Costa Rica · Digital nomad · Temporary residence

Costa Rica Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers

A one-year remote-work stay, renewable once, for workers receiving income from outside Costa Rica.

Value scoreCheckingPassport data under review

5-year costCheckingone applicant, not recoverable

Decision15 daysofficial processing time

Official program page

Value: what the Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers gives you

Passport reach 25 pts weightChecking

Path to citizenship 25 pts weightChecking

Work, family, healthcare 20 pts weightChecking

Stay rule 15 pts weight56

Tax on foreign income 10 pts weight100

Policy stability 5 pts weightChecking

Passport: visa-free destinations: CheckingAwaiting the shared Henley edition.
Years to permanent residence: CheckingA program-specific permanent-residence pathway was not verified.
Years to citizenship: CheckingCounting this status toward naturalisation was not verified.
Leads to citizenship: CheckingNo explicit exclusion from naturalisation was verified.
Can work for a local employer: NoOfficial, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Eligible paid remote services must be supplied to a person or entity outside Costa Rica.
Spouse and children included: YesOfficial, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Spouse/common-law partner and minor children qualify as dependants under the remote-worker application procedure.
Public healthcare: CheckingEligibility to join public healthcare was not verified; private insurance requirements alone do not establish exclusion.
Minimum stay per year: 80 daysOfficial, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Renewal after the first one-year permission requires at least 80 days physically in Costa Rica.
Tax on foreign income: Not taxedOfficial, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Official tourism-board programme description expressly provides an income-tax exemption.
Dual citizenship allowed: CheckingNationality-law position was not verified.
Rule changes, last 24 months: CheckingA complete 24-month policy-change audit was not available.

Cost: what the Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers costs over five years

Government fees: CheckingUSD 100 application + USD 90 documentation are verified; an additional resolution-specified payment under article 215 prevents a complete fixed total.
Non-refundable contribution: CheckingNo explicit zero-donation rule or complete monetary schedule was verified.
Due diligence: CheckingSeparate government due-diligence charges were not verified.
Compulsory extras, first year: CheckingRequired insurance/document costs lack an actual compliant quote; insured coverage is not a premium.
Renewal fees, first 5 years: CheckingA complete five-year renewal schedule and all associated fees were not verified.
Investment you may get back: CheckingA refundable guarantee deposit is compulsory but varies under Decree 36539-G; no universal amount verified.
Minimum income per month: $3,000Official, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Monthly foreign-source remote-work income; USD 4,000 with dependants.
Extra for a spouse and two children: CheckingComplete extra government charges for a spouse and two minors were not verified.
Typical adviser fees (not in the total): CheckingThree comparable licensed-adviser quotations were not obtained.

USD estimates use the European Central Bank reference rates of 13 November 2026, the Central Bank of Armenia and the Central Bank of the UAE for AMD and AED, and the Panamanian balboa’s official one-to-one parity with the US dollar.

Speed: how long the Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers takes

Official processing time: 15 daysOfficial, secondaryCosta Rican Tourism Board, checked 2026-11-15Fifteen calendar days from submission, with the balance resuming after requested missing information is supplied.
Reported processing time (median): CheckingNo median from at least two independent case-series sources was verified.
Approval to card or passport: CheckingApproval-to-card time was not verified.

Sources

Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers — official information, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.
Digital nomad requirements, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.
Digital nomad procedure, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.
Digital nomad renewal, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.
Digital nomad dependants, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.
Digital nomad immigration-document issuance, Costa Rican Tourism Board. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

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