Temporary Residency as Rentista Update

The Rentista category has suffered a significant change in the Law to Attract Investors, Rentistas and Retired Applicants. In the past, it was possible to apply for Residency as Rentista by showing a passive income in your bank account, of just $2,500.00 for the next 24 months, $60,000.00 in total. It was necessary to make monthly deposits in a bank account in Costa Rica once the residency was approved, to show you had the income required. Now, ‘renta’ means true annual income—like dividends, interest, rental yields —and not a one‑time bank deposit.

The government wants to ensure you have stable, recurring funds—so your life here is secure and you won’t become a liability to the Costa Rican government in the future.

So what qualifies now? You must prove at least $2,500.00 per month in genuine yields, documented with annual statements. A simple cash deposit of $60,000 at a Costa Rican bank no longer counts. You can show that you perceive a rental income from a property or dividends from a Corporation in which you are a shareholder.

How do you adapt? First, review your income sources and gather statements showing yearly returns. Then, prepare declarations that isolate those yields exactly as Article 30 requires.

Take note that savings are not considered rent anymore.

We can demonstrate your income through a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) letter, you will need to share your bank statements from the last twelve months so that the CPA can determine that you will indeed meet the requirements. It is not required to have the money in Costa Rica, you can use bank statements from abroad. Additionally, it is not required to make monthly deposits once your residency is approved into a Costa Rican bank account, part of the changes include this significant change that was always confusing for clients in the past.

For this type of process, you will need the following documents:

1. CPA Letter declaring a rent of $2,500 for the next twenty-four months.
2. Birth Certificate duly Apostilled/Legalized.
3. Official translation of the Birth Certificate to Spanish with the Apostille/Legalization.
4. Criminal Report duly Apostilled/Legalized.
5. Official translation of the Criminal Report to Spanish with the Apostille/Legalization.
6. Marriage Certificate duly Apostilled/Legalized if applicable.
7. Official translation of the Marriage Certificate to Spanish with the Apostille/Legalization if applicable.
8. Consular Registration.
9. Official translation to Spanish of the Consular Registration.

Please take into consideration that if your Criminal Report has records, the Immigration Department is entitled to request further documents to understand what happened with the record and this will reduce your chances up to 50% of not being approved. Of course, this will depend on the nature of the record.

The Immigration Department announced some delays regarding their times for response as they are short staffed, and the amounts of applications have increased. The process will take between 18-24 months to be approved. You and your family will be able to stay in Costa Rica while you go through the process.

Once the residency is approved, you must get enrolled in Caja, our Public Health System and request your DIMEX card. A very important detail regarding this type of residency is that it is the highest paying category in Caja. Since Caja will determine the base of your monthly fee according to the main requirement of each category, the base for Rentistas will be $2,500.00. Therefore, if you are considering going as Rentista, keep this in mind before you make a decision.

Note that the Temporary Residency will be granted for an initial period of two years and renewable every two years moving forward. For the renewal process, you will need to provide a new CPA letter declaring your income. Please avoid leaving the country for a consecutive year, if you do, you will have to obtain a new Criminal Report with the Apostille/Legalization for the renewal process and work on the translation as well. We recommend that you spend in Costa Rica at least a week or two weeks per year if you are not planning on being here permanently to avoid any issue.

The Residency will also lead you to the path of Citizenship in the future, allowing you the opportunity to become a tico or a tica and making your stay more permanent here and enjoy the Pura Vida lifestyle!

María José Mathus Baeza
Immigration Specialist
mjmb@quatro.legal

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.