Costa Rica expands Liberia airport and reforms coastal permits for nomads

Liberia airport expansion and coastal permit reform top the ICT agenda

Costa Rica's tourism institute is pushing to widen direct international flights into Liberia's Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) and rewrite coastal development rules that date back 30 to 70 years, ICT executive president William Rodriguez told local media. Borges took office in May for a term running through 2030 and has opened a regulatory review with hotel chambers focused on the Pacific coast, the southern Brunca region and the Caribbean.

U.S. arrivals to Liberia rose 8% in the first quarter of 2026 against the same period last year, helped by a new direct Nashville, Tenn., to Liberia route the ICT supported. British Airways plans to lift its Costa Rica frequency from three to five weekly flights between October 2026 and March 2027, shifting operations to London Heathrow, per ICT figures. Borges also backs 24-hour operations at Liberia and is pursuing routes from Italy, Scandinavia and Germany, though no decree has set a date.

Who feels the change

Remote workers based in Guanacaste or eyeing the southern Pacific stand to gain the most from added lift, cutting the 3-to-4-hour overland drive from San José. A long-discussed southern Pacific airport remains in study phase.

Investors in hotels, coliving and coastal real estate are the other target audience. Borges has flagged permitting in the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone as a priority bottleneck, which could reshape what gets built along the coast and how fast.

The digital nomad stay itself is unchanged. It still extends a 90-day tourist entry to one year, renewable for a second, with income tax exemption on qualifying foreign income.

Costs and paperwork for the nomad stay

Applicants file through the ICT and immigration authorities. Core requirements:

• Stable monthly income of at least $3,000 for individuals or $5,000 for families, per ICT
• Health insurance covering the full stay with minimum $50,000 in medical coverage
• One-time government fee of $100, deposited to Banco de Costa Rica account 001-0242480-0 (IBAN CR15015201001024248003), beneficiary "ESTADO MINISTERIO DE HACIENDA"
• A $15 processing fee charged by Banco de Costa Rica on top of sending-bank fees
• Non-Spanish documents translated by a translator registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a notary public

Holders can open a local bank account under SUGEF anti-money-laundering rules and drive on a valid foreign license.

Read our full Costa Rica guide for the complete picture.