costa Rican law.

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Who it covers

Spouse or partner, including same sex couples
Children under 25
Children with a disability
Parents of a legal resident

Term: One year by marriage, renewable. As the parent of a Costa Rican, permanent residency from the start with a three-year document.
Condition: Spouse, child or parent of a Costa Rican citizen. Parents must be 65 or over.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica, with work authorised for spouses of Costa Ricans.

06Category

Top Executives, Managers and Specialised Workers

A role with specialised knowledge, management responsibility or a technical profile inside a Costa Rican entity.

The corporate route for people who are moved to Costa Rica by their company. The file connects the person to the local entity, so the company paperwork matters as much as the individual one.

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Who it covers

Executives and managers
Specialised technical staff
Dependants, reviewed case by case

Term: Two years, renewable.
Condition: Management or specialised role in a Costa Rican entity. Spouse, children under 25 and parents aged 65 or over can be included.
Benefit: Living legally in Costa Rica while you work for the local entity.

07Category

Naturalization

Two years married to a Costa Rican while living in the country, five years of official residence for Central Americans, Spaniards and Ibero-Americans by birth, or seven years for every other nationality. Spouses of Costa Ricans are exempt from the exams, the sworn declarations and the income certificate.

The last step: the TSE checks the residence period, the documents and the Spanish and social studies exams, then publishes the application in La Gaceta before deciding.

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Who it covers

Spouses of Costa Ricans
Long term residents

Term: Permanent once granted. Resolution term at the TSE: 285 business days.
Condition: Two years married to a Costa Rican with two years of residence, five years of official residence for Central Americans, Spaniards and Ibero-Americans by birth, or seven years for every other nationality.
Benefit: Costa Rican nationality and a Costa Rican passport.

08Category

Permanent Residency

Being the parent of a Costa Rican child, or holding temporary residency for three years.

A change of category, filed as its own application: fingerprints, criminal record and a clean history during the temporary period.

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Who it covers

Parent of a Costa Rican child
Temporary residents after three years
Dependants, reviewed case by case

Term: Permanent, subject to renewal.
Condition: Parent of a Costa Rican child, or three years holding temporary residency. Fingerprints and a clean criminal record are required.
Benefit: Indefinite residency status in Costa Rica, granted by resolution.

The process

Before you choose a category, know the calendar.

An application passes through five stages, and most of the wait happens before it is ever filed. This is what each one takes.

See how the process works

01Documents1 to 3 months
02ReviewUp to 3 months
03FilingOne day
04Resolution1 to 12 months
05Photo3 months

Not sure which one fits

Two categories often apply at once. The call decides.

Route selection
Fixed price in writing
Family included
One lawyer

Book a 30 minute call See the immigration service

Read the guides, or watch the firm explain it.

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