Temporary residence for Costa Rica

Temporary residency of Costa Rica can be applied by below mentioned:

• Pensioners
• Spouse of a citizen of Costa Rica.
• Investors for Costa Rica can apply for temporary residence in Costa Rica.
• People on religious mission accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Culture of Costa Rica can apply for temporary residency in Costa Rica.
• Professionals working for a company registered in Costa Rican Jurisdiction. Professionals who have been issued work permit for Costa Rica by The Department of Immigration can apply for temporary residence in Costa Rica.
• Scientific professionals, professional and highly skilled people.
• Sports professionals who are recognized by the National Council on Sports and Recreation of Costa Rica can apply for (tr) temporary residency in Costa Rica.
• Media correspondents.

Approving document of US$1000 per month income from permanent pension source or retirement fund is required.

• Must reside in Costa Rica at least 1 day per year.
• Can apply for spouse and dependents less than 18 years of age.
• Cannot work as an employee.
• Can own a company and receive dividends.

Permanent residency for Costa Rica

A person can apply for permanent residency of Costa Rica after three years as a temporary residency of Costa Rica.

OR with a first-degree relative status to a Costa Rican Citizen (having a Costa Rican child or Costa Rican parents — even though Costa Rican parents may qualify you to apply for citizenship of Costa Rica.)

• Is allowed to claim spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.
• Is able to work.
• Is able to have a company and receive income.

Business Investor residency for Costa Rica

For business investor residency to Costa Rica you need to invest at least $200,000 in Costa Rican asset class defined as a tangible property, negotiable instruments, shares of Costa Rica or projects in Costa Rica.

Options to qualify for business investor residency of Costa Rica:

• For a person to qualify as a business investor visa of Costa Rica has to own real estate through his or her company registered in Costa Rica. Residential real estate is usually preferred asset class. But there is a small catch here, if the asset value is less than $200,000 then it can be clubbed with other asset classes to apply for business investor residence of Costa Rica.
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Second option to apply for business investor residency for Costa Rica is to own $200,000 worth of the shares of a company duly registered in Costa Rica.

Citizenship for Costa Rica:

CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH for Costa Rica

People, who born in Costa Rica acquire citizenship of Costa Rica at birth.

CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT for Costa Rica

People with at least one parent being Costa Rican, regardless of place of birth, should acquire citizenship for Costa Rica.

CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION for Costa Rica

The following requirements may apply for citizenship by naturalization:

• age 18 or older;
• at least 7 years of residence (this number is reduced to 2 years for people who are married to a Costa Rican citizen) (5 years if you are from Spain or certain Latin American countries);
• proof of residence for citizenship of Costa Rica;
• clean criminal record history;
• Approved professional career or income;
• ability to speak, read and write in Spanish for citizenship of Costa Rica;
• understanding of the Costa Rican history and values through an Education Ministry exam or validated proof of education in Costa Rica;
• 2 people that can witness to your conduct and livelihood.

CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE

If married to a Costa Rican spouse a person may apply for naturalization after 2 years of residence.

Naturalization by marriage applicants does not require to demonstrate knowledge of the Spanish language or history of Costa Rica.

Work Permit for Costa Rica

In case of applying for a Work Permit of Costa Rica, you must be a resident in Costa Rica so it is recommended to make the needed procedures to apply for a temporary residency of Costa Rica as soon as possible.

In order to apply for work permit for Costa Rica the following documents have to be submitted:

• Application Form for work permit of Costa Rica.
• A letter which states the reason for your application for the work permit in Costa Rica which you also indicate your full name, age, occupation, nationality, current address, and place.
• Receipt for the payment for the work permit application of Costa Rica. The applicant must make a payment for it and include his/her name.
• 2 passport size photographs
• Receipt of fingerprint registration issued by the Ministry of Public Security of Costa Rica.
• Receipt of consular inscription
• Birth Certificate
• Criminal Record from your native country or the place where you have been residing for the past three years. A copy of the migration document to prove that you were a legal citizen of said country.
• Certified copies of the passport’s every page.
• Statement of Employer`s Company. This statement should indicate what functions will be undertaken by the applicant, the length of the contract and the salary for duration of work permit in Costa Rica.
• The companies Legal Constitution and Registration Documents.
• Costa Rican Social Security Institution’s Certification. This statement proves that the company or the employer is registered and does not have any outstanding monetary obligations.
• A document proving the existence of income, balance and result situation announced by an Authorized Public Accountant.
• A Statement of Insurance Company which should show that the insurance for the worker who has applied for work permit for Costa Rica is duely paid.

Visa for Costa Rica

There are four different groups of international countries that have four various visa conditions for visa of Costa Rica for their citizens to either enter, visit or stay in Costa Rica.

Citizens of the first and second group of countries are not required to hold a Costa Rica visa. They can get a visa on arrival for Costa Rica and obtain a stamp on their passport at the entry.

Citizens of the third and fourth groups of countries are required to have a restricted Costa Rica Visa which must be applied for in advance of a minimum 90 days before expected travel.

US nationals do not have to own an entry visa to Costa Rica. All they must have is a current valid passport and a return ticket to exit Costa Rica within 90 days. US passport must be valid for at least one day from the day of the entrance to Costa Rica. As a tourist, US nationals cannot stay for more than 90 days. A residence permit of Costa Rica must be established for a stay which is longer than 90 days in case of longer stay in Costa Rica.

The followings are the most common visa options:

Pensionado Program:

This must introduce a proof about your monthly income which must be at least $1,000 a month from a life-long pension from any source recognized as a major entity.

The Rentista Program

For persons who have no fixed retirement income. You need a proof of $2,500 income in a month for two years and more or a $60,000 deposit in a bank located in Costa Rica and which is approved by immigration authorities.