Retired/Pensioner Residency

If you, or your spouse, are receiving a lifetime monthly pension of at least $1,000 USD per month (individually) you could qualify for temporary residency as a retired person, or pensionado, in Costa Rica.

Under this category, the principal applicant is allowed to obtain residency for a spouse and children as dependents.

Our approach is SIMPLE, we take care of everything ,coordinating with all professionals involved and getting all the appointments required. Do not stress, do not worry, we take care of all the process.

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  • In addition to the right to legally reside in Costa Rica, 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.

  • The pensionado category is available to foreign nationals who are currently receiving a lifetime pension (or retirement income) of at least $1,000 USD per month. The pension or retirement income can come from a government retirement program such as US Social Security, or from an independent retirement program such as workers’ union, or a pension program from a private company.

    • If your retirement income comes from various sources, you are still eligible, as long as the income from those sources adds up to at least $1,000 USD per month.

    • If you retired because of disability, you can still qualify as long as you receive the $1,000 USD per month.

    • People who retired from the military also qualify for this category as long as they meet the income requirement.

    The main requirement to file under this category is a letter, issued by the applicable pension provider, stating that the applicant receives a lifetime monthly pension of X, where X must be equal to or greater than $1,000 USD.

  • 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.