Costa Rica · Passive income
Rentista Residency
Open
Last verified July 2026
USD 2,500/month for two years, bank-certified, under Decreto 37112 art. 99. The familiar USD 60,000 lump-sum deposit is market practice (2,500 × 24), not a figure that appears in the regulation — and Reglamento 43926 art. 30 casts doubt on it.
The classic structure — deposit USD 60,000 with a Costa Rican bank and draw it down at USD 2,500/month — is exactly what Reglamento 43926 art. 30 now appears to attack. That matters, because it is the reason most people chose this route over Inversionista.
Qualifying routes
$2.5k
Guaranteed unearned income
per month for at least two years, certified by a bank
The facts
- Qualifying figure
- $2.5k
- Total landed cost
- the USD 60,000 deposit if that structure is used, plus roughly USD 4–10k in legal and government fees, plus CCSS contributions
- Timeline
- 8–24 months — DGME backlogs
- Physical presence
- No annual minimum; the art. 214 absence limits apply
- Family
- spousechildren under 25disabled adult children
- Permanent residency
- 3 consecutive years
- Citizenship
- 7 years; 5 for Ibero-Americans and Spaniards by birth
- Language test
- Spanish plus history and values examination
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- bank certification of USD 2,500/month guaranteed for at least two yearsclean criminal record, apostilledCCSS affiliationrenewal every two years
What can go wrong
- Reglamento 43926 art. 30 inserted a definition of 'Renta' that excludes 'el depósito que se realice… para que sea devuelto en fracciones mensuales' — which arguably kills the classic deposit-drawdown structure. Practitioners are divided and there is no settled answer. If your plan depends on the deposit route, get a written opinion before wiring anything.
- The USD 60,000 figure appears nowhere in the regulation. It is arithmetic, not law, and it is precisely the arithmetic art. 30 questions.
- The income must be guaranteed and unearned. Salary and consulting fees do not qualify.
- CCSS affiliation is mandatory and assessed on income.
- DGME backlogs commonly exceed a year.