Rentista Visa

1. Residence permit24 months
2. Renew24 months at a time
3. Permanent residencyafter 3 years
4. Citizenshipafter 7 years

• Permanent residency 3 years
• Citizenship 7 years
• Dual citizenship allowed
• Language required for citizenship

Country

Costa Rica

Program

Rentista Visa

Local name

Residencia temporal como rentista

Type

Passive income

Status

Active

Initial duration

24 months

Renewable

Yes (24 mo)

Temporary residence for a person who will receive a stable, permanent income of at least US$2,500 a month for at least two years. The proof is a certificate from a bank in Costa Rica or in the country where the income arises, or a certification from a Costa Rican authorized public accountant. A bank deposit that is paid back in monthly installments does not count as income. The same income covers a spouse and children under 25.

Income requirement

$2,500/mo

Application fee

$250

Tax regime

Territorial

Regime name

Territorial Tax System

Foreign income taxed

No

Capital gains taxed

No

Method

online, in person

Apply from abroad

No

The monthly amount is set in US dollars, or the colón equivalent at the Central Bank sell rate. The annual figures are twelve times that monthly test, not a separate yearly threshold. There is no statutory savings balance. Decreto 43926 redefined income so that a deposit placed with a bank and returned in monthly fractions is a repayment of the depositor's own money, not income. The passport copy filed with the application must show the Costa Rica entry stamp, so the application is filed after entry, online through the DGME desk or in person. Paid or lucrative work needs a separate authorization from immigration. Affiliation to the CCSS is required to renew. The filing payments are US$50 plus US$200 when the applicant is changing from a non-resident category, and the same payments apply to each dependent, plus a small stamp duty. The five-year window to opt into the Law 9996 import and transfer-tax benefits closed on 14 July 2026. People who opted in keep those benefits for ten years.

• Estancia para Trabajador o Prestador Remoto de Serviciosdigital nomad visa

1. Oct 10, 2026
   • Savings requirement (USD) 60000 not set

   local name set to the temporary-residence subcategory. Source is the SCIJ text of Decreto 37112. The Law 9996 benefit window closed on 14 July 2026 (imprentanacional.go.cr).