CR
Costa Rica · Residencia temporal como inversionista · Investor visa · apply online, in person
Temporary residence for a person who invests at least US$150,000 in Costa Rica in real estate or other registrable property, shares, securities, a venture-capital fund, a productive or national-interest project, or sustainable tourism infrastructure. The status lasts two years and can be renewed for the same period if the investment is kept. The holder and dependents may not do paid work. A forest-plantation statute still states US$100,000, while the 2023 immigration regulation asks for a US$150,000 certificate for that route.
| Type | Tier / zone | Min amount | USD equivalent | Holding | Returnable | Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | Real estate or registrable movables | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Company capital | Shares | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Fund | Securities | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Fund | Venture capital | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Business | Productive or national-interest project | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Business | Forestry and reforestation | USD 100,000 | $100,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
| Business | Sustainable tourism infrastructure | USD 150,000 | $150,000 | — | Yes | Optional |
The US$150,000 figure is the amount in Decreto Ejecutivo 43926, which repealed the older US$200,000 rule and has no expiry date of its own. Law 9996 article 8 set that amount for the period the law establishes. Article 12 limits the tax and customs benefits to people who opted in during the first five years, a window that closed on 14 July 2026. Those people keep the benefits for ten years. New applicants do not. Commentators disagree on whether the investment amount rose again after that date. No in-force article states US$200,000. Real estate must be in the applicant's own name and is measured by the municipal value. The investment must be maintained without a break to renew. Filing is preferential on the DGME digital desk, or in person without that preference. The filing payments are US$50 and US$200, for the applicant and for each dependent. After approval, CCSS affiliation is required before the residence card is issued, and again at each renewal. Amounts are statutory US dollars, converted to colones at the Central Bank sell rate when paid. No market exchange rate was applied.
Costa Rica also offers a digital nomad visa for remote workers
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 10, 2026 Source
dependent filing fee set to US$250. Processing days cleared. Application method is digital or in person. The Law 9996 tax-benefit window is recorded as closed on 14 July 2026. The US$150,000 investment amount is kept because that is the figure in the regulation still in force (https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/pub/2023/02/23/ALCA28_23_02_2023.pdf).
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