To retire in Costa Rica you need temporary residence as a pensionado, with a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month, or as a rentista, with stable income of at least US$2,500 a month proved for at least two years. No investment is required, and permanent residence may be requested after three consecutive years.
- Two categories, no investment. Pensionado: a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month. Rentista: stable income of at least US$2,500 a month, proved for at least two years.
- Still open. Only the window to opt into the Ley 9996 incentives closed, in July 2026; the categories sit in Ley 8764 and Decreto 37112 and remain in force.
- Two-year permit, then permanence. Temporary residence runs for up to two years, renews with uninterrupted Caja (CCSS) affiliation, and permanent residence may be requested after three consecutive years.
- No minimum stay. Temporary residence is at risk only after more than two consecutive years abroad, unless a proven cause such as health or family applies.
- Tax. Territorial: foreign dividends, interest, rent and royalties are not taxed for individuals; the treatment of a foreign pension is not yet officially confirmed, and your home country may still tax it.
- Golden, 71.4 out of 100. The route meets the standard of the Mirabello Golden Retirement Index, with confidence grade B.
What visa do you need to retire in Costa Rica?
To retire in Costa Rica you need temporary residence in one of two categories of the migration law, Ley 8764: pensionado, for a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month, or rentista, for stable income of at least US$2,500 a month proved for at least two years. Neither category asks for an investment.
Both categories are listed in article 79, incisos 9 and 10, of the Ley General de Migración y Extranjería, Ley 8764, with the income tests in articles 81 and 82. The procedure is in the Reglamento de Extranjería, Decreto Ejecutivo 37112-GOB, articles 99 and 100. Mirabello Consultancy read both on SINALEVI, Costa Rica's official legal database, on 11 October 2026, and checks them again before any filing, because consolidated texts can lag behind amendments. The authority is the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).
The permit runs for up to two years and renews on the same conditions. It is residence, not citizenship, and never comes with a passport. For the full programme overview, see our Costa Rica retirement visa page.
Is the Costa Rica pensionado programme still open after Ley 9996?
Costa Rica's pensionado and rentista categories remain open in October 2026. Only the window to opt into the incentives of Ley 9996, a separate law of 2021, closed in July 2026. The residence categories themselves sit in Ley 8764 and Decreto 37112, which remain in force, independent of Ley 9996 (Decreto 43926, article 15).
Ley 9996 of 5 July 2021 offered optional incentives to investors, rentiers and pensioners who opted in. Under its article 12, the window to opt in ran from the law's entry into force on 14 July 2021 and closed in July 2026, a date we computed from the law, as we have not seen an official notice fixing it. Holders who opted in keep their incentives for ten years from the grant. Some guides say the pensionado programme ended in July 2026. It did not: only the incentive window closed.
Should you apply as a pensionado or a rentista?
Choose the pensionado category if you receive a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month, and the rentista category if you live on stable income of at least US$2,500 a month, proved for at least two years. The pensionado test is lower, and pensionado renewal needs no proof that money is transferred into Costa Rica.
| Requirement | Pensionado | Rentista |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum income | US$1,000 a month | US$2,500 a month (US$30,000 a year) |
| What counts | A permanent, stable pension from abroad, evidenced as a lifetime pension | Stable, permanent monthly income generated abroad or paid by Sistema Bancario Nacional banks |
| How it is proved | A document from the competent authority, apostilled or legalised if issued abroad | A bank document or a certified public accountant (CPA) certificate covering at least two years |
| Dependants | Spouse, children under 25 and adult children with a disability, with no extra income per dependant | |
| Term | Temporary residence for up to two years, renewable on the same conditions | |
| Renewal | Uninterrupted Caja (CCSS) affiliation; no transfer-in proof (Decreto 37112 art. 228) | Uninterrupted Caja (CCSS) affiliation, plus proof that the income is maintained and, for funds from abroad, transferred monthly through Costa Rican banks (art. 227) |
| Permanent residence | May be requested after three consecutive years of temporary residence | |
| Legal basis | Ley 8764 art. 81; Decreto 37112 art. 100 | Ley 8764 art. 82; Decreto 37112 art. 99 |
Whether a private pension, an annuity or an insurer's statement counts as a lifetime pension is not defined in the text, and DGME practice is not yet officially confirmed, so we review your pension documents before you file. For rentistas, a bank deposit paid back in monthly instalments is not income for the test (Decreto 37112, article 2, as added by Decreto 43926, article 30), whatever some guides say. Neither category offers a savings or net-worth alternative; if your plans rest on capital, compare other routes in our retirement residency directory.
Can your spouse and children join you in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica's pensionado and rentista residence lets you request status for your spouse and for children under 25, or adult children with a disability, on the same income. The texts we read on 11 October 2026 set no extra income per dependant, so one US$1,000 pension or US$2,500 of rentista income covers the family request.
The rule sits in Ley 8764, article 82, and Decreto 37112, articles 99 and 100. By comparison, Guatemala's pensionado and rentista residence asks for US$300 a month more for each dependant on top of its US$1,250 floor.
How do you apply for Costa Rica's pensionado or rentista residence, step by step?
You apply to Costa Rica's DGME for temporary residence as a pensionado or rentista, with apostilled or legalised proof of your pension or income. Once residence is granted, you keep your affiliation to the Caja, Costa Rica's social security fund, uninterrupted, renew within two years on the same conditions, and may request permanent residence after three consecutive years.
- Choose your category, pensionado or rentista, against the income tests above.
- Obtain the income proof: the competent authority's document proving a lifetime pension, apostilled or legalised, or a bank document or CPA certificate covering two years of rentista income.
- Prepare the family file. The official requirement sheets we hold date from 2021, so we confirm the current DGME checklist for you and each dependant.
- File with the DGME and await the resolution.
- Affiliate to the Caja (CCSS) and keep the affiliation uninterrupted from the date of grant.
- Renew on the same conditions; rentistas also show that the income is maintained and arrives by monthly transfer through the Costa Rican banking system (Decreto 37112 art. 227).
- Request permanent residence after three consecutive years (Ley 8764 art. 78 inc. 1).
How long does approval take? Costa Rica's current processing time is not yet officially confirmed. The DGME's rentista requirements sheet, archived on 9 July 2021, stated that Migración has 90 days to resolve a complete file, and the general administrative rule is two months from the petition (Ley General de la Administración Pública, article 261). We could not read current DGME guidance on 11 October 2026, so we confirm the timeline for your case.
Not sure your pension counts as a lifetime pension?
Book a free, confidential consultation and we will review your pension or income documents against the pensionado and rentista tests before you apply.
How much does it cost to retire in Costa Rica on a pensionado or rentista visa?
Costa Rica's pensionado and rentista residence requires no investment: the main commitment is the income itself, US$1,000 a month of pension or US$2,500 a month (US$30,000 a year) of rentista income. Government fees, the residence document, Caja contributions, legal fees and document costs come on top, and we confirm them for each case.
We do not quote a government fee or a Caja contribution figure, because no official figure for either is in our verified data; budget too for apostilles, translations and travel. The cost of daily life is personal: the Mirabello Golden Retirement Index scores the route, not the cost of living. At consultation we give you a written estimate for your family.
How does the Caja work for retirees in Costa Rica?
The Caja, formally the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), is Costa Rica's social security fund, and affiliation to it is part of pensionado and rentista residence. Affiliation gives access to public healthcare, and it must remain uninterrupted from the date of grant, because each renewal checks it (Ley 8764 arts. 80 and 86; Decreto 37112 art. 184 f).
The Caja is therefore a running commitment rather than a one-off step, and a gap in affiliation is a risk at renewal. We confirm the current contribution for your case, as none is in our verified data. In the Mirabello Golden Retirement Index, Costa Rica earns 3 of the 5 points for healthcare.
Do you have to live in Costa Rica to keep your residence?
Costa Rica sets no minimum stay for pensionado and rentista residence. The DGME may cancel temporary residence after more than two consecutive years abroad, unless health, study, family or other proven causes apply (Ley 8764 art. 129 inc. 6; Decreto 37112 art. 214). For permanent residents, the limit is more than four consecutive years abroad.
Before a long absence, you can ask for the absence clock to be suspended (Ley 8764 art. 132). Some guides say retirees must spend several months a year in the country; the consolidated texts we read set no such minimum. Presence also matters for tax: more than 183 days in Costa Rica in the fiscal period makes you tax-resident (Decreto 43198-H art. 10), and the permit alone does not. Our guide to retirement routes with no minimum stay compares this rule with other countries.
How does Costa Rica tax a foreign pension?
Costa Rica taxes individuals on a territorial basis: Costa Rican-source income is taxed, while foreign-source dividends, interest, rent and royalties are not taxed for individuals (Ley 7092 art. 1, last paragraph, added by Ley 10381 of 2023; art. 27 bis). How Costa Rica treats a foreign pension paid to a tax resident is not yet officially confirmed.
The open point is in the income tax law itself. Articles 32 and 33 of the Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta, Ley 7092, read on 11 October 2026, tax pensions of any regime received by persons domiciled in Costa Rica, with no express Costa Rican-source limit, and we found no tax-authority text placing foreign pensions outside them. Until we read an official criterion, we do not describe a foreign pension as untaxed in Costa Rica, and you should not plan on it without advice.
Three further points apply. The 15% capital gains tax covers disposals of assets located in Costa Rica, not assets abroad, and its exemptions are not yet officially confirmed. Tax follows tax residence, not the permit. And the country that pays your pension may still tax it under its own law and any tax treaty; US citizens, for example, remain taxable in the United States on their worldwide income wherever they live. Our guide to countries that don't tax foreign pensions sets out the wider picture. This is general information, not tax advice.
When can you get permanent residence or citizenship in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica lets pensionados and rentistas request permanent residence after three consecutive years of temporary residence (Ley 8764 art. 78 inc. 1), so the route needs one renewal first. Citizenship is a separate naturalisation application: the Constitution sets a floor of seven years of residence, or five for Central American, Spanish and Ibero-American nationals by birth.
Naturalisation under Ley 1155 also has conditions on means, language and record, and its rules on continuity of residence are not yet confirmed. Whether you can keep your existing nationality also depends on your home country's law. The residence permit itself never gives you a passport.
How does Costa Rica compare with other golden retirement visas in Latin America?
Costa Rica's pensionado and rentista residence is a golden retirement visa in the Mirabello Golden Retirement Index, scoring 71.4 out of 100 with confidence grade B. A golden retirement visa is a residence permit, not citizenship, with no investment required. In Latin America, Panama, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru also reach the Golden tier.
Two things keep Costa Rica at the lower end of that group. Its score flags that the income must be transferred to the country, a rule the texts apply to rentista renewal, and the two-year permit with one renewal before permanent residence earns 4 of the 12 points for durability, whereas Panama, Guatemala, Uruguay and Peru give permanent or indefinite status from the start.
| Route | Tier and score | Income test | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama Pensionado | Golden, 90 (A) | Lifetime pension of B/. 1,000 a month | Never: permanent from the start |
| Guatemala pensionado and rentista | Golden, 82.5 (B) | US$1,250 a month, plus US$300 per dependant | Never: permanent from the start |
| Paraguay retirement residency | Golden, 78 (B) | A pension (see the route page) | None: permanent residence at the first expiry |
| Uruguay residency for retirees | Golden, 75.9 (A) | No fixed minimum; assessed case by case | Never: permanent from the start |
| Peru Rentista | Golden, 71.5 (B) | US$1,000 a month net from a foreign source | Never: permanent from the start |
| Costa Rica pensionado and rentista | Golden, 71.4 (B) | US$1,000 a month (pensionado); US$2,500 a month (rentista) | 1 renewal, then permanent residence |
| Mexico permanent residency | Partial, 75.5 (B) | MXN 133,733.40 a month of pension | Never: permanent from the start |
| Dominican Republic pensionado and rentista | Partial, 62 (B) | US$1,500 a month (pensionado); US$2,000 a month (rentista) | Every year, with no permanent status |
Costa Rica's strengths are the modest pensionado threshold, family cover with no extra income per dependant, no minimum stay and public healthcare through the Caja. If permanence from day one matters more, look at Panama and Guatemala; Peru's term is indefinite but its absence rule is stricter. For the wider region, read our pensionado and rentista visas compared, or ask Mira, by Mirabello, the AI advisor of Mirabello Immigration Intelligence, to compare the routes against your own pension.
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In summary
Retiring in Costa Rica in 2026 takes a residence permit, not an investment: pensionado residence on a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month, or rentista residence on stable income of at least US$2,500 a month proved for two years. Both categories remain open after Ley 9996, both renew with uninterrupted Caja affiliation, and both lead to permanent residence after three consecutive years. The points to plan carefully are your pension evidence, the rentista transfer rule and your tax position, in Costa Rica and at home.
Mirabello Consultancy prepares pensionado and rentista applications with Swiss precision. Book your free consultation and we will confirm which category fits you and what the full process will involve. This article is general information and not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What visa do I need to retire in Costa Rica?
You need temporary residence as a pensionado or as a rentista under Ley 8764. Pensionados show a lifetime pension from abroad of at least US$1,000 a month; rentistas show stable income of at least US$2,500 a month for at least two years. Neither category requires an investment, and the permit gives residence, not citizenship.
Is the Costa Rica pensionado programme still open in 2026?
Yes. The pensionado and rentista categories sit in Ley 8764 and Decreto 37112 and remain in force. What closed in July 2026 was only the window to opt into the incentives of Ley 9996, a separate law of 2021; holders who opted in keep those incentives for ten years from the grant.
How much income do I need to retire in Costa Rica?
US$1,000 a month as a pensionado, from a lifetime pension paid from abroad, or US$2,500 a month (US$30,000 a year) as a rentista, proved for at least two years by a bank document or a CPA certificate. The same income lets you request status for your spouse and children under 25, with no extra amount per dependant in the texts we read.
Can I qualify as a rentista with savings in a bank?
Not by drawing savings down. A bank deposit paid back to you in monthly instalments is expressly not income for the rentista test (Decreto 37112, article 2, as added by Decreto 43926). The income must be stable and permanent, generated abroad or paid by Costa Rican banks, and proved for two years. Neither category offers a savings or net-worth alternative.
How does the Caja work for retirees in Costa Rica?
Affiliation to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), Costa Rica's social security fund, is part of pensionado and rentista residence and gives access to public healthcare. It must stay uninterrupted from the date of grant, because each renewal checks it. We confirm the current contribution for your case, as no official figure is in our verified data.
Do I have to spend four months a year in Costa Rica?
No. The consolidated texts we read set no minimum stay for pensionados or rentistas. The DGME may cancel temporary residence only after more than two consecutive years abroad, unless health, study, family or another proven cause applies, and permanent residence after more than four. Spending more than 183 days in Costa Rica in the fiscal period makes you tax-resident, which is a separate test.
Will Costa Rica tax my foreign pension?
Costa Rica taxes individuals territorially and does not tax foreign dividends, interest, rent or royalties. The treatment of a foreign pension is not yet officially confirmed, because Ley 7092 articles 32 and 33 tax pensions of persons domiciled in Costa Rica with no express source limit. Your home country may also tax the pension. This is general information, not tax advice.
When can I get permanent residence in Costa Rica?
You may request permanent residence after three consecutive years of temporary residence as a pensionado or rentista (Ley 8764 art. 78 inc. 1). Because the temporary permit runs for up to two years, you renew once before that point. Naturalisation is a separate step, with a floor of seven years of residence, or five for Central American, Spanish and Ibero-American nationals by birth.
How long does the Costa Rica pensionado application take?
Costa Rica's current processing time is not yet officially confirmed. The DGME's rentista requirements sheet, archived in July 2021, stated 90 days to resolve a complete file, and the general administrative rule is two months from the petition. We could not read current DGME guidance on 11 October 2026, so we confirm the expected timeline for your case at consultation.
How do I start with Mirabello Consultancy?
Book a free, confidential consultation through our contact page. We check whether your pension or income meets the pensionado or rentista test, review your pension documents, confirm the current DGME requirements and costs, and coordinate the application with licensed local counsel.
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