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Pathway

Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa

Costa Rica Residency

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At a glance

This residence pathway is for remote workers who want to live in Costa Rica while their work stays outside the country. It generally requires foreign-source work, reliable income, health coverage, and no ordinary local employment.

Type
Remote-work residence
Work setup
Remote workers whose job or clients stay abroad
Core requirements
Remote work, foreign income, insurance, and funds
Local work
Usually does not allow ordinary local employment
Duration
Initial stay is 1 year.
Renewal / path
Renewable once for a second year if stay requirements are met.

Summary

The Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa — officially the Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos — was created by Law 10008 in August 2021 and began accepting applications in 2022. It lets remote workers live in Costa Rica for one year, renewable for a second year, while keeping their income exempt from Costa Rican tax.

The program is aimed at employees and freelancers whose income comes from abroad. You show a year's worth of bank statements or an employer letter, and a qualifying health insurance policy.

Eligibility

You qualify when all of the following are true:

Documenting income

Tax treatment

This is the big draw. Digital-nomad visa holders get an exemption from Costa Rican income tax on the foreign-earned income that got them the visa. Costa Rica also exempts them from import duties on equipment and household goods they bring in, and validates their home-country driver's license without local re-testing.

Your home country tax obligations don't change — US citizens still file US returns on worldwide income. If you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) by spending 330+ days outside the US, the combination of FEIE plus the Costa Rica exemption can be very favorable.

Renewal and duration

After that, you either leave, move to another residency category (Rentista is a natural conversion — DNV income often counts toward the $2,500/month Rentista bar), or pause and reapply later.

DNV time doesn't count toward citizenship

Unlike Pensionado, Rentista, or Inversionista, the Digital Nomad Visa is a non-residency status. Time spent in Costa Rica under the DNV does not count toward naturalization. If you want a path to Costa Rican citizenship, convert to a residency category within the two-year window.

What This Route Allows

This route can allow you to live in Costa Rica while working remotely for clients or an employer outside the country. It is mainly a temporary residence option, although some countries allow later renewal or a separate long-term residence step.

What This Route Is Not

This is not usually a local employment visa or a direct citizenship route. Most digital nomad routes limit work for local employers and must be renewed or replaced by another status later.

Next Steps

  1. Apply online through Trámite Ya, the Costa Rican government's digital services portal. The DNV process is fully online.
  2. Upload your documents. Identity (passport), income proof (bank statements and employer/CPA letter), health-insurance policy, background check, and a sworn statement that your work is remote.
  3. Pay the fee. Roughly $190 for the application plus $90 on approval.
  4. Wait for DGME review. DGME is Costa Rica's immigration directorate. Watch for document requests and respond through the online application platform.
  5. Enter Costa Rica and register. On entry, register with DGME to activate the visa. You receive a DIMEX card, Costa Rica's foreign-resident ID card, for the duration of the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV).
  6. Renew before month 12 if you want the second year. You need to have spent at least 80 days in Costa Rica during year one.

Sources