ResidencyAmericasCosta Rica residence for founders, retirees and investors
Costa Rica's main temporary residence categories are rentista (steady foreign income), pensionado (lifetime pension) and inversionista (investment). Each grants two years of temporary residence, renewable, and leads to permanent residence after three years. Applications go to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).
Updated
Rentista applicants show at least USD 2,500 a month in stable income for at least two years, certified by a bank or financial institution, or deposit USD 60,000 in a Costa Rican bank to be released at USD 2,500 a month. Pensionado applicants show a lifetime pension of at least USD 1,000 a month. Both categories do not allow salaried work for Costa Rican employers.
Inversionista applicants make a qualifying investment in Costa Rican real estate, a business, securities or approved projects. Law 9996 cut the threshold to USD 150,000, but its five-year window closed on 14 July 2026; files lodged after that date should plan on the pre-2021 minimum of USD 200,000. Confirm the figure with a Costa Rican attorney before buying, because the rule has been applied inconsistently in guidance since July.
Residents join the national health system, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), before the residence card is issued. Redomiciled coordinates documents and timing with licensed immigration attorneys.
Who it suits
Founders and remote earners with foreign income
USD 2,500 a month in steady income qualifies without an investment.
Retirees
A lifetime pension of USD 1,000 a month meets the pensionado test.
Buyers of Costa Rican property
A qualifying purchase can support investor residence.
People leaving high-tax countries
Foreign income stays outside Costa Rican tax under current law.
Requirements
- Required
Valid passport
With the entry stamp for your current stay.
- Required
Criminal record certificate
From your country of residence, apostilled and translated into Spanish.
- Required
Birth certificate
Apostilled and translated; marriage certificate for a spouse.
- Required
Proof of qualifying income or investment
Bank certification, pension letter or title and valuation documents.
- Required
CCSS enrolment
Required before the residence card is issued.
- Depends on your case
Local deposit
USD 60,000 in a Costa Rican bank for the rentista deposit option.
Documents
- PassportFull copy, certified.
- Criminal record certificate (apostilled)Recent, with an official Spanish translation.
- Birth and marriage certificates (apostilled)For the applicant and family members.
- Income or pension certificateShowing the monthly amount and its continuity.
- Investment evidenceRegistry title, share certificates or securities statements, registered as foreign investment.
- Fingerprint record and photosTaken in Costa Rica during the process.
Timeline
- 1Choose the categoryCompare rentista, pensionado and inversionista against your income and plans.
- 2Prepare documents abroadCriminal record and civil certificates, apostilled and translated.
- 3Make the investment or depositWhere the route requires it.
- 4File with DGMEYour attorney lodges the file; fingerprints are taken in Costa Rica.
- 5Approval, CCSS and DIMEX cardEnrol with the CCSS and collect the residence card.
Questions
How much income do I need for Costa Rica residency?
USD 2,500 a month for the rentista category, shown for at least two years, or USD 1,000 a month in lifetime pension for the pensionado category.
Is the investor threshold still USD 150,000?
The reduced figure came from Law 9996, whose window closed on 14 July 2026. New files should plan on USD 200,000 unless a Costa Rican attorney confirms otherwise.
Does Costa Rica tax foreign income?
Not for individuals under current law. A bill filed in September 2026 would tax certain foreign passive income at 15%; it is pending.
Can I work with Costa Rica residency?
Rentistas and pensionados cannot take salaried jobs with Costa Rican employers. They can own companies and receive income from them.
More in Costa Rica
- Everything about Costa RicaView
- Company formationCosta Rica companies for regional operationsCosta Rica's two common company forms are the sociedad anónima (S.A.) and the sociedad de responsabilidad limitada (S.R.L.). Both can be 100% foreign-owned and are taxed on Costa Rican-source profits at 30%, with lower bands for small companies. Foreign-source business income is generally outside Costa Rican tax.View
Other residency programmes
- Uruguay residency for founders and investorsUruguayan permanent residence is a legal residence granted by the Dirección Nacional de Migración to foreigners who intend to settle and can prove regular means of living. As of 2026 the application starts online and ends at an in-person appointment. It suits remote founders, retirees and investors whose income comes from abroad.View
Uruguay - Paraguay residency for founders and investorsParaguayan temporary residency is a two-year permit, renewable once, for foreigners who want a legal base in South America and a territorial tax system that does not tax foreign-source income. As of October 2026 it is the required first step towards permanent residency. It suits remote founders, investors and location-independent professionals.View
Paraguay - Panama residency for founders and investorsPanamanian permanent residence lets foreigners live in Panama indefinitely, reached through routes such as Friendly Nations, Qualified Investor or the pensioner visa. Since September 2026 the Qualified Investor route follows Executive Decree 17, which kept B/. 300,000 for new property. It suits founders, investors and retirees with income from abroad.View
Panama - Mexico residency for founders and retireesMexican temporary residence is a permit of up to four years for foreigners who prove economic solvency at a Mexican consulate abroad; permanent residence follows after four years, or directly for qualifying pensioners. Since the visa guidelines of July 2025, thresholds are set in UMA days. It suits remote founders, retirees and investors.View
Mexico - Argentina residency for retirees and investorsArgentine temporary residence as a rentista or pensionado lets foreigners live in Argentina on passive income or a pension from abroad worth at least five national minimum wages a month. In October 2026 that equals ARS 1,956,000. Applications are filed inside Argentina through the RaDEX system. It suits retirees, investors and remote founders.View
Argentina - Chile temporary residenceChilean temporary residence (Residencia Temporal) is granted for up to two years, renewable, under Law 21.325 of 2022 and Decree 177 of 2022. Applications are filed online from outside Chile through the SERMIG portal, and the applicant enters Chile once approved.View
Chile
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Sources
- Rio Times: Costa Rica residency requirements 2026, retrieved 2026-10-27
- Taxopilot: pensionado, rentista and inversionista 2026, retrieved 2026-10-27
- Farmstead Collection: investor threshold back to USD 200,000, retrieved 2026-10-27
- KPMG: bill on foreign-source passive income (30 September 2026), retrieved 2026-10-27
- Tico Times: proposed 15% tax on foreign income, retrieved 2026-10-27
- Deloitte: Costa Rica Highlights 2026, retrieved 2026-10-27
- Moore Global: Costa Rica tax guide, retrieved 2026-10-27
Reviewed by the Redomiciled team on .
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