01
US$150,000+
Real Estate or Registrable Assets
Qualifying property or other registrable assets may be used.
Costa Rica Investor Residence
Temporary Residence Through Qualifying Investment
Program overview
Costa Rica’s investor category is a temporary-residence route for foreign nationals who make and document a qualifying investment. Qualifying categories include real estate, registrable assets, shares, securities, productive projects, projects of national interest, venture-capital funds and sustainable tourism infrastructure.
The US$150,000 threshold applies under Costa Rica’s investor framework. Immigration status, tax residence and investment incentives are separate legal questions.
Temporary Residence Through Qualifying Investment
Residency Partners
Current routes and requirements
02
US$150,000+
Business, Securities or Productive Projects
Shares, securities, productive projects and projects of national interest may qualify when properly documented.
03
US$150,000+
Special Qualifying Investments
Venture-capital funds and sustainable tourism infrastructure are included in the statutory framework.
Key eligibility requirements
- Document a qualifying investment of at least US$150,000.
- Provide the required immigration, police and civil-status records.
- Maintain the approved residence and investment conditions.
- Complete Costa Rican social-security registration when required.
Program due diligence
Key facts before you proceed
A concise review of the rules that materially affect eligibility, cost and long-term planning. Expand the detail you need before making a commitment.
Checked against official sources
Last reviewed 2026-09-20
Availability and review status
Open
Status checked 2026-09-20
Costa Rica’s investor temporary-residence category is open under the reduced US$150,000 statutory threshold for qualifying assets/projects.
Physical presence
Renewal and later permanent residence require continuing lawful status and a genuine connection. The category is not a substitute for checking absences, DIMEX and social-security compliance; citizenship requires actual residence under ordinary law.
Planning range — editorial estimate
Plan for approximately 9–18+ months from complete filing to resolution/card in current practice.
Family inclusion
Spouse/partner, minor/dependent children and other qualifying relatives may use dependent categories, subject to civil-status, age, dependency and legalised-document evidence.
Government and application costs
Translations, apostilles/legalisations, deposits, DIMEX, social-security registration, company/property, tax, legal and banking expenses are additional and must be quoted case by case.
Government/application charges
Each applicant
Assessed under the current immigration tariff
Non-refundable
The official investor rules do not provide one all-inclusive filing total; payment items depend on entry status, change of category, DIMEX and family composition.
Eligibility and admissibility
The route is generally nationality-neutral, subject to visa-entry classifications, criminal/security, document legalisation and immigration admissibility rules. The migration authority can request additional evidence by country and document type.
Official timing indication
No dependable universal end-to-end service guarantee is published in the cited investor regulations.
Appointment availability, registry evidence and immigration workload can materially affect timing.
Investment, holding and exit risk
Holding requirement: Maintain the registered qualifying investment while relying on it for temporary residence and renewals. Asset-specific registration and valuation evidence must stay current.
Refundability and exit: The investment is a privately owned asset/project, not a refundable government deposit. Exit value, liquidity and taxes depend on the asset.
- Title, registry, valuation, business and project risks require local due diligence.
- Temporary residence does not guarantee permanent residence or citizenship.
- Exchange-rate, tax and resale costs can reduce value.
Residence and practical rights
- Temporary residence in Costa Rica.
- Own and manage investments/business interests, subject to licensing and corporate rules.
- Work rights are category-specific; investor residence should not be represented as unrestricted salaried employment without confirmation.
- Potential transition to permanent residence under ordinary rules.
Long-term residence, citizenship and tax
Renewal or permanent residence: Temporary residence is renewed while conditions are maintained. After three years of lawful temporary residence, an applicant may seek permanent residence under the ordinary framework, subject to compliance and current rules.
Citizenship path: Naturalisation is separate and generally requires substantial actual residence, with the applicable period depending on nationality and legal category, plus Spanish/civic and other conditions. Investor status alone does not confer citizenship.
Tax planning: Immigration status and tax residence are separate tests. Residence days, permanent-home, centre-of-interests, controlled-company, estate and source-income rules can create liabilities. Obtain cross-border tax advice before changing residence or investing.
Official sources and review method
Official sources
- Costa Rica Official Gazette — Law No. 9996Checked 2026-09-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Costa Rica Official Gazette — Investor residence regulationsChecked 2026-09-20T00:00:00.000Z
Editorial source review
Editorially checked against the linked official sources. This is not a local-law opinion; case-specific eligibility, fees and transaction documents must be confirmed by regulated local counsel before engagement.
Reviewed 2026-09-20
Program at a glance
Minimum Investment
US$150,000
Initial Status
Temporary Residence
Permanent Residence
Potentially after 3 years
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum investment for Costa Rica investor residence?
The current statutory minimum is US$150,000 in qualifying assets or projects. The evidence required depends on the investment category.
Does investor residence automatically make me a Costa Rican tax resident?
No. Immigration residence and tax residence are separate. Tax status depends on the applicable tax rules and your actual circumstances.
Residency Partners
Discuss this program with our team
Request a case-specific assessment before making any investment or application decision.
Request a confidential consultation