Costa Rica · Pension residence

Temporary residence as a pensionado

Costa Rica's pensionado subcategory provides temporary residence to a foreign national who proves a permanent and stable foreign pension at or above the statutory monthly threshold.

Published by World Investment Migration Association in policy release WIMA-POL-2026-10-02.

WIMA is not a government authority and does not issue visas, residence permits or citizenship. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authorities before acting.

Accountable publisher and responsible body: World Investment Migration Association
Recorded pre-publication checks: Required fields, source links and claim citations checked for this release; no external peer-review claim is made.
Separate substantive reviewer: None appointed or claimed for this release
Published: 2 October 2026
Last verified: 2 October 2026

Status at the release cut-off

Three separate status dimensions

Legal status, intake status and operational status answer different questions and should not be combined into a single label.

legal

In force

Articles 79 and 81 of Law 8764 establish the subcategory and income test; current regulations govern grant and renewal. [1] , [2]

intake

Accepting applications

Current migration procedures continue to address first applications and renewals in the subcategory. [4] , [2]

operational

Operating

Current regulations and the 2024 procedure resolution describe documentation and renewal. [4] , [3]

Eligibility

The principal applicant must prove a permanent and stable monthly pension from abroad of at least USD 1,000 or its equivalent. [1]

Investment or income mechanism

Minimum foreign pension: USD 1,000 per month, permanent and stable. [1]

Residence and family conditions

Family: A spouse, children under 25 and older children with a disability may be included subject to the regulatory conditions. [1] , [2]
Work: Remunerated or profit-making activity requires authorisation from the migration authority; dependants also require prior authorisation to work. [1]
Presence: Not stated [1] , [3]
Duration: Two years between renewals under the current regulation. [3]
Renewal: Renewable every two years while the conditions, insurance and documentary requirements continue to be met. [1] , [3]
Later outcome: Not established [1] , [2]

Limitations and cautions

This record does not cover tax incentives or customs benefits under separate legislation.
Documentary and in-country filing rules should be checked against the current migration resolution.

This record is descriptive, not legal, tax or investment advice. Confirm the current position with the responsible authorities.

Official sources

General Law on Migration and Immigration No. 8764 Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Law 8764, arts. 79–82
Immigration Regulations — pensionado and dependants Costa Rican Legal Information System Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Decree 37112-GOB, art. 100
Immigration Regulations — pensionado renewal Costa Rican Legal Information System Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Decree 37112-GOB, art. 228
Migration procedures resolution General Directorate of Migration and Immigration Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A2 D.JUR-220-05-2024-JM-ABM