Costa Rica's territorial tax system means your foreign income is not taxed even after you become a formal tax resident by crossing 183 days in-country. This makes the nomad visa one of the cleaner live-in-a-good-place-and-pay-nothing structures in Latin America.
Who Can Apply and What Income Qualifies
To qualify, you must earn at least $3,000 per month from foreign sources, meaning income generated outside Costa Rica. Employment income from a foreign company, freelance contracts with foreign clients, and income from a foreign-registered business all count. Costa Rican clients or locally sourced revenue do not satisfy the requirement. Adding dependents (spouse or children) raises the threshold by $500 per dependent per month.
Documents You Need Before You File
Gather these before touching the online portal: a valid passport with at least one year of remaining validity, a criminal background check apostilled from your home country (or every country where you lived for more than three months in the past five years), proof of income for the past three months (bank statements, employer letter, or contracts), and proof of health insurance with at least $20,000 in coverage valid in Costa Rica. All documents not in Spanish must be officially translated by a certified Costa Rican translator. The full requirements breakdown with exact document specs is here.
The Application Process Itself
Applications are submitted in person at DGME offices in San José or through a licensed Costa Rican immigration attorney, which is the route most applicants use to avoid rejected filings. The government fee is approximately $100 at filing, plus a separate $50 legal stamp fee. Once submitted with a complete package, DGME has up to 90 days to issue a decision, though approvals in the 30 to 60 day range are common when documents are clean. You receive a temporary residency certificate first, then collect your physical residency card (DIMEX) at a separate appointment.
Attorney Fees and Total Cost to Budget
Most applicants hire a local immigration attorney, which runs $800 to $1,500 depending on complexity and whether dependents are included. Translation costs add $50 to $150 per document. Apostille fees vary by country of origin but budget $100 to $300 for that step. Health insurance, if purchased locally, costs roughly $80 to $200 per month depending on your age and coverage tier. All-in, most single applicants spend $1,500 to $2,500 to get from document gathering through approval.
Tax Status While on the Visa
Costa Rica operates on a territorial tax system, so income earned from foreign sources is not subject to Costa Rican income tax. This is a core reason the visa is attractive to nomads who already structure income offshore. If you stay beyond 183 days in a calendar year, Costa Rica considers you a tax resident, but that status still does not trigger taxation on foreign-source income under the territorial system. You should still file a tax return in your home country according to its rules, particularly if you are a U.S. citizen subject to FBAR and FATCA obligations regardless of where you live.
Common Rejection Reasons and How to Avoid Them
The most frequent rejection triggers are apostille errors (wrong authority, expired date), income documentation that shows inconsistency across months, and health insurance policies that do not explicitly state coverage in Costa Rica. A second common issue is submitting background checks from only your passport country when you have lived in multiple countries. Using a licensed Costa Rican immigration attorney does not guarantee approval but substantially reduces filing errors. If rejected, you can refile with corrected documents and there is no mandatory waiting period.
Things people ask first.
Can I apply for the Costa Rica digital nomad visa from inside Costa Rica as a tourist?
Yes, you can apply while on a tourist entry stamp, which is how most applicants do it. You do not need to leave the country first. Your tourist status converts to temporary residency once DGME approves the application.
Does the $3,000 income requirement apply to gross or net income?
DGME looks at demonstrable gross income deposited into your accounts or documented via contracts and employer letters. Net income after taxes can be used if that is what your bank statements show, but you want three months of consistent deposits above $3,000 to avoid questions.
How long does the criminal background check apostille remain valid?
DGME requires the background check to have been issued no more than six months before your application filing date. Plan the apostille step last, after your other documents are ready, so you do not run out the clock.
Can my spouse and children be included in the same application?
Yes, dependents can be included. Each dependent requires their own criminal background check (if over 18) and adds $500 per month to your minimum income threshold. Children under 18 need a birth certificate translated and apostilled.
What happens after the two-year visa plus one renewal period ends?
After the maximum four years on the nomad visa, you cannot renew again in the same category. Many holders transition to a Rentista or Pensionado residency category, apply for a different qualifying residency, or simply leave and restart under different personal circumstances.
Do I need to enroll in Costa Rica's social security (CCSS) on this visa?
The nomad visa category is structured around private health insurance rather than CCSS enrollment, which is why the visa requires a qualifying private policy. You are not required to enroll in CCSS as a condition of the visa.
Want the full offshore residency and tax structure that makes Costa Rica work at the highest level?
The nomad visa gets you in the door, but the Offshore Playbook covers how to pair territorial tax residency with the right banking, entity structure, and exit from your home country's tax net so the setup actually holds.
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