Costa Rica digital nomad visa
Costa Rica has an immigration category of stay for remote workers and service providers, handled by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME).
Stay for remote workers and service providers
- Financial means
- USD 3,000 a month, or USD 4,000 with familyIncome must come from abroad and have been received over the last year. It is shown with bank statements and a sworn statement, or with a certificate from an accountant or notary.
- Length
- One year, renewable for one more. To renew you must have spent at least 180 days in Costa Rica.
- Fee
- 100 USDThis is the application fee. Later you also pay USD 90 for the stay document, the guarantee deposit and the amount set in the approval decision.
- Health insurance
- RequiredA policy for you and each dependant for the whole stay, with at least USD 50,000 of cover for illness in Costa Rica. It can be from an insurer authorised in the country or an international policy.
How to apply depending on your passport
It's your passport's country, so you do not need this visa.As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you can live and work in Costa Rica without this visa.According to our data, your passport cannot enter Costa Rica.Your passport lets you enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa, so the first route applies to you.Your passport needs a visa to enter Costa Rica, so the second route applies to you.
If you enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa (95 of the passports we cover)
You apply online through the Trámite Ya platform or by appointment at a Migración office, from Costa Rica or from abroad.
If you need a visa to enter (103 passports)
As well as the application, you need the valid consular or restricted visa that applies to your nationality. The application is filed online through Trámite Ya or by appointment at a Migración office.
Requirements
- Work remotely, as an employee or self-employed, for people or companies abroad who pay you from outside the country.
- Give your informed consent on the digital platform, even if you apply in person.
- Have foreign documents officially translated into Spanish.
- Migración checks criminal and police records in the databases it can access.
Family
Your spouse or common-law partner, children under 25 or with a disability, and older adults who live with you can come with you.
Legal basis: Law 10008 to attract international remote workers and service providers.
Verified on 1 November 2026. Sources: Costa Rica General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners, digital nomads page (updated June 2026); Costa Rica Tourism Board, digital nomad programme and requirements. Figures change, especially those tied to a minimum wage: confirm them on the official page before you pay.
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.