Can you move to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica does offer citizenship through naturalization after residency — the AI draft's claim that it does not was incorrect. The two main paths are: 7 years as a legal resident (with time spent abroad added to the requirement), or 2 years of marriage to a Costa Rican citizen combined with 2 years physically living in Costa Rica after the marriage.

Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Visa (officially 'Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios') is a temporary stay category created under Ley 9996, administered by DGME. It requires proof of foreign-sourced income, mandatory health insurance, and can be applied for online via the Tramite Ya platform or in person. It grants stay (not residency) for up to one year, renewable once.

Most foreign nationals reach permanent residency in Costa Rica by converting from 3 consecutive years of temporary residency (e.g., pensionado, rentista, or a family-tie category), rather than applying for it directly. Permanent residency, once granted, is valid for life, requires no renewal, and has no minimum physical-presence requirement to maintain.

Costa Rica residency processing times vary substantially by category and are widely reported as slow: commonly 6-12 months for temporary residency overall, roughly 8-12 months historically for Pensionado, and a much faster 2-3 months for the Digital Nomad stay category. A 2026 measure (Resolution DJUR-0045-02-2026) introduced same-day DIMEX card issuance at designated BCR locations, though actual DIMEX issuance has still been running behind the official 30-day target.

While exact document lists vary by residency category (Pensionado, Rentista, Digital Nomad, investor, work permit, marriage-based, etc.), a common core applies across nearly all DGME applications: a valid passport, an apostilled/authenticated criminal background check, category-specific proof of income or investment, and (for most categories) health insurance. Foreign-issued civil documents must be apostilled or consular-authenticated and are generally only valid for a limited window before submission.

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 outside Costa Rica. It is granted as temporary residency, must be renewed, and can lead to permanent residency after three consecutive years.

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 entry with a stamp typically valid for up to 90 days per visit. Beyond tourism, the main residency/stay routes are Pensionado (retirees with a $1,000/month lifetime pension), Rentista (verifiable non-pension income/deposit), Digital Nomad stay (temporary, not a residency category), Work Permit (employer-sponsored, via MTSS + DGME), and Investor/Inversionista residency, each with different requirements and timelines.

Working legally in Costa Rica as a foreign national requires explicit authorization from DGME (immigration), with the sponsoring employer first obtaining authorization from MTSS (Ministry of Labor and Social Security). The employer must be a legally registered Costa Rican company in good standing with CCSS and tax authorities. The permit is tied to the sponsoring employer — changing jobs requires a fresh MTSS request and a DGME status change before starting the new job. Processing commonly takes 3-8 months.