Residency Eligibility
If you plan to permanently relocate to Costa Rica, you should also plan to become a legal resident. There are several paths to legal residency, which are outlined below. We recommend that you consult a lawyer before beginning the process since Costa Rican residency requires a lot of paperwork and knowledge of Spanish legalese. For details on the application process, see Applying for Residency.
FAQs
Am I allowed to work in my own business?
Only inversionista, representante and permanent residents are legally permitted to work in Costa Rica. Pensionados and rentistas are only permitted to own a business and earn income, but they may not work in any business.
What are the different types of residency?
There are five types of residency: temporary (through marriage to a Costa Rican), rentista (annuity), inversionista (investor), pensionado (retiree), and permanent (usually through first-degree blood relationship with a Costa Rican). Each residency type has its own requirements.
Last updated: Oct 26, 2023