Costa Rica Investor Visa (Inversionista): $150,000 Rules, Requirements and Timeline

The threshold, and the July 2026 problem

Law 9996 (2021) reduced the investment required for residency from $200,000 to $150,000 USD "for the term established by this law", and the 2023 regulation (Decreto 43926) repealed the Reglamento articles that carried the old $200,000 figure. The law's article 12 gave applicants five years from its entry into force, 14 July 2021, to opt into its incentives. That window closed on 14 July 2026.

Three readings now exist among Costa Rican practitioners: that the threshold reverts to $200,000; that it stays at $150,000 because the $200,000 regulation was repealed and only the tax incentives were time-limited; and that it is a genuine gap that Migración will resolve by directive. What is verifiable: Migración's investor checklist, checked on 8 September 2026, still publishes $150,000, and no extension law was found.

What counts as an investment

Decreto 43926 art. 7 lists the qualifying categories. They can be combined to reach the threshold, but every peso must be invested in Costa Rica.

What does not count: bank deposits and CDs, property held in a corporation or trust (only the trust's settlor may apply, and only for the categories above), assets outside Costa Rica, and promises to invest.

Why "in your own name" matters

Most foreigners buy Costa Rican property through a sociedad anónima or a limited company, for liability and estate-planning reasons. For residency purposes that is a problem: the 2023 regulation states that property "registered in the name of legal entities will not be accepted" as investment proof.

The workable structures are to buy the property personally and transfer it to a company after permanent residency, or to qualify through the shares of an active operating company rather than a holding company. Which is right depends on your tax and estate situation; it should be decided with counsel before the purchase, not after.

Complete document list

Investor files follow Decreto 43926 art. 5 rather than the general Reglamento list, and are shorter.

Consular registration and fingerprinting are not listed in the investor decree, but the general Reglamento applies as a fallback and fingerprints are taken at the card stage in any case. Bring the consular registration; it costs nothing to have.

Spouse and children

The investment covers your spouse (apostilled marriage certificate), minor children, adult children with disabilities, and unmarried children under 25 who are enrolled in studies and economically dependent. Investor dependents between 18 and 25 must show enrollment, a sworn declaration of single status and proof of dependency, which pensionado and rentista dependents do not. No additional investment is required per dependent.

What the card allows

Investor residency is temporary residency with the strictest work condition of the four paths: article 13 of the decree says holders and their dependents "may not carry out any paid manual or intellectual work." Managing your own investment and receiving its returns is inherent to the category. After three consecutive years you may apply for permanent residency and work without restriction.

Cost

Government fees are the same as for every residency category. The real additional cost of the investor route is proving the investment.

Meridian's flat program fee is $3,750; investor files that require corporate structuring or project certifications are quoted with those third-party costs at cost. The itemized breakdown is in the cost guide.

Timeline in 2026

Law 9996 created a specialized service window for investors, and the 2023 decree limits that preferential handling to files submitted through Migración's digital platform. Paper filings at the La Uruca counter are processed in the general queue.

Renewal, and what happens to the tax benefits

Renewal is every two years and requires proof that the investment has been maintained continuously and without interruption since approval, using the same evidence as the original file, plus current CCSS, employer and tax standing.

If you obtained Law 9996 tax benefits before 14 July 2026, the exempted assets must be kept for ten years, and renouncing or losing residency during the law's validity triggers repayment of the exempted taxes. If you are filing now, the benefits are not available unless the law is extended.

Sources and legal basis

1. Ley 9996, Ley para la atracción de inversionistas, rentistas y pensionados, arts. 5, 7–9, 12. La Gaceta 135, 14 July 2021.
2. Reglamento a la Ley 9996, Decreto 43926-MGP-H-TUR, arts. 2–13, 22, 25, 30–31. Alcance 28 to La Gaceta 34, 23 February 2023.
3. Ley 8764, arts. 78–80, 89, 129, 200, 255. Official text.
4. Threshold status after July 2026: Costa Rica Immigration Experts (8 September 2026); Mora & Yglesias (25 August 2026).
5. Processing times: Investing Costa Rica, May 2026.