Relocating to Costa Rica
Understand the country before you commit to the move.
39% verifiedCosta Rica is a Central American republic between Nicaragua and Panama, known for political stability, no standing army, and a territorial tax system that is a major draw for relocating foreigners.
Ask about moving to Costa Rica
Answered only from Atlas's verified Costa Rica guides — if it's not covered yet, we'll say so rather than guess.
Life in Costa Rica
What will life actually be like?
Where should I live?
Living: Major Cities
What will daily life cost?
Cost of Living Overview
What is healthcare like?
Healthcare: Average Costs
What about schools?
Living: Education
How will I bank?
Banking: Best Banks
How will I get around?
Living: Transportation
Cities
Where should I live?
Costa Rica's population and major cities are concentrated in the Central Valley/Greater Metropolitan Area, home to over 3 million of the country's roughly 5 million people. San José is the capital and largest city (city proper population around 333,000, with a much larger metro area including Alajuela and Heredia). Popular expat destinations within and around this urban corridor include Escazú (upscale, called the 'Beverly Hills of Costa Rica'), Santa Ana, Heredia, Atenas, and Grecia, while Tamarindo is a well-known coastal expat/surf hub outside the Central Valley.
Read the cities guide →Residency
Find your residency route
Your best route depends on how you plan to live, work and invest. These are the guides Atlas currently holds for Costa Rica.
How do you plan to support yourself in Costa Rica?
Residency: Citizenship
Costa Rica grants citizenship by naturalisation. Under article 14 of the Constitution, the residence period is five years for people born in other Central Am…
Residency: Digital Nomad Visa
Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Visa (officially 'Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios') is a temporary stay category created under Ley 9996, …
Residency: Permanent Residency
Most foreign nationals reach permanent residency in Costa Rica by converting from 3 consecutive years of temporary residency (e.g., pensionado, rentista, or …
Residency: Processing Times
Costa Rica's immigration directorate does not publish a standard processing time for residence categories in the official pages, so any quoted time is an est…
Residency: Required Documents
While exact document lists vary by residency category (Pensionado, Rentista, Digital Nomad, investor, work permit, marriage-based, etc.), a common core appli…
Residency: Retirement Visa
Costa Rica's Pensionado visa is a temporary residency category under Ley 8764 for retirees with a guaranteed lifetime pension of at least $1,000/month from o…
Residency: Visa Overview
Most tourists (including US, Canadian, EU, and many other nationalities in DGME's 'Group 1') do not need a tourist visa at all — Costa Rica grants visa-free …
Residency: Work Visa
Working legally in Costa Rica as a foreign national requires explicit authorization from DGME (immigration), with the sponsoring employer first obtaining aut…
Property
A home is a relocation decision
Taxes
Understand the cost of your move
Banking
Banking
Healthcare
Healthcare
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Business
Business
Ready to turn this into a plan?
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