Visa
Retirement visa in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's retirement route is temporary residence as a pensionado (a lifelong pension from abroad) or a rentista (stable income). The tests run from about US$1,000 a month (pension) to about US$2,500 (rentista); to be safe, have more than US$1,100 or US$2,600 a month. It lasts up to two years, renewable.
- Official names
- Residencia temporal, subcategoría pensionado (Law 8764 articles 79 and 81); Residencia temporal, subcategoría rentista (Law 8764 articles 79 and 82); Residente pensionado / residente rentista (Law 9996 and Decree 43926-MGP-H-TUR, article 15)
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- A pensionado is a foreigner who shows a lifelong monthly pension from abroad. A rentista shows stable, permanent monthly income from abroad or from Costa Rica's national banking system. Either can include a spouse and children under 25, or older children with a disability, as dependants.
- Both are temporary residence subcategories, not visitor stays. Temporary residents may do paid work, as employees or on their own account, only where DGME authorises it, taking the labour ministry's recommendation into account.
- The tests are written for pensions and passive income: one adviser says the rentista category does not accept a salary as the income, though business income can count. Check with DGME whether freelance fees or a salary would qualify.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Money tests
- The pensionado test is a lifelong pension from abroad of about US$1,000 a month, certified by the competent authority and, if issued abroad, legalised or apostilled. To be safe, have more than US$1,100 a month.
- The rentista test is stable, permanent income of about US$2,500 a month for at least two years, shown by a document from the competent authority, apostilled if it comes from abroad. To be safe, have more than US$2,600 a month. One adviser describes a bank-deposit route of about US$60,000; to be safe, have more than US$61,000. DGME's page confirms only that a rentista who made a deposit in a state bank can ask for its release later.
- Dollar tests are converted at the Banco Central de Costa Rica's selling rate, and the same amount lets you apply for your spouse and children under 25 (or older children with a disability) too.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Documents
- Every applicant files a signed request, two recent passport photos, passport page copies, a fingerprint receipt and proof of registration with their consulate. The birth certificate must be apostilled, with a translation by an official Costa Rican translator or a notary.
- A criminal record certificate from your country of origin, or the country where you lived legally for the last three years, must be apostilled, and you must show you were legal there with a certified copy of your migration document.
- Dependants add proof of the link: a marriage certificate that is apostilled or legalised, a birth certificate for children, and a medical opinion for a disabled adult child. Dependants of a pensionado or rentista file the same general items as the holder.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Timing
- Under the law you apply through Costa Rican consular officials abroad or at DGME's offices in Costa Rica. People on a visitor stay who change to a residence category in the country pay a US$200 fee at filing. DGME's page names a digital file on Trámite Ya as an option, but gives no processing time for these applications, so it is unknown.
- US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens need no entry visa, so they can enter on a visitor stay of up to 180 days and apply from inside the country if they choose.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Fees
- The first-time residence application costs US$50 for each person, and DGME will not process it without proof of payment.
- Article 252 of the law sets a fee of US$30 for the residence card and article 253 a fee of US$30 for the document that proves legal residence. The regulation to Law 9996 lists an annual fee of US$25 for the Social Migration Fund among the payments for the investor category; we did not see it listed for pensionados or rentistas.
- Opening a digital file on DGME's Trámite Ya platform costs a one-off US$11. CCSS health-insurance contributions are a separate cost, and we found no rate for pensionados or rentistas.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- Temporary residence is granted for up to two years and can be renewed for equal periods (article 79). To renew you must still meet the conditions and show continuous enrolment in the CCSS insurance since the residence was granted.
- A temporary resident can switch subcategory, for example from rentista to another residence category, if the new category's requirements are met.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- After three consecutive years of temporary residence, with renewals, you can apply for permanent residence, as can your spouse and first-degree relatives who also held temporary residence for those three years. The fee is US$50.
- A rentista who deposited the monthly income in a state bank must ask for its release when changing to permanent residence. Permanent residents may do any paid work or intellectual activity.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Tax
- Under the regulation to Law 9996, pensionados and rentistas are not treated as tax residents automatically; they become tax residents only if they meet the Income Tax Law's domicile rules, such as more than 183 days in the fiscal period, counting arrival and departure days.
- Law 9996's tax incentives (a one-off import exemption for household goods, up to two vehicles and up to 20% off the property transfer tax) could be claimed only in the first five years after the law took effect. That window closed in July 2026 and a law firm found no general extension; goods already exempted must be kept for 10 years.
- Costa Rica taxes income generated in its territory, whatever the residence of those involved. Its law taxes foreign passive income only when received by a multinational group entity without enough substance; two 2026 bills would reach individuals and neither is law.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Procuraduría General de la República. Checked 16 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
- For US applicants DGME wants a criminal record certificate that covers the whole country by name, ID number and fingerprints (so a federal check, not only a state one), plus a local certificate if the federal one shows pending arrests; the State Department apostilles documents signed by federal officials and states certify their own documents.
- US citizens abroad generally file on worldwide income, so a US pension stays on your US return whatever Costa Rica does; 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 (DGME), US Department of State, Internal Revenue Service, US Social Security Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Canada passport
- For Canadian applicants DGME wants a criminal record certificate covering the whole country by name, ID number and fingerprints; the RCMP's fingerprint-based certified check is the route, from a local police service or an accredited company. Global Affairs Canada apostilles federal documents for free, and five provinces apostille their own.
- Canada has no tax treaty or social security agreement with Costa Rica on the lists we read, only a tax information exchange agreement (in force 14 August 2012), and Canadian tax residence turns on residential ties.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Global Affairs Canada, Department of Finance Canada, Government of Canada, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 16 October 2026.
Australia passport
- For Australian applicants the National Police Certificate costs A$57 online or A$114 with fingerprints (15 to 30 business days by post), and DFAT apostilles originals or copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public for A$105 per document, including birth certificates.
- 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; the ATO assesses Australian tax residency from your circumstances.
Sources: Australian Federal Police (AFP), DFAT (Smartraveller), Australian Treasury, Department of Social Services, Australian Taxation Office. Checked 11 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- For New Zealand applicants, Costa Rica is an apostille country: the Department of Internal Affairs charges NZ$37 per certificate (15 working days, or NZ$120 extra for 5), the Ministry of Justice criminal record check aims at 20 working days, and its page does not say whether that check needs an apostille.
- New Zealand has no tax treaty or social security agreement with Costa Rica on the lists we read, and Inland Revenue's tests decide New Zealand tax residence.
Sources: New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Ministry of Justice (New Zealand), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Costa Rica.
The country
More on Costa Rica.
Questions about Retirement visa in Costa Rica.
How much pension does Costa Rica's pensionado residence ask for?
A lifelong monthly pension from abroad of about US$1,000, certified by the competent authority and apostilled if issued abroad. To be safe, have more than US$1,100 a month. The same amount lets you include a spouse and children under 25.
How much income does Costa Rica's rentista residence require?
Stable, permanent income of about US$2,500 a month for at least two years, shown by a document from the competent authority. To be safe, have more than US$2,600 a month. Salaried work may not qualify, so check with DGME.
Can I work in Costa Rica as a pensionado or rentista?
Only where DGME authorises it. Temporary residents may do paid work, employed or self-employed, only with that authorisation, which takes the labour ministry's recommendation into account. Permanent residents may do any paid work.
How long does Costa Rica's retirement residence last, and can it become permanent?
Up to two years, renewable for equal periods while you meet the conditions and stay enrolled in the CCSS. After three consecutive years of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence; the fee is US$50.
Must pensionados and rentistas in Costa Rica join the CCSS health insurance?
To renew, yes: the migration law asks temporary residents to show CCSS enrolment, continuous since the residence was granted. We found no contribution rate for pensionados or rentistas, so the cost is unknown.
What does Costa Rica's retirement residence need from US and Canadian applicants?
A criminal record certificate that covers the whole country by name, ID number and fingerprints, apostilled, plus a local certificate if the federal one shows pending arrests. An apostilled birth certificate and an apostilled pension certificate are also needed.
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Determining your residency status, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Apply for a National Police Certificate, Australian Federal Police (AFP). Checked 11 October 2026. No date shown. A$57 online (digital certificate); A$114 with fingerprints, which must be posted and take 15 to 30 business days.
- 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.
- 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.
- Australian resident for tax purposes, Australian Taxation Office (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.
- Criminal records: request your own Criminal Record Check, Ministry of Justice (New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026. No update date shown. Online request; the Ministry aims to respond within 20 working days and says about 90% are answered in under a week. The page gives no cost and does not mention apostilles.
- 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.
- Tax residency status for individuals, Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
- 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).
- 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.
- Regulation to Law 9996 (Decree 43926-MGP-H-TUR): investors, rentistas and pensionados, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), PDF, Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 9 July 2026, opened on 16 October 2026 (26 pages); articles 4 to 10, 13, 15 to 26 read.
- 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.
- Income Tax Law (Law 7092), articles 1 and 15, Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.