Residency vs. Citizenship in Costa Rica

In this article, we will be talking about the differences between the residency process and the citizenship process.

The Costa Rica Residency Process

Costa Rica residency is a process that can be requested through a temporary residency at the immigration department in Costa Rica. There are different types of categories to apply for a temporary residency. The most popular ones are investor, rentista, or retired.

Temporary residency will be granted for an initial period of two years, renewable for another extra two years moving forward. This is a restricted category, so that means that you won’t be able to legally work in Costa Rica throughout the process. The residency will also give you the opportunity to become a permanent resident after holding a temporary residency for three years.

Once you become a permanent resident, you will be able to work in Costa Rica.

As far as documents required, every type of residency will require:

• Apostilled or legalized birth certificates for all applicants
• Apostilled or legalized background checks for applicants of more than 18 years of age
• Apostilled or legalized marriage certificate, if applicable

If you go through investor, you will need to make an investment of at least $150,000. If you go through rentista, you will need a letter from a CPA stating that you will have $2,500 for the next 24 months. And if you go through retired, you will need a pension letter of at least $1,000.

You will be able to legally stay in the country while going through the process of residency. The only exception is if you have a driver’s license. If you’re planning on driving around in Costa Rica, you will need to do a border run or leave the country every 90 or 180 days (in accordance with your tourist visa) in order to keep your driver’s license valid.

Finally, the residency process is currently taking between 16 to 18 months to be approved.

Citizenship Process in Costa Rica

Now, the citizenship process is requested at TSC, the Supreme Electorate Court, and you have two ways to apply for a citizenship process.

1. Through marriage: You need to have two years married to a Tico or a Tica and to have also spent that same amount of time living in Costa Rica (730 days to be precise.) It is mandatory that the marriage is registered here in Costa Rica as well.

2. Through residency: If you come from a non-Spanish speaking country, such as the U. S. or Canada, you need to have seven years as a resident to apply for the citizenship process. If you come from a Spanish speaking country, such as Mexico or Argentina, you need to have five years as a resident to apply for citizenship.

The validity of the documents required for the citizenship process is shorter compared to the immigration department. Background checks will only be valid for three months at the TSC. The citizenship process is taking between 10 months to a year and a half to be approved. At the end of the process, you will obtain a naturalization letter and a cédula.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the content, laws and regulations are subject to change. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please contact our office directly. Some images may be AI generated.