Permanent Residency in Costa Rica for Non Retirees

In the previous post I spoke of what it takes for a retiree to gain temporary residency in Costa Rica. Today I would like to expand on that with the steps one takes to gain permanent residency in Costa Rica.

We have already discussed the basic requirements you will need in your application for a Costa Rican resident permit: a birth certificate, a clean National Criminal Certificate (or if you are in the U.S., and FBI clearance), a Marriage Certificate if you are planning for your spouse and a set of fingerprints taken by the Costa Rican Police Archives for a background check by INTERPOL. These documents are relevant for a permanent residency in Costa Rica. Click here to read a more detailed post on this.

Costa Rica is one country that is really friendly to visitors, as you might have discovered if you’ve recently visited. It is also a country where a foreigner who owns a Costa Rica villa or any Costa Rica real estate, has the same property rights as a Costa Rican citizen. If you are not a senior citizen or a retiree, there are three categories under which you may apply for a permanent resident permit in Costa Rica. The first is based on a direct family relationship with a Costa Rican citizen. This regime will grant a permanent resident status if you have family ties to a Costa Rican Citizen. It will apply if the relative in question is a spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, brother or sister. Apart from the first three, an applicant under this regime will have to be single.

An interesting category is the Entrepreneur’s Residency for entrepreneurs. If you are financially solvent and have decided to move to Costa Rica to start a business, maybe in Los Suenos for instance, you could apply for a permanent residency under this category. You will need to have a business plan though and submit that along with your application. You may work, but only at your business.

The Financially Sound Immigrant Residency also grants a permanent residency for foreign citizens who are financially sound and want to relocate permanently to Costa Rica, but have not yet determined where their income will come from. This category is a bit tricky because it is usually by the discretion of the Immigration Council and besides, the policies and procedures frequently change. If you are not sure that you qualify for a resident permit in Costa Rica under any of the categories above, you could apply under this one.

Regardless of the regime you choose to apply under, once you are in Costa Rica you will need to see about where you will stay. There are Costa Rican villas available and Condos for sale. If you are interested in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica you should check out the Los Suenos condos.

This is the last of the Costa Rica Residency series. If you still have questions to ask, contact us at Coldwell Banker Group, Jaco. We have a wealth of experience in assisting foreigners who wish to relocate to Costa Rica and can refer you to legal specialists who focus on residency applications.