Rentist (passive income) Residency

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The Rentista Residency category is intended for applicants who can demonstrate a stable passive income of at least USD 2,500 per month for a minimum period of two years, in accordance with Article 82 of Costa Rica’s Immigration Law.

This requirement may be satisfied through one of the following mechanisms.

Option A: Bank Deposit in Costa Rica

Historically, applicants satisfied this requirement by depositing USD 60,000 in a Costa Rican bank, which was structured into 24 certified monthly deposits of USD 2,500, accompanied by the bank’s official rentista certification letter.

Although approvals are still being issued using this structure, immigration authorities now tend to expect that the monthly income be supported by actual financial yield generated by the deposit, which in practice may require a larger deposit amount to generate the certified income.

Option B: Passive Income Generated Abroad

Applicants may also qualify by demonstrating passive income sources generated outside Costa Rica, including:

• Rental income from real estate
• Dividends from investments
• Interest income
• Portfolio investment returns

This income must be documented and typically certified by a Costa Rican Certified Public Accountant as part of the immigration application.

If you like to learn more, please schedule a call or read the “The Ultimate Guide to Acquiring Rentista Residency in Costa Rica for Expats”

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  • In addition to the right to legally reside in Costa Rica, for a limited period of 5 years (starting in the year 2021) you obtain the following rights or benefits:

    • Right to import, free of all import taxes, up to 2 vehicles of any type: yacht, cars or planes.

    • Right to import, free of all import taxes, tax payment to import household items regardless of whether they are new or used goods.

    • Right to import, free of all import taxes, professional work team.

    • A 20% discount on the real estate transfer tax.

  • There is an easy, yet burocratic way to do it. The steps to follow are:

    1. Opening a bank account in Costa Rica

    2. Depositing USD$60K

    3. Structure that deposit as an investment.

    4. Getting a letter from the bank stating you will receive USD$2500 per month for at least 2 years (the residency is valid for 2 years, and can be renewed for additional 2 years. The renewal is unlimited)

    5. Get an accountant to certify the letter.

    There is another way to do it, using your bank in your home country, but the letters have to be issued with an apostille. It can be more complicated that it sounds. The first option is preferable.

  • In addition to the main document, it should be included the following:

    • Birth certificate with apostille.

    • Criminal records with apostille (Federal records for the USA and Canada)

    • Registration before Costarican police

    • Selfie

    • Power of attorney

    • Informed consent

    • Payment of the application fees (USD$250 plus transfers)

    Any document that is not in spanish must be translated with an official translator

    • Temporary residency under the Pensionado Category is valid for two years.

    • It can be renewed for additional two-year periods.

    • After three years of holding temporary residency, you will become eligible for permanent residency.

  • The application process for temporary residency usually takes anytime between 6 and 15 months, depending on the processing time of the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjeria (DGME), which takes approximately 9 months to analyze the application.

    This times can vary depending if we apply online, instead of the traditional application.