Costa Rica awaits you,
Pura Vida !

Congratulations! on your decision to relocate to Costa Rica as a Pensionado, Rentista, Inversionista or Vínculo legal resident.

Regardless of the reason you are going to Costa Rica – be it retirement, business, investment or family, at Residency in Costa Rica our goal is to make your transition as easy, worry-free and efficient as possible.

Since 2002, Residency in Costa Rica has been successful in processing hundreds of residency applications for rentista, pensionado, vínculo and inversionista applicants from countries as diverse as the Unites States, Canada, France, England, Thailand, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Australia, Philippines and others.

Working in close partnership with our clients, we determine which residency program the best meets our clients needs and jointly prepare and develop a plan of action as to how the application for residency will be handled. 

We keep the application process simple. In most cases, all the applicant needs to do is to provide us with the key documents and be available to be fingerprinted in San José. We do everything else!

New Immigration Law effective March 1, 2010 and New “Reglamento” of May 17, 2012

Approved in August 2009 by the Asamblea Nacional, a new Costa Rican Immigration Law took effect on March 1, 2010.  As part of the law, on May 17, 2012 Migracion issued a new “Reglamento.”  The Reglamento contains the guidelines, rules and interpretation of the law which Migracion will use to apply and enforce the Immigration Law.

The new law, formally known as Law 8764, Ley General de Migración y Extranjería, made extensive and important changes to the requirements to apply for legal residency.  The guidelines for the implementation of those changes are contained in the 2012 Reglamento. Please see our “Residency Categories” and “News & Updates” sections for more detailed information on the new residency application requirements.

Highlights of new residency requirements per the 2012 Reglamento

The requirements contained in the 2012 Reglamento apply to all applications that are filed after May 17, 2012.

Pensionado – Income (no changes made):

The monthly pension income requirement is US$1,000. One pension allows both husband and wife to apply for residency

Rentista – Income (important changes):

The Rentista monthly income requirement is US$2,500. The exact same amount of US$2,500 per month applies to all applicants, whether or not the applicant is single, married, or married with children.

The new requirement is that applicant must prove the ability to receive $2,500 monthly income for 24 months (2 years), instead of the 60 months (5 years) mandated under the prior requirement. The income can be proven by a bank letter stating the applicant has an account with a balance of at least US$60,000.

Inversionista – Investment Amount (important changes)

The investment made must have a registered or verifiable value of at least US$200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand dollars).

Type of investments:  The investment can be made in any type of business, commercial real estate; and (new) non-commercial real estate.

Non-Commercial Real Estate (new):  This type of investment can include the purchase price of a home in Costa Rica, and the purchase of land to be preserved for ecological, environmental or watershed preservation purposes.

Return of the Tree Farm Investment (reinstated):  The 2012 Reglamento allows an investor to make an investment of at least US$100,000 in a qualified Forestry Plantation project.  Typically, the investment is made in a Teak, or similar genus, farm.

Mandatory Membership in “La Caja”

All applicants are required to become members in Costa Rica’s medical system, La Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, known simply as “La Caja.” The applicant must show proof of membership in La Caja at the time the residency identification card is issued.

Location where applications can be filed

Applications can be filed abroad, in the applicant’s country of origin, or directly at Migración y Extranjería in San Jose, Costa Rica. Residency applications under the Vínculo Program can only be filed in Costa Rica.

Applications for Vínculo Status by Spouses of a Costa Rican citizen

Under the new law and Reglamento, spouses are granted temporary residencies for the first three years AND must attend an interview at Migracion at the time the application is filed to verify the marriage.

The Immigration Law and the 2012 Reglamento, both now in effect, brought substantial changes to the application process and increased the complexity and time-consuming paperwork requirements built into the process. Working together as a team, Residency in Costa Rica helps you navigate the complex application process step by step.

What Does Residency in Costa Rica Do?

Since 2002, Residency in Costa Rica has specialized in only one service: the preparation and filing of applications for prospective Costa Rican residents. We prepare and process your application and supporting documentation while you are still in your country of origin or after your arrival in Costa Rica.  

For applicants living in the U.S. only, we take responsibility for the authentication of your key documents issued in the U.S.  For non-U.S. applicants, we provide you with detailed instructions as to how you can properly authenticate your key documents and verify the accuracy of the authentications once we receive copies of the documents.

Our team of consultants is ready to assist you with your application for resident status in Costa Rica.  We have only one business. One specialty. And one goal: the timely approval of your residency application.

We keep the application process simple. Just drop us a line or call us and be on the road to la Pura Vida!

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