Costa Rica retirement residence: pensionado and rentista

A pensioner must prove, with a document issued by the competent authority, that they receive a lifetime pension of no less than USD 1,000 a month or its equivalent in colones at the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) selling rate. A certificate issued abroad must be legalised or apostilled.

A rentista must prove, with a document from a competent authority, that they will receive a stable and permanent income of at least USD 2,500 a month for a period of no less than two years. Income originating abroad must be documented with legalised or apostilled papers. Rentistas who later move to permanent residence ask for the release of the income deposit if they made it in a state bank.

The DGME general requirements apply to every residence file: an application stating your details, purpose, current address and a means for notifications, signed in front of a DGME official or with a signature authenticated by a lawyer; two recent passport photos; a birth certificate from the country of origin, legalised or apostilled; and a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or from the place where you lived legally during the last three years, also legalised or apostilled, together with proof of legal stay there.

Add certified copies of the passport pages with your details, the Costa Rican entry stamp and any entry visa, the fingerprint receipt and the consular registration receipt. Documents in a foreign language need an official translation into Spanish.

The government fee for a temporary residence application is USD 50, paid in dollars or the colón equivalent at the BCCR reference rate into account 242480-0 of the Banco de Costa Rica, in the applicant's own name. If you are in Costa Rica as a non-resident (for example as a tourist) and ask to change to residence, a further USD 200 is due for the change of category. Opening a file online through Trámite Ya carries a one-off platform charge of USD 11.

A foreigner, spouse and first-degree relatives who have held temporary residence for three consecutive years can apply for permanent residence. Permanent residents may take up any paid work. A rentista changing to permanent residence must also ask for the release of the stable income deposit.

Pensioners and rentistas can include dependants. A spouse proves the link with a legalised or apostilled marriage certificate; applications for minor children are made by their parents; adult children with a disability prove it with a medical report and, where applicable, a court certificate of guardianship. Dependants file the general documents and the same USD 50 fee.