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Costa Rica · Other & special

Costa Rica Special Category as Non-Working Border Resident

15 facts quoted from the official source

One-year renewable special category for a person with fixed domicile in a defined border area who will not perform paid manual or intellectual work.

Route type
Other & special
Can bring
—
Not stated in the official source
Requirements
5
each quoted below
Who qualifies

Who this route is for

Every item below is the government’s own wording, quoted from the official source. Whether you personally qualify depends on your full profile.

5 requirements quoted from the official source.

The conditions that decide it
  • Character and securityA legalised or apostilled criminal-record certificate covering the relevant country of origin or last three years of legal residence is required.
  • Official designation or accreditation by a State or organisationProof of consular registration is required.
  • Prior or current lawful statusA signed legal-stay request must identify the applicant, claim, address and notification channel.
  • Special territorial regimeThe applicant must have fixed domicile in a defined adjacent border area.
What you’ll show with your application

Paperwork you prepare — it does not rule you out.

  • Passport or travel documentAll pages of the valid passport must be supplied as a certified or authority-compared copy.
Also stated by the source
  • Birth CertificateA legalised or apostilled foreign birth certificate is required.
  • Eligibility summaryArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category as Non-Working Border Resident.
  • Fiscal StampsThe regulation requires the applicable fiscal-stamp payment.
  • How and where to applyA completed and signed affiliation form is required.
  • Official source basisArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category as Non-Working Border Resident.
  • Photograph and biometricsTwo recent passport-size photographs are required.
  • Report summaryArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category as Non-Working Border Resident.
  • Work and study rightsThe holder may not perform paid manual or intellectual work.
Family

Who you can bring

— Not stated in the official source. The official page for this route does not address dependent-family rights, so we do not publish a claim either way.
Costs & timelines

What the source prices

Validity
2 proven from the official source.
  • Duration and validityArticle 137 regularisation requires authorised entry and current lawful stay.
  • Initial Validity YearsThe category is granted for one year and may be renewed.
How it works

From here to a yes

See if you qualify — freeThe 3-minute check scores your profile against every Costa Rica route at once, this one included. No signup, no card.
Get your full report — €10One personalised report ranks every route you can actually get, with the full requirement set for your profile — so you apply for the right one.
Apply with the official sourceThe application itself always happens with the government — the enacting authority linked below. The report points you straight at it.
FAQ

Straight answers

01Who qualifies for this route to Costa Rica?
The official source states: One-year renewable special category for a person with fixed domicile in a defined border area who will not perform paid manual or intellectual work.

Every answer is quoted from the official pgrweb.go.cr page for this route, last read 2026-07-26.

We checked 15 points against the official source; 15 are quoted on this page. The other 0 are either not addressed by the source or not yet backed by a quote — we would rather show you the edge of the record than fill it with a plausible guess.

See the 0 open points

Fees and processing time are not published in the official source for this route. We publish a number only when the official text states that number.

Not stated in the official source — the official source names no exclusion for this route.

The source

Where every quote comes from

Official government source pgrweb.go.crLast read 2026-07-26 Every quote on this page is from this Costa Rica government page.
Compiled from official sources · pending independent re-check · Last checked 2026-07-26 · Our methodology
 · Compiled by António Mira · How we verify · Not legal advice — rules change; confirm with the official source before deciding.
Same category, same country

Other other & special routes to Costa Rica

3 other other & special routes to Costa Rica.

Special Category for Invited Short-Stay Students, Teachers, Interns, Researchers or VolunteersSpecial Category for State Guests, Public-Security Cases or Judicial WitnessesSpecial Category for an Adult Child of an Accredited Diplomatic Agent
Same category, elsewhere

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