Costa Rica digital nomad visa

Requirements

• Stable foreign income of at least $3,000/month (or $4,000/month covering family) over the last year, bank-documented
• Remote work or services exclusively for employers/clients outside Costa Rica
• Medical insurance covering the full stay in Costa Rica
• Apostilled supporting documents; application via Migración
• First permit covers 12 months, renewable once for 12 more if you spent at least 80 days in-country

How to apply

1. Compile 12 months of bank statements proving the income floor, apostilled and translated where required
2. Submit the application online or at Migración (or a consulate) with insurance and passport documents
3. Wait out processing, then complete registration and biometrics in Costa Rica
4. Renew at month 12 if you've met the minimum-presence requirement

Renewal and long-term stay

• Renewable: yes, up to 2 years in total
• Path to permanent residency: no — time on this visa does not lead to residency
• Path to citizenship: no

One year, renewable once — and the renewal has teeth: you must have been physically in Costa Rica at least 180 days during that first year. It is a non-resident stay category, so none of it converts to residency. After two years you either leave or apply under Rentista, Pensionado or an investor category, each of which does lead to permanent residency after three years.

Bringing a partner or children

• Dependants: yes — a partner and children can be included

The Estancia lets the main applicant sponsor accompanying family members. The income threshold is higher for a family than for a single applicant, so check which figure you are being quoted.

Tax

• Foreign income taxed locally: no — foreign-earned income is not taxed locally
• Special nomad or expat tax regime: yes — see below

Costa Rica taxes territorially, so income earned from foreign clients or employers is outside the Costa Rican income tax net, and the Estancia is written as a non-resident stay category. The trade-off is that this arrangement builds nothing: the routes that do lead to residency (Rentista, Pensionado, investor) come with their own tax posture.

This summarises published rules, not your situation, and it is not tax advice. Two things it can't tell you: your home country may tax you anyway — US citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live — and day-count is only the most common trigger for tax residency, not the only one. Having a permanent home, a family or your centre of economic interests in a country can make you resident well before the day count does. Get advice before you move.

Moving abroad means more than the visa — sort your travel insurance (many visa applications require proof of coverage), set up borderless banking, and land with data working.

First nomad visa? Our digital nomad visa guide explains how qualifying, applying, and taxes work across every country.