5 Ways to obtain Costa Rican Residency
1. Pensionado
Requires proof of US $1,000 per month income from permanent
pension source o r retirement fund.
Must visit Costa Rica at least once a year.
Can claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
Cannot work as an employee.
Can own a company and receive dividends.
2. Rentista Residency in Costa Rica
Requires proof of US $2,500 per month income for at least
two years, guar
anteed by a banking institution, OR a US $60,000 deposit in an
approved Costa Rican bank. One amount covers the family.
Must visit Costa Rica at least once a year.
Can claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
Cannot work as an employee.
Can own a company and receive dividends.
3. Investor
Investment of US $200,000 in a business or property.
Must visit Costa Rica at least once a year.
Can claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
Income allowed from the project.
Can own a company and receive dividends.
4. Representante Residency Program – Costa Rica
Applicant must be director of a company meeting certain
requirements, such as employing a minimum number of local workers as
established by the labor law, with financial statements certified by a Public
Accountant.
Must visit Costa Rica at least once a year.
Can claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
Can earn an income from the company.
Can own a company and receive income.
5. Permanent Residency Costa Rica
First-degree relative status with a Costa Rican Citizen
(through marriage to citizen or having a Costa
Rican child) OR may apply after three years in another status.
Must visit Costa Rica at least once a year.
Can claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
Can work.
Can own a company and receive income.
NOTE: Costa Rica has passed the Law with new incentives to
Attract Investors, Rentistas and Pensionados.
However, it has not gone into effect yet.
Here are the benefits:
Import duty exemption on the import of your household items.
Import of up to two vehicles for land transportation, air or
sea. The original version of the law provided for
the duty-free import of one automobile. The legislators expanded this exemption to now include two of them
and they can be an automobile, boat, plane or helicopter. The regulations that will follow will provide more details of how this will work in practice.
The income that you report as the basis for the application
will be exempt from any Costa Rican income taxes. At the moment Costa Rica only
applies territorial taxation so most foreign income is exempt anyway but thisprovides the added protection that should that change those that retired will protected from any tax on that income.
Exemption of 20% of the total real estate transfer tax when you purchase real estate.
For the category of investors, this law has reduced the required investment from US$200,000 to $150,000. This means that to apply for Investor
Residency you can invest in any of the methods authorized by the law with a
minimum of $150,000 and you
