Costa Rica Pensionado (Retired) Visa

Costa Rica's pensionado category is temporary residence for people who receive a lifetime pension. It's set by Article 79 of Law 8764 and handled by DGME inside Costa Rica.

• Status: active
• Pension: at least $1,000 a month, for life
• Length: up to 2 years, renewable
• Fees: $50, plus $200 when changing status inside the country
• Next step: permanent residence after three years

People with other steady income can look at the rentista category; the Costa Rica guide compares the routes.

• Pension: a permanent, lifetime pension from abroad of at least $1,000 a month (Law 8764, Article 81). DGME asks for proof that it's paid for life.
• Family: Yes. DGME has a dependent category for a spouse, minor children and adult children with a disability, and its page sets no higher amount for dependents.
• Local work: No. Temporary residents can do only the paid work DGME authorizes.

The $1,200 figure on some sites isn't the legal amount; the law sets $1,000.

Specific to the pensionado category: a document from a competent authority showing a lifetime pension of at least $1,000 a month, apostilled or legalized if issued abroad (DGME).

General documents for temporary residence, from the DGME regularization page:

• A signed application giving personal details, the request, current address and a way to receive notices, signed in front of a DGME official or authenticated by a lawyer.
• Two recent passport-size photos.
• A birth certificate from the country of origin, apostilled or legalized.
• A criminal record certificate from the country of origin, or from where the applicant legally lived for the last three years, apostilled or legalized. Nationals of countries with local and federal records, such as the United States, Canada, Mexico or Brazil, need a check by name, ID number and fingerprints where available.
• Certified copies of the passport's identity page, entry stamp and any entry visa.
• A fingerprint record from the Ministry of Public Security and proof of consular registration.

Foreign public documents need an apostille or consular legalization, and anything not in Spanish needs an official translation.

A spouse proves the marriage with an apostilled or legalized marriage certificate; parents file for minor children, and adult children with a disability need a medical report.

• Application: $50 per applicant.
• Change of status: $200 for applicants who file inside Costa Rica as non-residents.

Both are paid to the government at Banco de Costa Rica (DGME). The DIMEX card, a guarantee deposit, CCSS contributions, apostilles, translations and any lawyer are extra.

Where to apply: DGME Gestion de Extranjeria in Costa Rica: the Plataforma de Servicios at the central office in La Uruca or a regional DGME office.

1. Gather the pension certificate and general documents, with apostilles and Spanish translations.
2. Pay $50 and, for applicants already in Costa Rica as non-residents, $200 into the government account at Banco de Costa Rica.
3. File at DGME and follow the file until a decision.
4. After approval, enroll with the CCSS and get the DIMEX residence card.

No official processing time is published; the 50-week figure on other sites isn't official.

• Length: up to 2 years.
• Renewal: Renewable for further periods of up to two years while the original conditions still hold and the holder is enrolled with the CCSS (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social).
• Permanent residence: After three consecutive years of temporary residence the holder, spouse and first-degree relatives can apply for permanent residence.

CCSS enrollment has to run without a break from the grant to each renewal (Law 8764, Article 80).

Costa Rica taxes income from Costa Rican sources, so a foreign pension is generally outside Costa Rican income tax (Law 7092, Article 1). Tax residence follows days in the country: more than 183 days, continuous or not, in the fiscal period (Ministry of Finance). Residents with local income, such as rent from a Costa Rican property, file on that income.

Law 9996 incentives: Law 9996 gave rentistas, pensionados and investors duty-free import of household goods, up to two vehicles and a 20% exemption on property transfer tax. Applicants could opt in only during the five years from July 14, 2021, so the window closed on July 14, 2026 and no extension has been found. People who opted in keep the benefits for 10 years; new applicants don't get them.