Costa Rica · Independent-means residence

Temporary residence as a rentista

Costa Rica's rentista subcategory provides temporary residence to a foreign national who proves stable monthly income from abroad or the national banking system at the statutory level.

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 82 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, renewals and category changes. [4] , [2]

operational

Operating

Current regulations and the 2024 procedure resolution address the subcategory. [4] , [2]

Eligibility

The principal applicant must prove permanent and stable monthly income of at least USD 2,500 from abroad or from banks in Costa Rica's national banking system. [1] , [2]

Investment or income mechanism

Minimum stable income: USD 2,500 per month. The regulation does not treat a simple return of the applicant's own deposit as income unless the regulatory conditions are met. [1] , [3]

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] , [2]
Duration: Two years between renewals under the current temporary-residence framework. [2]
Renewal: Renewable while the income, insurance and documentary requirements continue to be met. [1] , [2]
Later outcome: Not established [1] , [2]

Limitations and cautions

This record does not cover tax incentives or customs benefits under separate legislation.
The method used to prove or secure the income must be confirmed against current migration instructions.

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 — rentista and dependants Costa Rican Legal Information System Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Decree 37112-GOB, art. 99
Immigration Regulations — definitions Costa Rican Legal Information System Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Decree 37112-GOB
Migration procedures resolution General Directorate of Migration and Immigration Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A2 D.JUR-220-05-2024-JM-ABM