Costa Rica · Passive income
Passive-Income Residency (Rentista)
Open
Last verified July 2026
USD 2,500 a month for two years, certified by a bank, under Decreto 37112 art. 99. The familiar USD 60,000 lump-sum deposit is market practice, arrived at by multiplying 2,500 by 24. It does not appear anywhere in the regulation, and Reglamento 43926 art. 30 now casts doubt on it.
The classic structure is simple: deposit USD 60,000 with a Costa Rican bank, then draw it down at USD 2,500 a month. That is exactly what Reglamento 43926 art. 30 now appears to target. It matters because that structure is the reason most people chose this route over Inversionista in the first place.
Qualifying routes
$2.5k
Guaranteed unearned income
Per month, for at least two years, certified by a bank.
The facts
- Minimum
- $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.
- Route type
- Income requirement
- Timeline
- 8–24 months (DGME backlogs.)
- Physical presence
- There is no annual minimum. The absence limits under art. 214 still apply.
- Family
- SpouseChildren under 25Disabled adult children
- Permanent residency
- 3 consecutive years.
- Citizenship
- 7 years, or 5 years for Ibero-Americans and Spaniards by birth.
- Language test
- A Spanish exam, plus a test on history and values.
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- bank certification showing 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 added a new definition of income, Renta, that excludes any deposit made with the intention of having it returned in monthly instalments. That arguably kills the classic deposit-drawdown structure. Practitioners are divided, and there is no settled answer yet. If your plan depends on the deposit route, get a written opinion before you wire anything.
- The USD 60,000 figure appears nowhere in the regulation. It is arithmetic, not law, and it is exactly the arithmetic that art. 30 now calls into question.
- The income must be guaranteed and unearned. Salary and consulting fees do not count.
- Affiliation with the CCSS is mandatory, and contributions are assessed on income.
- DGME backlogs commonly run past a year.