Costa Rica Rentista Visa: Requirements, the $60,000 Deposit and Cost

Who qualifies as a rentista

Ley 8764 art. 82 defines a rentista as a foreigner with "monthly, permanent and stable income, originating or generated abroad or from banks of the National Banking System, for a minimum amount of $2,500 USD per month." The Reglamento (art. 99, as rewritten in 2023) turns that into a document requirement: a certification that for a period of not less than two years you will receive a permanent, stable monthly income of at least $2,500.

Typical rentista applicants:

• Early retirees living on investment portfolios
• Owners of rental property or a business abroad that pays them a fixed distribution
• Beneficiaries of trusts or structured settlements
• People who have sold a business or home and can fund the two-year deposit
• Couples where neither spouse has a lifetime pension

If you do have a lifetime pension of $1,000 or more, pensionado is the easier route; the comparison page explains why.

The income letter: three ways to prove it

The Reglamento accepts three forms of proof. The wording matters more than the form.

1. A letter from a Costa Rican bank. The bank certifies that it will pay you a monthly, permanent and stable income of at least $2,500 for no less than two years. This is the form used with the deposit (below).

2. A letter from a foreign bank. Issued by a bank in the country where the income originates, stating the same thing about income it holds or administers for you. The signature must be notarized and the document apostilled, then officially translated.

3. A certification by a Costa Rican CPA. When the income is not paid through a bank, a Contador Público Autorizado registered with Costa Rica's Colegio de Contadores can certify the $2,500 monthly income for two years, based on reliable documents from the source country (brokerage statements, lease agreements, trust documents, tax returns). This is the route for dividend, rental and trust income.

Whichever form you use, the letter should contain the phrase "ingreso mensual, permanente y estable no inferior a $2,500 por un período no menor de dos años" or its exact English equivalent. Letters that say "average balance", "assets under management" or "projected income" are rejected.

The $60,000 deposit, and where it stands in 2026

The number is not in any law. It is 24 months multiplied by $2,500: you deposit $60,000 USD in a Costa Rican bank (historically a state bank such as Banco Nacional or Banco de Costa Rica), and the bank issues the letter promising to pay you $2,500 a month for two years from those funds.

Two practical points if you use the deposit. The funds are yours: the bank pays them back to you at $2,500 a month, and after two years the letter has run its course, which is why at renewal you must show the income again. And when you later change to permanent residency, article 285 requires you to request the release of the remaining balance.

Complete document list

Everything from abroad must be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish. Defective documents are rejected without appeal; only omitted documents get a ten-working-day grace period.

Fingerprints are taken at the documentation stage, after approval. CAJA enrollment is also post-approval, but required before the card is released.

Spouse and children

The $2,500 covers you, your spouse and your children under 25 (or adult children with disabilities), with no additional income per dependent (Ley 8764 art. 82). Each dependent files their own document set; the spouse adds the marriage certificate. Children 18 to 25 must be single and economically dependent.

Working, leaving, and what the card allows

Rentista residency is temporary residency with a restricted work condition: you may not take paid employment in Costa Rica without Migración's authorization (Ley 8764 art. 80). Owning a company, holding investments, or earning income abroad is not prohibited. You may travel freely; residency lapses only after more than two consecutive years of absence.

Cost

The CAJA line is the hidden cost of rentista. Because you declare $2,500 a month to Migración, CAJA assesses you in the 13.77 percent band, roughly $344 per month per principal applicant in 2026, against about $100 for a pensionado on a $1,000 pension. Over two years that is a $5,800 difference. See the cost guide for the bands.

Timeline in 2026

Renewal: the rule that catches people

Renewal is every two years and requires, beyond the fees and continuous CAJA enrollment, two bank certifications (Reglamento art. 227): one confirming you still receive the stable monthly income, and, when the income comes from abroad, one from a Costa Rican bank showing that the $2,500 actually entered Costa Rica by transfer, monthly, stable and permanent. Applicants who keep their income in a U.S. brokerage and spend from a credit card have nothing to show. Open a Costa Rican account as soon as you are approved and route the income through it.

After three consecutive years you may apply for permanent residency, which removes both the income requirement and the work restriction.

Sources and legal basis

1. Ley 8764, arts. 78–82, 89, 129, 200, 255. Official text.
2. Reglamento de Extranjería, Decreto 37112-GOB, arts. 2, 99, 183, 207, 227, 285. Official text. Article 99(l) and the definition of "renta" as amended by Decreto 43926-MGP-H-TUR, Alcance 28 to La Gaceta 34, 23 February 2023.
3. DGME Resolución D.JUR-220-05-2024-JM-ABM, Alcance 109 to La Gaceta 106, 12 June 2024.
4. Practitioner descriptions of the deposit route: Costa Rica Law (2024); Investing Costa Rica (May 2026); ExpatDen (August 2026).
5. CAJA bands: CCSS Escala Contributiva 2025 with the January 2026 IVM adjustment; see the cost guide for sources.