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🇨🇷 Digital Nomad Stay (Estancia)
Costa Rica digital nomad visa for Americans
The Digital Nomad Stay (Estancia) lets you live in Costa Rica while you keep working for clients or an employer outside the country. Income needed: $3,000/mo ($4,000 w/ family) (about $3,000 a month). Length: 1 yr.
🛂 Open to applications 🧾 Friendly tax Mexico & Central America
The visa in numbers
📊 At about $3,000 a month, Costa Rica's bar is higher than 18 and lower than 23 of the 42 open nomad visas with a set income minimum. Compare all nomad visas →
Requirements and details
| 🛂 Visa | Digital Nomad Stay (Estancia) |
| 💵 Income needed | $3,000/mo ($4,000 w/ family) ≈ $3,000 a month in US dollars at current rates |
| 💳 Fees | ~$100 + $90 permit |
| ⏳ How long it lasts | 1 yr |
| 🔁 Renewal | Yes → +1 yr |
| 📍 Where you apply | Both → apply online/in-country to Migración, or from abroad |
| 📆 Time you must spend there | DNV: ~80 days/yr min. Rentista/Pensionado: 1 day/yr technically → famously light |
| 🏠 Path to permanent residency | DNV: no. Rentista/Pensionado: yes → PR after 3 yrs |
| 🧾 Tax | Territorial system → foreign income not taxed even as resident ⭐ 🟢 Friendly · Local income only · top rate 25% |
| 📝 Good to know | Tax-exempt on foreign income; import gear duty-free |
| 📄 Documents |
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Not working remotely? The passive-income route
Rentista / Pensionado: Rentista $2,500/mo (or $60k deposit); Pensionado $1,000/mo pension. 2-yr renewable; the real PR track.
Can the income bar cover life in Costa Rica?
All-in monthly cost for one person (everyday living costs plus a 1-bedroom city-centre rent), from the cities we cover.
| City | All-in / month | Income bar covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇷 San José | $1,991 | 1.5× |
Data last updated · Source: Curated immigration research (confidence: high)
Costa Rica nomad visa: common questions
How much income do I need for Costa Rica's digital nomad visa?
$3,000/mo ($4,000 w/ family). That's about $3,000 a month in US dollars at current exchange rates.
How long does the Digital Nomad Stay (Estancia) last, and can I renew it?
1 yr. Renewal: Yes → +1 yr.
Where do I apply?
Both → apply online/in-country to Migración, or from abroad.
What documents do I need?
Passport, $3k/mo income proof (12 months), insurance covering CR, background check, biometrics in-country. Requirements vary by consulate, so check the current list before you book an appointment.
Can it lead to permanent residency in Costa Rica?
DNV: no. Rentista/Pensionado: yes → PR after 3 yrs.
Will I pay tax in Costa Rica as a digital nomad?
Territorial system → foreign income not taxed even as resident ⭐. As an American you also stay taxable by the IRS on your worldwide income wherever you live; the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and foreign tax credits usually stop you paying twice. Compare taxes abroad for Americans.