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Costa Rica · Estancia para Trabajador o Prestador Remoto de Servicios · Formal dn visa · apply online, in country · processing up to 15 days
Non-resident stay under Ley 10008 for people who work remotely, employed or freelance, for a person or company outside Costa Rica. Granted for up to one year. It can be extended once, for one more year, if the holder spent at least 180 days in Costa Rica during the first year. A shorter first stay can be requested. The stay does not confer temporary or permanent residence. The income test is in US dollars: US$3,000 a month alone, or US$4,000 a month for the household if any dependent is included. A spouse or another family member's foreign income can be combined to reach US$4,000. It is not US$1,000 extra per dependent. Proof is twelve months of bank statements plus a sworn declaration, or a certification by a Costa Rican public accountant or notary, or the equivalent abroad. Only that certification needs an apostille or consular legalization. Documents in another language need an official Spanish translation. Each person, including each dependent, pays a US$100 government filing fee (Migration Law article 256; Banco de Costa Rica account 001-0242480-0, IBAN CR15015201001024248003). The receiving bank charges US$15 on an international transfer, and the US$100 must arrive net. After approval, the stay document costs US$90 per person. The approval resolution also sets a further payment whose amount is not published as one figure. Decreto 36539-G article 14 sets a one-time guarantee deposit of US$100 for a non-resident estancia. Documentation must be finished within three months of approval or the status can be cancelled. Medical insurance must cover the whole authorized stay, with at least US$50,000 for medical expenses in Costa Rica, for the applicant and every family member. A SUGESE-registered Costa Rican insurer or an international policy with that cover qualifies. The regulation does not say that every travel policy is refused; the policy has to meet the amount and the full stay. Local work for a Costa Rican employer or client is not allowed. While the authorization lasts, foreign income is fully exempt from Costa Rican income tax and is not treated as Costa Rican-source income, and the beneficiary is not a habitual tax resident. Family members do not get that exemption unless they qualify on their own. A personal computer, mobile phone, tablet, camera, and one audio recorder may enter as baggage free of import tax. Other equipment uses the Exonet exemption and must be kept for the stay. Dependents may be a spouse or domestic partner, children under 25, children of any age with a disability, and older adults who live with the holder. There is no numeric cap. Some nationalities still need a consular or restricted entry visa under Decreto 36626-G. DGME reviews criminal and police records in the databases it can access. The applicant does not file a police certificate under the current checklist. Apply online at Trámite Ya or in person at DGME in La Uruca or a regional office. A complete file must be decided within 15 calendar days. One written request to complete missing items, issued within 5 calendar days, gives 8 business days to respond and pauses that clock. The tourism board's landing page says families need US$5,000 a month, and its renewal page says 80 days in the country. Ley 10008 and Decreto Ejecutivo 43619-H-MGP-TUR say US$4,000 and 180 days.
Costa Rica also offers these long-term residency programs
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 10, 2026 Source
processing minimum cleared. The regulation gives 15 calendar days for a complete file, not a 10-to-15 day range. Application method is online or in person (https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/pub/2022/07/08/ALCA141_08_07_2022.pdf).
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