Visa
Digital nomad visa in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's digital nomad visa (a remote worker stay) is for foreigners paid from outside the country, employed or self-employed. The income test is about US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month (the higher figure with family); to be safe, have more than US$3,100, or US$4,100 with family. It lasts up to a year, renewable once.
- Official names
- Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios (remote worker and service provider stay), Law 10008 (Ley para atraer trabajadores y prestadores remotos de servicios de carácter internacional); Digital nomad stay (DGME: Nómadas Digitales)
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Procuraduría General de la República. Checked 16 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- The stay is for a foreign person who sells remote services by computer or telecommunications to a person or company outside Costa Rica, as an employee or self-employed. Family can apply as dependants: a spouse or de facto partner, children under 25 or older children with a disability, and older adults who live with the holder.
- DGME describes the status as paid remote services for a person or company based abroad, with payment coming from abroad. It describes no permission to work for an employer inside Costa Rica, so ask DGME before taking any local work.
- Approval depends on a security review: DGME checks criminal and police records in the national and international databases it can reach, and may ask for biometric checks.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Money tests
- The income test is a payment from abroad of about US$3,000 a month over the last year, shown with bank statements. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month.
- If you apply for family members, the test rises to about US$4,000 a month. To be safe, have more than US$4,100 a month. The law's income rule for a family group lets incomes be combined.
- Dollar figures are converted at the Banco Central de Costa Rica's official selling rate (CRC 455.60 per dollar on 10 October 2026), so a move in the rate changes what you need in your own currency. The same income evidence is asked again at renewal.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Procuraduría General de la República, Banco Central de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Documents
- You file the signed application form and the informed-consent form, and a copy of your passport's photo page (plus the page with your entry stamp if you are already in Costa Rica). Dependants add proof of the link, such as a marriage certificate issued within the last six months or a birth certificate for a child.
- Bank statements for the last year come with a sworn statement that you got them from your bank. An accountant's or notary's certificate can replace them, and only that certificate needs an apostille or consular legalisation. Anything not in Spanish needs an official translation. Since Law 10208 (22 April 2022), beyond the items in articles 10 and 11 of Law 10008, applicants face only the requirements that apply to tourists.
- You need a medical insurance policy covering you for the whole authorised stay, with at least US$50,000 of cover for illness in Costa Rica, from an insurer registered in Costa Rica or an international policy. Each family member needs their own.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Timing
- DGME's archived page says digital filing is disabled until further notice. In person, you book an appointment in its web portal under 'Estancia Nómadas Digitales' and file at the La Uruca headquarters or a regional office. A law firm's guide updated in August 2026 says you can also file online through Trámite Ya, so confirm the method with DGME.
- DGME has 15 calendar days from filing to decide in writing. Within 5 calendar days it can send one written notice listing missing items; you then have eight working days to fix them, the 15-day count resumes, and a missed deadline ends in a refusal.
- After approval you have three months to get your DIMEX identity card, or DGME starts cancelling the status; its page gives no processing time for the card. US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens need no entry visa, so you can apply from inside Costa Rica while on a visitor stay.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Fees
- The application fee is US$100 per person, paid by bank transfer or deposit to Banco de Costa Rica for the Ministry of Finance. It must arrive in full after bank charges, and the receiving bank charges US$15, so each applicant makes a separate transfer in their own name.
- Once approved, the fee for the DIMEX document request is US$90, plus the fee amount stated in the approval resolution. A one-off guarantee payment set by Decree 36539-G is also due; its amount is not on the page (unknown). Renewal asks for the US$90 fee and the resolution amount again.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- The stay is granted for up to one year and can be renewed for one further year. Law 10208 interprets article 15 of Law 10008 so that applicants may ask for a period shorter than one year.
- To renew you must show at least 180 days spent in Costa Rica in the first year. Renewal is in person, with updated income evidence, insurance for the new period and the DIMEX fees. While the status lasts, your foreign driving licence is valid for driving there, and basic work equipment can be imported free of import taxes within customs' proportionality limits.
Sources: Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (pgrweb.go.cr), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 17 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- Under the migration law, 'estancia' is a non-resident category, and permanent residence comes after three consecutive years as a temporary resident (article 78); we found no source that counts time on this stay toward those three years.
- Non-residents can change category while in the country (the change-of-category fee is US$200), so you could apply for a residence category such as pensionado, rentista or investor if you meet its tests; that is a new application. DGME says a temporary resident who renews for three consecutive years can apply for permanent residence.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Tax
- Holders get a total exemption from the profits tax: they are not treated as habitual tax residents and income paid from abroad is not Costa Rican-source (article 16 of Law 10008). The exemption does not extend to family members.
- Outside the stay's exemption, Costa Rica treats you as domiciled for income tax if you spend more than 183 days in the fiscal period, counting arrival and departure days; a trip abroad of up to 30 continuous calendar days still counts unless you prove tax residence elsewhere.
Sources: Procuraduría General de la República. Checked 15 October 2026.
Your passport
If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport
What differs for each passport, from the same sources. A line that says there is no difference means the sources we read name none.
United States passport
- As a US citizen you need no entry visa; the officer sets a visitor stay of up to 180 days. This stay lists no criminal record certificate from you, so no FBI check is needed to apply (DGME runs its own checks), though residence categories do ask for one. An accountant's or notary's certificate needs an apostille: the State Department apostilles documents signed by federal officials, and states certify their own.
- Costa Rica's exemption does not change US rules: US citizens abroad generally file a US return on worldwide income, the 2026 foreign earned income exclusion is up to $132,900 with 330 full days abroad in 12 months, and foreign accounts over $10,000 in total go on an FBAR. There is no US-Costa Rica income tax treaty or social security agreement on the lists we read.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, US Department of State, Internal Revenue Service, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), US Social Security Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Canada passport
- As a Canadian citizen you need no entry visa; the officer sets a visitor stay of up to 180 days, and Canada's government warns that overstaying can bring a re-entry ban of 5 to 10 years. No RCMP criminal record check is on DGME's list for this stay. An accountant's or notary's certificate needs an apostille: Global Affairs Canada (no fee) handles federal documents, and Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan their own.
- Canada looks at residential ties, not days, so a year in Costa Rica does not by itself end Canadian tax residence. Canada has a tax information exchange agreement with Costa Rica (in force 14 August 2012), but no tax treaty and no social security agreement.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Global Affairs Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 16 October 2026.
Australia passport
- Under DGME's guidelines an Australian citizen needs no entry visa for up to 180 days, but Smartraveller's archived page says under 90 days, so ask the officer to confirm. No National Police Certificate is on DGME's list for this stay. For an accountant's or notary's certificate, DFAT apostilles original documents or copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public for A$105 per document; it publishes no processing time.
- The ATO decides Australian tax residency from your circumstances, not a day count alone. Australia has a tax information exchange agreement with Costa Rica (in force 4 February 2013), but no tax treaty or social security agreement on the lists we read.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), DFAT (Smartraveller), Australian Taxation Office, Australian Treasury, Department of Social Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- As a New Zealand citizen you need no entry visa (up to 180 days), and the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau are treated the same. DGME lists no record certificate from you for this stay. For an accountant's or notary's certificate, the Department of Internal Affairs lists Costa Rica as an apostille country and charges NZ$37 per certificate (15 working days; urgent service adds about NZ$100 and takes 5 working days). To be safe, have more than NZ$200.
- New Zealand has no tax treaty or social security agreement with Costa Rica on the lists we read, and Inland Revenue's own tests decide whether you remain a New Zealand tax resident.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 16 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Costa Rica.
The country
More on Costa Rica.
Questions about Digital nomad visa in Costa Rica.
How much income does Costa Rica's digital nomad visa ask for?
The test is pay from outside Costa Rica of about US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month over the last year. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month, or more than US$4,100 with family members. Bank statements with a sworn statement, or an accountant's or notary's certificate, show it.
Can I work for a Costa Rican company on Costa Rica's digital nomad visa?
No. The stay is for work paid from outside the country, and the law says holders cannot take paid work or services in Costa Rica. Breaking that can cancel the status and make the exempted taxes payable.
What insurance does Costa Rica's remote worker stay require?
A medical policy covering the whole authorised stay with at least US$50,000 of cover for illness in Costa Rica, from an insurer registered there or an international policy. Each family member needs their own policy.
What are the government fees for Costa Rica's digital nomad stay?
The application fee is US$100 per person, and it must arrive in full after bank charges (the receiving bank charges US$15). After approval the DIMEX request costs US$90, plus the amount in the approval resolution and a guarantee deposit.
Does Costa Rica's digital nomad stay count toward permanent residence?
We found no source that counts it. Permanent residence comes after three consecutive years as a temporary resident, and the stay is a non-resident category. You can apply to change category in the country (the fee is US$200), if you meet that category's tests.
Are digital nomads in Costa Rica exempt from income tax?
Holders are exempt from Costa Rican profits tax and are not treated as tax resident; income from abroad is not Costa Rican-source (article 16 of Law 10008). The exemption does not extend to family members. Your home country's rules still apply.
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, published in La Gaceta (Alcance 148, 17 November 2025); Internet Archive copy. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 29 August 2025, opened on 16 October 2026; DGME's live site was not compared. The page says digital filing is disabled until further notice and applications are made in person by appointment.
- Regularización migratoria: general requirements and residence categories, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 20 June 2026, opened on 16 October 2026; DGME's live site was not compared.
- Preparing a document for an apostille certificate, US Department of State, Office of Authentications, Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 15 June 2026 (page updated 13 December 2024), opened on 16 October 2026.
- US citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Foreign earned income exclusion: physical presence test, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Checked 10 October 2026.
- United States income tax treaties, A to Z, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- US international Social Security agreements, US Social Security Administration. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Costa Rica travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 10 October 2026.
- Criminal record checks: where to go, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Checked 10 October 2026. Certified (fingerprint-based) criminal record checks from inside and outside Canada; no date shown.
- Authentication of documents: frequently asked questions, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 10 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: the Apostille Convention took effect in Canada on 11 January 2024; no fee charged.
- Authentication of documents: requirements, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 10 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: which documents go to Global Affairs Canada and which to Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan.
- Determining your residency status, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Tax treaties in force, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Entry into force of the tax information exchange agreement between Canada and Costa Rica, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Social security agreements, Government of Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Costa Rica travel advice and advisories (Smartraveller, archived copy), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Notarial services and fees (fee schedule from 1 January 2026), Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 October 2026 (updated 30 September 2026): apostille A$105 per document; payment in Australia by card only.
- Documents we can legalise, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 June 2026 (updated 4 March 2026): includes birth certificates and National Police Checks; originals, or copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public.
- Notarial services (legalising documents) in Australia: how to request, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 12 March 2026 (updated 4 March 2026): by mail or by appointment at an Australian Passport Office. No processing time is published; it says times vary and rise at peak periods.
- Australian resident for tax purposes, Australian Taxation Office (Internet Archive copy). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Income tax treaties in force, Australian Treasury. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Tax information exchange agreements, Australian Treasury. Checked 11 October 2026.
- International social security agreements, Australian Government, Department of Social Services (Internet Archive copy). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Use your NZ documents overseas: country list, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs. Checked 11 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026; Costa Rica is listed as 'Apostille'.
- Getting an apostille in New Zealand, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit. Checked 11 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026: NZ$37 per certificate, 15 working days, urgent service NZ$120 extra and 5 working days, form BDM460, a New Zealand notary public where notarisation is needed. It does not say whether police or criminal record certificates need an apostille.
- Tax residency status for individuals, Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Tax treaties: double tax agreements and tax information exchange agreements, Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Social security agreements, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Law 10008: attracting international remote workers and service providers (digital nomads), Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Reference selling rate of the US dollar, 8 to 10 October 2026, Banco Central de Costa Rica. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Digital nomads: live and work in Costa Rica, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), visitcostarica.com. Checked 17 October 2026. Says the programme extends a 90-day tourist visa to a year, renewable for one more year.
- Ley 10208: authentic interpretation of article 15 of Ley 10008, Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (pgrweb.go.cr). Checked 17 October 2026. Article 1: applicants may ask for and get a visa for a period shorter than one year; says nothing on extension.
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764 (articles 73, 77 to 82, 85 to 89 and 251 to 256), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (copy published by ICODER). Checked 16 October 2026. Copy with SINALEVI annotations opened on 16 October 2026; later amendments not checked beyond those the copy shows (the latest is Law 10493 of 5 June 2024).
- Law 10008: attracting international remote workers and service providers (digital nomads), Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), article 10: who counts as domiciled, Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.