Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa 2026: Documents, Fees, Renewal

Who it is for and what it allows

The law sets out an immigration subcategory of estancia for what it calls a Trabajador o Prestador Remoto de Servicios de carácter internacional, meaning an international remote worker or service provider. The regulation describes the applicant as a foreign person who provides paid services remotely, as an employee or not, using computer, telecommunications or similar means, for a person or company abroad, and who receives payment from abroad of at least US$3,000.00 a month, or US$4,000.00 a month if dependants are included, at the Central Bank of Costa Rica official selling rate. The people the law covers may not take up paid labour or services in Costa Rica other than what that subcategory permits. For beneficiaries, the law also says a valid driving licence issued in their home country is valid for driving in Costa Rica.

imprentanacional.go.cr: Digital Nomad / International Remote Worker Estancia imprentanacional.go.cr: Digital Nomad / International Remote Worker Estancia

Medical insurance

The regulation lists a medical-services policy that covers the applicant and any dependants for the whole authorised legal stay. The policy must guarantee cover of at least US$50,000.00 for medical expenses for illness in Costa Rica, valid for the whole stay. In a family group, each member must have a medical-services policy that meets these conditions. The policy may be offered by an insurer authorised by the General Superintendency of Insurance in Costa Rica and duly registered with that authority. Otherwise, the person must hold a valid international insurance with the coverage mentioned.

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Documents and filing

The application is filed with a signed form on the Trámite Ya platform (tramiteya.go.cr/dgme), or in person at the service platform of the Gestión de Extranjería or at a regional office. The application also includes an image of the valid passport's photo page and, depending on nationality, a valid consular or restricted visa. At the later appointment to get the residence document, the regulation lists the foreign person's valid passport in good condition. The passport used to start the procedure must also be provided to verify identity; if it has expired, it goes in together with the current travel document. The immigration office has 15 calendar days from filing to decide in writing. If it asks once for missing documents, you have eight working days to provide them, and the remaining days are counted again once you do; otherwise the request is denied. The grant also depends on a security check of criminal and police records, and biometric checks may be carried out.

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Income proof and translations

Income is shown with bank statements for the last year, accompanied by a sworn declaration that they were requested and obtained from the bank, or with a certification from a public accountant or notary for applications handled from Costa Rica, or from their counterparts abroad; the regulation says this certification must be legalised by a consulate or apostilled. The income must be of a kind that can still be received when the person is not in their home country, and the US$4,000.00 for a family may combine the applicant's income with that of a spouse or another family member. Any document in a foreign language needs an official Spanish translation, made by a translator or a person certified for it, by a foreign or national entity that guarantees their suitability, or by a notary who certifies their knowledge of the language. A representative filing the application must provide a special power of attorney.

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Family members

A spouse or de facto partner, children under 25 or of any age with a disability, and older adults who live with the applicant can be included; each must meet the same form, US$100.00 payment, passport and visa requirements. For minor children, or adult children with a disability, the application must be signed by the parent who is applying or was previously authorised the estancia subcategory, or by a special attorney. The regulation lists a birth certificate copy for minors and for unmarried people under 25, and a medical report showing the condition where a dependant has a disability. It also lists a marriage certificate issued no more than six months earlier. For a de facto union, it lists a document showing that a competent authority declared or recognised the union, issued no more than six months earlier. Older adults must show a link or cohabitation by sworn declaration.

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Fees

The regulation lists proof of a payment to the Government of US$100.00, or its equivalent in colones at the Central Bank of Costa Rica reference exchange rate, under Article 256 of the General Law on Migration and Foreign Nationals. It also lists proof of a Government payment for the amount stated in the approval resolution, under Article 251 of that law. It also lists proof of a US$90.00 payment for the residence-document request and issue. For non-residents in the estancia subcategory, it lists proof of a one-time guarantee deposit, in the amount set in the guarantee deposit fund regulation under Executive Decree 36539-G. The Article 251 payment, the US$90.00 payment and the deposit are listed for the in-person appointment to obtain the residence document after approval, which must be done within three months.

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How long it lasts and renewal

The law says the immigration benefit is granted for up to one year (a later law, No. 10208, reads one year as up to one year, so a shorter period can be requested) and can be extended once, for one additional year, if the beneficiary stayed in the country at least one hundred eighty days during the year originally granted. The regulation asks for the same one hundred eighty days for renewal, under Article 15 of the law, together with the signed application form and the income proof again, and the items listed for the residence-document appointment except the medical policy. The law's other benefits last as long as the immigration permission, unless beneficiary status is cancelled earlier: a full exemption from the tax on profits (main applicant only), an exemption from import taxes on basic personal computer, telecommunications or similar equipment needed for their work, and savings accounts at national banks.

imprentanacional.go.cr: Digital Nomad / International Remote Worker Estancia imprentanacional.go.cr: Digital Nomad / International Remote Worker Estancia pgrweb.go.cr: Law 10208, authentic interpretation of Article 15 of Law 10008

What this page does not cover

This page does not cover the amount of the Article 251 payment or of the guarantee deposit, the entry-visa rules for each nationality, changing to another immigration category, or how to appeal a refusal. Check the official pages for them.