Issue · September 2026 · everything a nomad needs, city by city

Nomadzine

The visa · Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has an express remote-worker category under Law 10008, the Estancia for Trabajador o Prestador Remoto de Servicios, which gives one year plus one renewal on USD 3,000 a month with an income-tax exemption on foreign earnings. Longer-term options are the rentista, pensionado and inversionista temporary residences under the general immigration law, which lead to permanent residence. The one thing to know is that the DGME's own page could not be opened for this research, so the renewal presence rule and government fees below are as reported by law firms and applicants, and two of them are disputed between sources.

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The routes

Researched 6 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice

  1. Nomad visa

    Digital Nomad Stay (Trabajador Remoto)

    Estancia para Trabajador o Prestador Remoto de Servicios (categoría No Residente) — Remote Worker or Service Provider Stay, under Ley 10008 and Decreto Ejecutivo 43619-H-MGP-TUR

    Employees or freelancers paid from outside Costa Rica who want a lawful base of up to two years without joining the social-security system.

    Income floor
    USD 3,000 a month for a single applicant, USD 4,000 a month for a family group, shown through bank statements or certifications for the preceding months; one law-firm summary of the original bill cites USD 5,000 for families, so the family figure is disputed between sources.
    Duration
    12 months, renewable once for a further 12 months; the presence needed before renewal is reported as 180 days by law-firm summaries and as 80 days by applicant guides, so treat it as disputed.
    Cost
    Reported by applicant guides as USD 100 per applicant on filing plus about USD 90 for the stay document and social-immigration fund on renewal; not verified against the DGME page.
    Processing
    The regulation sets 15 calendar days to resolve a complete application, with a 5-working-day admissibility check; applicants report 2 to 8 weeks in 2026, and one Spanish-language guide says 1 to 3 months.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality; income must come from employment or clients established outside Costa Rica; a medical policy covering the applicant and any family for the whole stay; passport valid; the equipment and tax exemptions attach only while the status is held.
    Work rights
    Remote work for foreign companies or clients only; employment with or services to Costa Rican enterprises is expressly excluded.
    Dependants
    Spouse and children may be included; the household must show USD 4,000 a month.
    Leads to
    No; it is a non-resident stay and reported guides say it does not count toward permanent residence.
    Apply
    Online through the DGME's Trámite Ya digital window, from inside Costa Rica or from abroad.

    Documents Passport · Proof of USD 3,000 or 4,000 monthly income for the prior period (bank statements or certifications) · Medical insurance policy covering the full stay, including dependants · Employer letter, contracts or invoices proving remote work for foreign payers · Application form (DGME forms updated 29 May 2026) · Proof of fee payment · Apostilled criminal-record certificate is cited by Spanish-language guides but was not verified on the official page

    Official page →

  2. Long stay

    Rentista temporary residence

    Residencia temporal como Rentista — Temporary Residence for Persons of Independent Means

    Remote workers with capital or passive income who want a residence that renews and leads to permanent status, accepting that salaried remote pay does not qualify as the proof.

    Income floor
    USD 2,500 a month of stable income for at least two years, or a USD 60,000 deposit in a Costa Rican bank released at USD 2,500 a month; the income must be unearned (investments, dividends, rent, annuities), not wages.
    Duration
    2 years, renewable; permanent residence can be requested after three years as a temporary resident.
    Cost
    USD 50 filing, USD 100 on approval, USD 30 per certified document, USD 123 for the adult DIMEX card (USD 103 for minors) plus a small Banco de Costa Rica service fee, as reported by relocation firms in May 2026; a change-of-status fee applies when filing from inside the country as a tourist.
    Processing
    Reported 6 to 10 months in 2026.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality; apostilled birth and police certificates; fingerprint registration; compulsory enrolment in the Caja (CCSS) health system once approved.
    Work rights
    No local employment; may own a business and receive its income; remote work for foreign payers is not addressed in the category's published terms.
    Dependants
    Spouse and dependent children can be included in the same file.
    Leads to
    Permanent residence after three years of temporary residence; citizenship by naturalisation is reported as possible after seven years of residence.
    Apply
    DGME in San José, or at a Costa Rican consulate abroad, with DIMEX cards now issued at designated Banco de Costa Rica points.

    Documents Passport · Apostilled birth certificate · Apostilled police-record certificate · Proof of USD 2,500 monthly income or USD 60,000 bank deposit · Fingerprint registration with the Ministry of Public Security · Consular registration and application form

    Official page →

  3. Long stay

    Pensionado temporary residence

    Residencia temporal como Pensionado — Temporary Residence for Pensioners

    Nomads with a lifetime pension who want a low-threshold residence; younger remote workers rarely qualify.

    Income floor
    USD 1,000 a month of permanent pension income from a public or private pension or social-security scheme.
    Duration
    2 years, renewable; permanent residence after three years.
    Cost
    Same DGME fee schedule as rentista: USD 50 filing, USD 100 on approval, USD 123 DIMEX card, per-document certification fees.
    Processing
    Reported 6 to 12 months in 2026.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality; proof the pension is for life; Caja enrolment on approval.
    Work rights
    No local employment; business ownership permitted.
    Dependants
    Spouse and dependent children may be included.
    Leads to
    Permanent residence after three years; citizenship reported after seven.
    Apply
    DGME in-country or a consulate abroad.

    Documents Passport · Apostilled pension certification · Apostilled birth certificate · Apostilled police-record certificate · Fingerprint registration

    Official page →

  4. Investor

    Inversionista (investor) residence

    Residencia temporal como Inversionista — Temporary Residence for Investors, threshold set by Ley 9996

    Remote workers who buy a home in Costa Rica and want that purchase to carry their residence.

    Income floor
    USD 150,000 invested in property, a business or an approved project (reduced from USD 200,000 by Law 9996); USD 100,000 for qualifying forestry projects.
    Duration
    2 years, renewable while the investment is held; permanent residence after three years.
    Cost
    Same DGME fee schedule: USD 50 filing, USD 100 approval, USD 123 DIMEX card, certification fees.
    Processing
    Reported 4 to 8 months in 2026.
    Eligibility
    Any nationality; the investment must be registered and maintained; Caja enrolment on approval.
    Work rights
    May work only within the invested business; no other local employment.
    Dependants
    Spouse and dependent children may be included.
    Leads to
    Permanent residence after three years; citizenship reported after seven.
    Apply
    DGME in-country or a consulate abroad.

    Documents Passport · Proof of the USD 150,000 investment (title deed or company records) · Apostilled birth certificate · Apostilled police-record certificate · Fingerprint registration

    Official page →

  5. Temporary stay

    Tourist entry (Group 1, 180 days)

    Ingreso como turista, Grupo 1 de las Directrices Generales de Visas — Tourist entry, visa Group 1

    Short-stay remote workers from Group 1 passports who leave before their stamp runs out.

    Income floor
    None fixed for entry; guides report immigration may ask for about USD 100 per month of intended stay.
    Duration
    Up to 180 days, not extendable; if the officer grants fewer than 90 days, one extension of up to 90 days may be requested.
    Cost
    No entry fee.
    Processing
    On arrival; the officer sets the number of days.
    Eligibility
    Group 1 nationals; passport valid on the day of entry; onward or return ticket within the permitted period; yellow-fever certificate if arriving from a risk country.
    Work rights
    Tourist status does not authorise work; law firms describe working on it as unlawful, and no published tolerance for remote work exists.
    Dependants
    Each traveller is admitted individually.
    Leads to
    No; but a change of status to a residence category can be filed from inside the country.
    Apply
    At the border; extensions at DGME.

    Documents Passport · Onward or return ticket · Yellow-fever certificate where applicable

    Official page →

Without a visa, by passport

The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated

  • EU / EEAGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-free, not extendableRemote work on a tourist stamp is not authorised in published rules; law firms call it unlawful, applicant guides describe it as widely practised and unpoliced.
  • United KingdomGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeSame position: tourist status does not authorise work; grey in practice.
  • United StatesGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freePerpetual-tourist border runs are common; immigration retains discretion to grant fewer days or refuse entry to those seen as living in the country.
  • CanadaGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeAs above; no published tolerance for remote work.
  • AustraliaGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeAs above.
  • JapanGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeAs above.
  • BrazilGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-free; yellow-fever certificate requiredAs above.
  • South AfricaGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeAs above.
  • IndiaConsular visa required (30 days, extendable to 90); entry allowed without a Costa Rican visa when holding a valid multiple-entry US or Canadian visa or residence, or a Schengen visa with at least 90 days leftWork is not authorised on a tourist visa.
  • TurkeyVisa-free, but the stay length is disputed: one 2026 guide lists 30 daysWork not authorised on a tourist stay.
  • Argentina / Mexico / ChileGroup 1: up to 180 days, visa-freeAs above.
  • China / ColombiaConsular visa required, 30 days extendable to 90, with the same US/Canada/Schengen visa exemptionWork not authorised on a tourist visa.

Tax

When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer

Residency trigger
An individual is tax resident after more than 183 days in Costa Rica, continuous or not, within the same fiscal period, counting days of arrival and departure; sporadic absences count as presence unless a tax-residence certificate from another country is produced; spouses are assessed separately. Costa Rica taxes on a territorial basis, so foreign-source income is generally outside the net regardless of residence.
Special regime
Holders of the remote-worker stay under Law 10008 are by regulation not treated as tax residents and are exempt from income tax on their foreign-source earnings, plus import duties on a laptop, phone, tablet, camera and one audio device, for as long as the status is held (in force since the regulation of 8 July 2022).
Social security
Temporary residents (rentista, pensionado, inversionista) must enrol in the Caja (CCSS), with contributions reported at roughly 7 to 11 percent of declared income, typically USD 60 to 300 a month; digital-nomad stay holders are exempt from enrolment and instead carry private insurance for the whole stay. Certificate-of-coverage rules for remote employees were not found in the sources opened.
Treaties
Costa Rica's treaty network is small and was not listed in the pages opened; PwC records that no foreign tax credit is allowed to individuals. In practice a remote employee or contractor paid from abroad relies on territoriality rather than a treaty, and must check home-country rules on continued residence.

Practicalities

Bank account
Law 10008 lets remote-worker stay holders open savings accounts in the national banking system; residence applicants usually wait for the DIMEX card.
Residence card (DIMEX)
Since Resolution DJUR-0045-02-2026 (March 2026), designated Banco de Costa Rica points issue physical DIMEX cards the same day, clearing a reported four-month backlog.
Health insurance
Remote-worker stay: a private medical policy covering the whole stay for the applicant and family. Temporary residents: compulsory Caja enrolment, priced on declared income.
Driving licence
A valid foreign licence is recognised for the duration of the remote-worker stay; tourists drive on their home licence for the days granted.
Overstay penalties
USD 100 for each month or part of a month overstayed, assessed on exit, or an entry ban of three times the overstay; a March 2025 bill (file 24.854) would raise the fine to USD 300 a month and bar re-entry for 90 days after a maximum stay, but it had not passed as of the sources opened.
Entry funds and ticket
Airlines may deny boarding without an onward ticket inside the permitted stay; guides report an expectation of about USD 100 per month of stay.

Costa Rica: a two-year remote-worker stay, 180-day tourist entries, and territorial tax

Where nomads base and why

Costa Rica's appeal for remote workers rests on three published features: a dedicated stay of up to two years with no local income tax on foreign pay, a 180-day tourist entry for Group 1 passports, and a territorial income-tax system that leaves foreign-source income alone even for tax residents.

The remote-worker stay is deliberately outside the residence track. It does not require Caja enrolment and does not count toward permanent residence, so people intending to settle use rentista or inversionista residence instead and accept the six-to-ten-month wait.

What applicants report about the process

The regulation sets a 15-calendar-day decision window after a complete filing, and 2026 guides report two to eight weeks in practice. The recurring problems are apostilles for foreign bank certifications and the definition of a complete file on the Trámite Ya portal rather than refusals on income.

Two numbers differ between sources. The presence required before the second year is given as 180 days by law-firm summaries and as 80 days by applicant guides, and the family income floor appears as USD 4,000 in most sources but USD 5,000 in one summary of the original bill. The DGME page itself could not be opened for this research, so both remain flagged as disputed.

For residence categories, the March 2026 DIMEX change is the most concrete recent improvement: cards that previously took months to print are now issued at Banco de Costa Rica points on the day.

Banking and daily money

Law 10008 expressly permits remote-worker stay holders to open savings accounts in the national banking system, which is the main practical advantage over staying as a tourist. Residence applicants generally wait for the DIMEX card before banks will open an account.

Rentista applicants who use the USD 60,000 deposit route hold the money in a Costa Rican bank and draw USD 2,500 a month, which doubles as an account-opening path.

Tourist stays and the grey area

The November 2025 directives set Group 1 at 180 days without extension, while a grant of fewer than 90 days can be topped up once. Officers set the number of days at the border and guides warn that repeat entries can draw shorter stamps or refusal.

No published rule tolerates remote work on tourist status; law firms call it unlawful and applicant guides describe it as common and unpoliced. The overstay fine is USD 100 a month or a ban of three times the overstay, with a bill pending to raise it.

Researched from migracion.go.cr · migracion.go.cr · ticotimes.net · nacion.com · ey.com · ghp.cr · central-law.com · crtramites.com · investingcostarica.com · visitcostarica.es · the authority