Tourist entry without a visa (first group): The 180 day maximum and the no extension rule come from the current DGME entry guidelines, Directrices Generales de Visas de Ingreso y Permanencia para No Residentes AJ-484-11-2025, in force since November 17, 2025. Before September 2023 the first group maximum was 90 days, and many secondary sites still say 90. Paid work is not allowed on a tourist stay.
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Living in Costa Rica long term
Costa Rica admits US passport holders without a visa for up to 180 days per entry, and its long stay system runs on temporary residence under Ley 8764. The money routes are pensionado (a lifetime pension of at least USD 1,000 a month), rentista (stable income of at least USD 2,500 a month), and inversionista (at least USD 150,000 invested, the floor set by Law 9996 in 2021), each granted for up to 2 years at a time and convertible to permanent residence after 3 years. Remote workers have their own stay under Law 10008: USD 3,000 a month of foreign income buys 1 year, extendable once, with a full exemption from Costa Rican income tax, and DGME must decide the application within 15 calendar days.
Numbers on this page apply to holders of a US passport. Page last verified: 2026-10-15
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official source or the consulate for Costa Rica before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this table.
Every route, with the math
Scroll sideways for the full table. The route name stays in view.
| Route | Income required | Investment required | Total cost | Processing time | Days allowed | Renewal rules | Tax residency trigger | Years to permanent residency | Years to citizenship | Last verified | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist entry without a visa (first group) Tourist allowance | No visa is required, but entry officers can require proof of means. The Foreign Ministry consular manual puts the solvency demonstration at USD 100 per month of stay, and proof of onward travel is required. | Not applicable | No entry fee for US passport holders. The narrow extension described in the renewal rules costs USD 100 when it applies. | Issued at the port of entry. | Up to 180 calendar days per entry. US passport holders are in the first group of the DGME entry guidelines, and the officer at the port of entry sets the exact days on the entry stamp, which can be fewer than 180. | Not extendable. The only exception in the guidelines is for visitors granted fewer than 90 days at entry, who may extend up to a maximum of 90 days in total. That extension costs USD 100 (Ley 8764, Article 90). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. A single 180 day tourist stay stays under that line by itself. | Does not lead to permanent residency. A visitor who wants residence applies for a Ley 8764 category instead, and filing from inside Costa Rica carries a USD 200 change of category fee (Ley 8764, Article 89). | Time as a tourist does not count as official residence for naturalization. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Remote worker stay (Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios, Law 10008) Digital nomad | Payment or remuneration from abroad of at least USD 3,000 per month over the last year, proven with bank statements. If the applicant also requests legal stay for the family group, the threshold is USD 4,000 per month, and the applicant and a spouse may combine income to reach it (Law 10008, Article 10, and the DGME requirements page). | Not applicable | USD 100 government fee per applicant, including each dependent, paid to the Banco de Costa Rica account published by DGME, plus USD 30 for the document evidencing legal stay (Ley 8764, Article 253). DGME warns the USD 100 must arrive net of bank charges. | DGME must resolve the application within 15 calendar days (Law 10008, Article 7). | 1 year per grant (Law 10008, Article 15). | One extension of 1 additional year, and only if the holder spent at least 180 days in Costa Rica during the first year (Law 10008, Article 15). There are no further renewals on this status. | Never on this status. Law 10008, Article 16 gives a total exemption from Costa Rican income tax, states that beneficiaries are not habitual residents for tax purposes, and states that the income they receive from abroad is not Costa Rican source income. | Does not lead to permanent residency. Before the benefit expires, the holder may apply to change to a residence category under Ley 8764 (Law 10008, Article 15). | Time in this non-resident category does not count as official residence for naturalization. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Pensionado (temporary residence for pensioners) Retirement | A pension from abroad of at least USD 1,000 per month. The pension must be monthly, permanent and stable, for life (Ley 8764, Article 81). | Not applicable | USD 50 first-time residence application fee, plus USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment when residence is granted and at each renewal, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 33, 252, 253 and 255). Filing from inside Costa Rica after entering as a tourist adds a USD 200 change of category fee (Article 89). A refundable guarantee deposit is also required; the law caps it at the price of a high season ticket to the applicant's country of origin and DGME sets the amount, so no single figure is published (Article 133). CCSS affiliation is charged separately by income and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Temporary residence is granted for more than 90 days and up to 2 years per grant (Ley 8764, Article 79). | Renewable for equal periods of up to 2 years while the pension continues. Renewal requires proof of affiliation to the CCSS public health system held without interruption since the grant (Ley 8764, Articles 80 and 86). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources. | 3 consecutive years of temporary residence, then a change to permanent residence (Ley 8764, Article 78). | 7 years of official residence for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Rentista (temporary residence on guaranteed income) Passive income | Stable income of at least USD 2,500 per month, monthly, permanent and stable, generated abroad or in banks of the national banking system (Ley 8764, Article 82). The same amount can cover the applicant, a spouse, and children under 25 or with a disability. | No investment in Costa Rica is required. Where the income is generated inside the national banking system, DGME requirement documents describe a two year term deposit of USD 60,000 in a Costa Rican bank as the standard instrument; the deposit is the applicant's own money, not a fee. | USD 50 first-time residence application fee, plus USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment when residence is granted and at each renewal, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 33, 252, 253 and 255). Filing from inside Costa Rica after entering as a tourist adds a USD 200 change of category fee (Article 89). A refundable guarantee deposit is also required; the law caps it at the price of a high season ticket to the applicant's country of origin and DGME sets the amount, so no single figure is published (Article 133). CCSS affiliation is charged separately by income and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Temporary residence is granted for more than 90 days and up to 2 years per grant (Ley 8764, Article 79). | Renewable for equal periods of up to 2 years while the income continues. Renewal requires proof of affiliation to the CCSS public health system held without interruption since the grant (Ley 8764, Articles 80 and 86). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources. | 3 consecutive years of temporary residence, then a change to permanent residence (Ley 8764, Article 78). | 7 years of official residence for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Inversionista (temporary residence for investors) Investor | Not applicable | Investment capital of at least USD 150,000, in real estate, registrable assets, shares, securities, or productive or national interest projects. Venture capital funds and sustainable tourism infrastructure projects also count (Law 9996, Article 8). | USD 50 first-time residence application fee, plus USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment when residence is granted and at each renewal, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 33, 252, 253 and 255). Filing from inside Costa Rica after entering as a tourist adds a USD 200 change of category fee (Article 89). A refundable guarantee deposit is also required; the law caps it at the price of a high season ticket to the applicant's country of origin and DGME sets the amount, so no single figure is published (Article 133). CCSS affiliation is charged separately by income and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Temporary residence is granted for more than 90 days and up to 2 years per grant (Ley 8764, Article 79). | Renewable for equal periods of up to 2 years while the investment is maintained. Renewal requires proof of affiliation to the CCSS public health system held without interruption since the grant (Ley 8764, Articles 80 and 86). | Investors under Law 9996 are not tax residents automatically (Law 9996, Article 6). The general trigger is more than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days (Income Tax Regulation, Decree 43198-H, Article 10). Income produced by the investment inside Costa Rica is taxable in Costa Rica. | 3 consecutive years of temporary residence, then a change to permanent residence (Ley 8764, Article 78). | 7 years of official residence for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Spouse of a Costa Rican citizen (temporary residence by family link) Other | No income threshold is set in Ley 8764 for the spouse of a Costa Rican citizen subcategory. | Not applicable | USD 50 first-time residence application fee, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 252, 253 and 255). Spouses of Costa Rican citizens are exempt from the USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment (Articles 33 and 80). Filing from inside Costa Rica after entering as a tourist adds a USD 200 change of category fee (Article 89). A refundable guarantee deposit is also required; the law caps it at the price of a high season ticket to the applicant's country of origin and DGME sets the amount, so no single figure is published (Article 133). CCSS affiliation is charged separately and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Temporary residence is granted for more than 90 days and up to 2 years per grant (Ley 8764, Article 79, item 1). | Renewable for equal periods of up to 2 years while the marriage continues. Renewal requires proof of affiliation to the CCSS public health system held without interruption since the grant (Ley 8764, Articles 80 and 86). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources. | 3 consecutive years of temporary residence, then a change to permanent residence (Ley 8764, Article 78). | 7 years of official residence for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Work through a Costa Rican employer (executives, managers and technical staff) Work | For the executive, manager and technical staff subcategory, the salary may not be lower than the legal minimum wage for the same position increased by 25 percent (Ley 8764, Article 83). The minimum wage itself is set by occupation and is published by the Labor Ministry. | Not applicable | USD 50 first-time residence application fee, plus USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment when residence is granted and at each renewal, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 33, 252, 253 and 255). Filing from inside Costa Rica after entering as a tourist adds a USD 200 change of category fee (Article 89). A refundable guarantee deposit is also required; the law caps it at the price of a high season ticket to the applicant's country of origin and DGME sets the amount, so no single figure is published (Article 133). CCSS affiliation is charged separately and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Temporary residence is granted for more than 90 days and up to 2 years per grant (Ley 8764, Article 79, item 3). | Renewable for equal periods of up to 2 years while the employment continues. Renewal requires proof of affiliation to the CCSS public health system held without interruption since the grant, and Article 83 requires CCSS affiliation for this subcategory at renewal (Ley 8764, Articles 80, 83 and 86). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Salary for work performed in Costa Rica is Costa Rican source income. | 3 consecutive years of temporary residence, then a change to permanent residence (Ley 8764, Article 78). Time on a special category work permit alone does not count the same way; see the notes. | 7 years of official residence for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Student stay (special category for students, researchers, teachers and volunteers) Study | No fixed amount is set in Ley 8764 or in the migration regulation. Proof of economic means for subsistence during the stay is a stated requirement for this category (DGME visa requirements and Decree 37112-GOB, Article 124), but neither text sets a figure. | Not applicable | USD 5 per year for special categories, plus USD 30 for the document evidencing legal stay (Ley 8764, Articles 33 and 253). Changing into this category from inside Costa Rica costs USD 200 (Article 96). | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve applications once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Students sit in the special categories (Ley 8764, Article 94, item 4). The law states no standard grant period for the category; DGME grants it against the study or program period. | Renewable while the studies or program continue and the category conditions still hold. Special categories are governed in detail by DGME regulation. | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources. | Special categories do not create a right to permanent residence by themselves (Ley 8764, Article 95). Students normally change to a residence category first. | Time in a special category does not count as official residence for naturalization. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Permanent residence after 3 years of temporary residence Other | None for the 3 year path. Three consecutive years of temporary residence is itself the qualification, and no new income or investment test is stated in Ley 8764, Article 78. | Not applicable | USD 50 application fee for the permanent residence request, plus USD 25 Fondo Social Migratorio payment, plus USD 30 for the DIMEX identity card and USD 30 for the legal stay document (Ley 8764, Articles 33, 252, 253 and 255). The USD 200 change of category fee in Articles 89 and 96 applies to non-residents and special categories; a temporary resident changing category inside the residence system is not charged it under the text checked. CCSS affiliation is charged separately and is not included. | DGME has a legal maximum of 3 months to resolve once the complete documentation is received at its central offices (Ley 8764, Article 200). No official average is published. | Permanent residence is indefinite (Ley 8764, Article 77). Only the DIMEX card is reissued over time. | Never renewed as a status; permanent residence has no expiry. DIMEX reissue requires proof of CCSS affiliation held without interruption since permanent residence was granted (Ley 8764, Article 78). | More than 183 days in the country during the fiscal period, counting entry and exit days, makes an individual a tax resident under Article 10 of the Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), as applied by the Tax Directorate in Resolution MH-DGT-RES-0003-2023. Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources. | This route is the grant of permanent residence itself, after 3 consecutive years of temporary residence. | 7 years of official residence in total for US passport holders (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, naturalization by residence under Law 1155). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
Route notes
Remote worker stay (Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios, Law 10008): The official name is a non-resident stay, subcategory Estancia. A medical services policy covering the applicant and any included family members for the whole stay is required (Law 10008, Article 10); the law leaves the minimum coverage to DGME regulation, and no official coverage amount was confirmed for this page, so the widely repeated USD 50,000 figure is not stated as fact here. Work for Costa Rican employers or clients is not allowed (Article 14). Holders may open accounts in Costa Rican banks (Article 20), and DGME runs a criminal and police record security review before granting (Article 11 bis).
Pensionado (temporary residence for pensioners): Applications are filed at a Costa Rican consulate abroad or at DGME in Costa Rica (Ley 8764, Article 84). Pensionado status does not by itself authorize work for a Costa Rican employer; temporary residents may only perform the paid activities DGME authorizes (Article 80). Law 9996 (2021) added incentives for this category, including a one time duty free import of household goods and up to two vehicles and a 20 percent relief on the property transfer tax, but its Article 5 benefits could only be claimed during the first five years from the law taking effect in July 2021, so confirm with DGME and the Tax Directorate what still applies before relying on an incentive.
Rentista (temporary residence on guaranteed income): Applications are filed at a Costa Rican consulate abroad or at DGME in Costa Rica (Ley 8764, Article 84). Rentista status does not by itself authorize work for a Costa Rican employer; temporary residents may only perform the paid activities DGME authorizes (Article 80). Law 9996 (2021) added incentives for this category, but its Article 5 benefits could only be claimed during the first five years from the law taking effect in July 2021, so confirm with DGME and the Tax Directorate what still applies before relying on an incentive.
Inversionista (temporary residence for investors): Law 9996 (2021) set the USD 150,000 floor, down from USD 200,000, in its Article 8, which ties the figure to the period the law establishes; its Article 5 incentive package could only be claimed during the first five years from the law taking effect in July 2021. Because that window closed in 2026, confirm the threshold DGME applies to new filings before committing capital. Applications are filed at a Costa Rican consulate abroad or at DGME in Costa Rica (Ley 8764, Article 84), and DGME runs a dedicated service window for these categories under Law 9996, Article 9. The category is tested on the investment amount, not on the holder's income.
Spouse of a Costa Rican citizen (temporary residence by family link): This is the family link (vinculo) route for spouses. Spouses do not get permanent residence directly; parents of Costa Rican children and certain other first degree relatives of Costa Rican citizens do (Ley 8764, Article 78, item 2). The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones also runs a naturalization by marriage track; its terms were not part of this verification pass.
Work through a Costa Rican employer (executives, managers and technical staff): This subcategory covers executives, representatives, managers and technical staff of companies established in Costa Rica, plus specialized employees the company requires. Most other employees do not use it: they need a special category work permit (Ley 8764, Article 94, item 3), which is employer driven and takes the Labor Ministry's recommendation into account. Temporary residents may only perform the paid activities DGME authorizes (Article 80).
Student stay (special category for students, researchers, teachers and volunteers): Paid work is not part of this category and requires separate DGME authorization. An acceptance or enrollment proof from the Costa Rican institution is the core document; DGME requires proof of economic means for subsistence, and no official text sets an amount for it.
Permanent residence after 3 years of temporary residence: The temporary resident's spouse and first degree relatives who held temporary residence for the same 3 years can change with them (Article 78, item 1). Parents of Costa Rican citizens, minor children of Costa Rican citizens, and children or siblings with a disability qualify for permanent residence directly, without the 3 years (Article 78, item 2).