Costa Rica work permit (specific occupation)

The DGME page distinguishes workers requested by a legal entity (a company), workers requested by a natural person, and self-employed workers. Self-employed applicants are foreigners who own a properly constituted business or who work in specific sectors such as agriculture, construction and services. In each route the authorisation is granted for one year and can be extended.

Separate procedures exist for executives, managers and technical staff of companies accredited with the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), for business visitors and transferred staff, for temporary seasonal workers recommended by the Ministry of Labour and for cross-border workers; this page covers the general specific-occupation routes.

A company must be up to date with the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), which the DGME checks, and provide a certification of income, balance sheet and income statement from an authorised public accountant, a certificate from the insurer that the occupational risk policy is paid, a certificate of legal personality issued no more than one month before the application, and proof that municipal and national taxes are paid.

An individual employer provides a certified copy of their identity document and proof of solvency through an authorised public accountant, a salary statement or another document accepted under the regulation. Self-employed applicants provide the municipal business licence, the health operating permit, an accountant's income certification and proof of tax payment or exemption filed with the Ministry of Finance.

Every applicant files an application with personal details and a means for notifications, signed before a public official or authenticated by a lawyer, two recent passport photos, a legalised or apostilled birth certificate, a legalised or apostilled criminal record from the country of origin or of legal residence in the last three years, and certified copies of the passport pages with the entry stamp and any required visa.

For employment, add an authenticated job offer signed by the employer stating duties, working hours and salary. If the occupation requires a specific degree, the authorisation depends on holding it, having it recognised in Costa Rica and, where required, registering with the professional association.

The archived DGME page does not state a separate application fee for this special category. Any request that changes a person from a non-resident category, such as tourist, to another category must include a USD 200 payment to Banco de Costa Rica account 242480-0. Processing times are not published for this category; companies registered with the DGME benefit from a special window and shorter resolution times for their employees.