🇨🇷Costa Rica Visa for Nicaraguan Citizens2026 Requirements, Fees & Documents

Residencia Provisional por Motivos Religiosos (Religious Provisional Temporary Residency)

Temporary residency permit for foreign nationals engaged in religious work or activities through a legally registered Costa Rican religious congregation.

• Classified as a 'Temporary Residency Provisional' category.
• Available to nationals of Group 1 through Group 3 countries (Group 4 nationals are excluded from this path).
• Requires a sponsoring letter from a recognized Costa Rican religious congregation.
• Duration is determined by the needs of the religious congregation.
• Application processed through the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).

Nómadas Digitales – Permiso de Permanencia Temporal (Digital Nomad Temporary Stay Permit)

Permits foreign nationals who work remotely for clients or employers located outside Costa Rica to reside in the country for up to one year while performing their professional activities using digital or telecommunication technologies.

• Established under General Law of Migration and Foreigners Article 256 and Law 10008 (Item 11 bis).
• Minimum income requirement: USD 3,000/month (USD 4,000/month if including dependents), documented over the prior 12 months from sources outside Costa Rica.
• Government fee: USD 100 (or equivalent in colones, payable to Bank of Costa Rica account 001-0242480-0).
• Health insurance covering the full stay with a minimum coverage of USD 50,000 is required.
• Applications submitted via the online TramiteYa platform or in person at DGME offices.
• Duration: 1 year, renewable once for an additional year (maximum 2 years total).
• Permit holders are exempt from paying Costa Rican income taxes and customs duties on electronic devices used professionally.

Residencia Temporal – Categoría Pensionado (Pensionado/Retiree Temporary Residency)

Temporary residency for foreign retirees who receive a permanent lifetime pension from a recognized authority (Social Security, military, retirement fund, or annuity) of at least USD 1,000 per month.

• Governed by Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764 and Law 9996.
• Minimum pension requirement: USD 1,000 per month from a permanent, certified foreign authority.
• Temporary residence is issued for 2 years and is renewable.
• Provides a path to citizenship via naturalization after 7 years of legal residency (5 years for Central Americans, Spaniards, and Latin Americans).
• Application requires notarized proof of pension, apostilled documents, criminal background check, medical certificate, and proof of accommodation.
• No work authorization is included; pensionados may not engage in paid employment in Costa Rica.

Residencia Temporal – Categoría Inversionista (Investor Temporary Residency)

Temporary residency for foreign nationals who make a qualifying investment of at least USD 150,000 in Costa Rica in approved categories such as real estate, company shares, SUGEVAL-authorized securities, venture capital funds, tourism infrastructure, or national interest projects.

• Governed by Law No. 9996 (Official Gazette La Gaceta No. 135, July 14, 2021).
• Minimum qualifying investment: USD 150,000 (reduced from USD 200,000 under a sunset clause provision in Article 4).
• Investment must be maintained continuously.
• Temporary residence issued for 2 years, renewable.
• Permits path to citizenship after 7 years of residency (5 years for Central Americans, Spaniards, and Latin Americans).
• Approved investment categories include: real estate, active business shares, SUGEVAL-regulated securities, venture capital funds, tourism infrastructure, or projects declared in the national interest.

Residencia Temporal – Categoría Rentista (Rentista/Fixed-Income Temporary Residency)

Temporary residency for foreign nationals who can demonstrate stable monthly income of at least USD 2,500 per month from foreign sources, without a requirement to hold a government pension.

• Governed by Law No. 9996 and Executive Decree No. 37112.
• Minimum income: USD 2,500 per month from stable foreign-source revenue (e.g., dividends, rental income, royalties, investment returns).
• Income must originate outside Costa Rica, demonstrated via certified bank statements.
• Temporary residence issued for 2 years, renewable.
• Path to citizenship via naturalization after 7 years (5 years for Central Americans, Spaniards, and Latin Americans).
• Rentistas may not work in Costa Rica.

Residencia Temporal por Vínculo con Costarricense (Spouse/Family of a Costa Rican)

Temporary residence for the foreign spouse of a Costa Rican citizen, and, as a special category, for the parents of a Costa Rican child and other first-degree family members of a Costa Rican national.

• Governed by Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764.
• Marriage to a Costa Rican is processed as a temporary residence ('Por Cónyuge costarricense'); the parent of a Costa Rican minor or other first-degree relative of a Costa Rican is processed as a special category ('Vínculo con ciudadano costarricense').
• Requires a certified marriage/birth link with the Costa Rican, apostilled/legalized foreign documents, and a criminal record certificate.
• As a first-degree relative of a Costa Rican, the holder is generally authorized to work.
• After three consecutive years the holder may request a change to permanent residence.
• Filed through the DGME Trámite Ya online platform or in person.

Categoría Especial por Vínculo con Residente (Family Dependent of a Resident)

Special category for the spouse and first-degree dependents (children, and where applicable a guardian/curator link) of a foreign national who already holds permanent or temporary residence in Costa Rica.

• Special migratory category under Ley 8764 ('Vínculo con Residente Permanente' / 'Vínculo con Curador o tutor').
• The dependent's legal permanence is tied to, and cannot exceed, the principal resident's status.
• Requires proof of the family link and of the principal's valid residence.
• Filed via the DGME Trámite Ya platform or in person at DGME.

Residencia Temporal como Empleado(a) Especializado(a) / Trabajador de Empresa (Company Worker)

Temporary residence for a foreign national hired in a dependent employment relationship by a Costa Rican company or institution, including specialized employees, scientists, professionals, specialized technicians, executives, managers, and representatives.

• Governed by Ley 8764 and the Reglamento de Extranjería (Decreto No. 37112).
• The sponsoring employer must be registered with the DGME and current on CCSS (social security) obligations, and a work contract per Articles 23-24 of the Labor Code is required; registered employers are classified into tiers that affect processing.
• Companies operating under the foreign-trade regime apply through a dedicated COMEX regulation.
• Work authorization is limited to the sponsoring employer.
• Filed via the DGME Trámite Ya platform or through the accredited employer.

Categoría Especial de Trabajador de Ocupación Específica (Specific-Occupation Worker)

Special-category work permit for foreign nationals performing a defined specific occupation, including domestic workers, self-employed specific-occupation workers, intra-company transferred personnel, business-visitor personnel, and after-sales technical personnel.

• Special migratory category under Article 94 of Ley 8764.
• Subcategories listed by the DGME include: specific-occupation worker for a physical employer (e.g. domestic worker), for a natural person, for a legal person, self-employed (por cuenta propia), intra-company transferred personnel, business-visitor personnel, and after-sales personnel.
• Work authorization is limited to the specific occupation and employer approved by the DGME.
• Filed via the DGME Trámite Ya platform or in person.

Categoría Especial de Trabajador Temporal (Temporary/Seasonal Worker)

Special-category permit for foreign nationals authorized to work in Costa Rica on a temporary basis, widely used for seasonal labor such as the agricultural sector.

• Special migratory category under Article 94 of Ley 8764, authorized by the DGME's Gestión de Extranjería for a period of one year, extendable ('por un periodo de un año prorrogable').
• Heavily used for seasonal agricultural workers (see Decreto No. 44281 on migratory regularization of temporary agricultural-sector workers).
• A security/guarantee deposit may be required.
• Work authorization is limited to the authorized activity and period.

Categoría Especial de Estudiante (Student / Volunteer / Teacher / Researcher)

Special-category permit for foreign nationals enrolled as students at a recognized Costa Rican educational institution, and for related profiles such as volunteers, teachers (docentes), interns (pasantes), and researchers (investigadores).

• Special migratory category under Ley 8764.
• Requires admission/enrollment and sponsorship by an educational institution accredited with the DGME, plus proof of economic solvency and a criminal record certificate.
• Students may NOT perform paid work in Costa Rica.
• Related DGME sub-procedures include Especial Estudiante, Especial Docente, Temporal Pasante (intern), Especial Voluntario, and Especial Investigador.
• Filed via the DGME Trámite Ya platform or through the accredited institution.

Estancia por Tratamiento Médico (Medical Treatment Stay)

Non-resident 'Estancia' permit for foreign nationals coming to Costa Rica to undergo medical treatment.

• Non-resident 'Estancia' category under Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764, granted to foreign nationals receiving medical treatment in Costa Rica.
• Permanence is tied to the duration of the treatment.
• The application ('Solicitud de Estancia Tratamiento Médico') is filed with the DGME.
• Does not confer residency or general work authorization.