Costa Rica Investor Visa in 2026

Costa Rica's Investor category is temporary residence for a foreign national who makes and maintains a qualifying investment in Costa Rica. In September 2026, however, applicants must handle the minimum-investment figure with unusual care because the temporary Law 9996 reduction has reached the end of its statutory window while its implementing regulation still displays the reduced amount.

Post-14-July-2026 warning: Law 9996 temporarily reduced the investor threshold from the prior US$200,000 baseline to US$150,000. The Legislative Assembly's official record states that those regulations were valid for five years from entry into force. Law 9996 was published on 14 July 2021, so that five-year period ended on 14 July 2026. The 2023 implementing regulation still says US$150,000, creating a regulatory mismatch that new applicants should resolve with DGME before committing capital or filing.

For conservative planning after the expiry date, ReloTide uses the pre-reduction US$200,000 threshold as the baseline unless DGME confirms that a lower current threshold is legally accepted for the specific filing.

Why the threshold is complicated in 2026

Before Law 9996, Article 87 of the Reglamento de Extranjería required an investment of at least US$200,000 in qualifying assets/projects.

Law 9996 then provided that, for the term established by that law, the investor category would use a new minimum of US$150,000. The Legislative Assembly's official summary says the regulations created by Law 9996 would have a five-year validity from the law's entry into force.

The law was published in La Gaceta on 14 July 2021. Accordingly, the five-year incentive/reduction window reached its end on 14 July 2026.

The complication is that Executive Decree 43926, the 2023 implementing regulation, still states that a person may qualify as an investor with at least US$150,000. A 2025 DGME renewal-resolution text likewise still reflects that amount because it was issued before the statutory five-year period ended.

The hierarchy matters. A subordinate regulation cannot safely be treated as extending a statutory temporary reduction beyond the law's stated period without a current legal basis. That is why a new September 2026 applicant should obtain current written DGME confirmation before relying on US$150,000.

What investment types can qualify?

The traditional investor framework and Law 9996 materials identify qualifying investment forms including:

  • real estate;
  • other registrable movable assets;
  • shares;
  • securities;
  • productive projects; and
  • projects declared of national interest.

The Law 9996 regulation also added venture-capital funds and sustainable-tourism infrastructure projects to the framework used during the law's incentive period.

Where an investment is made through a trust, the regulation says only the settlor/investor who actually makes the investment can qualify under that structure.

The investment has to be documented in the manner required for the asset type and, for renewal, maintained continuously and uninterruptedly as required by the current rules.

Is US$150,000 still enough?

Do not assume it is for a new post-14-July-2026 filing.

The official evidence currently points in two directions:

  1. Primary statute / Legislative Assembly record: the reduced US$150,000 threshold was part of Law 9996's time-limited five-year regime.
  2. Older implementing regulation: Article 4 of the 2023 regulation still displays US$150,000.

Because the statutory period has expired and no newer primary source located in this verification clearly extends the temporary reduction, ReloTide treats US$200,000 as the conservative post-expiry planning baseline, while explicitly advising applicants to obtain a current DGME position before investing.

This is a better representation of the law than silently copying a pre-expiry US$150,000 marketing article or pretending the regulatory inconsistency does not exist.

Required evidence

The exact evidence depends on the investment type. The framework commonly requires:

  • the temporary-residence application and government payment;
  • birth and criminal-record certificates with the required legalization/apostille;
  • passport and lawful-entry evidence;
  • proof of the qualifying investment and its value;
  • registry certification for registered assets/property where applicable;
  • corporate/notarial certification for shares;
  • SUGEVAL or other official evidence for qualifying securities where applicable;
  • accountant and project evidence for productive or national-interest projects;
  • tax/municipal compliance evidence where the category requires it; and
  • relationship documentation for dependants.

Applicants should use the current DGME investor checklist for the chosen asset type rather than treating a property checklist as universal.

Application process

1. Confirm the current threshold before investing

Because of the July 2026 expiry issue, this is now a critical first step. Obtain a current DGME/legal position on the applicable minimum for a new application.

2. Select a qualifying investment form

Make sure the asset/project type is eligible and can produce the documentary trail required by DGME.

3. Complete and register the investment correctly

Where registration with the National Registry, securities regulator, corporate books or other authority is required, the evidence has to match the immigration framework.

4. Prepare civil documents

Obtain birth/criminal records, apostille/legalization and Spanish translations where required.

5. File the temporary-residence application

Submit the current DGME forms and supporting evidence with the required government payments.

6. Complete DIMEX/residence documentation

After approval, complete the document-production, guarantee/deposit, CCSS and other documentation steps that apply.

Fees

The pre-Law-9996 Investor regulation specified a US$50 temporary-residence application payment plus the applicable fiscal stamps. The current filing should use DGME's live fee instructions because documentation, guarantee, DIMEX and immigration-fund amounts are separate.

DGME's basic DIMEX production cost has been US$43 since 1 January 2025, before other statutory amounts that may be added.

Private legal, due-diligence, registry, property-transfer, tax, appraisal, translation and apostille costs are not government immigration fees.

Permit validity

The Law 9996 implementing regulation provides that Investor temporary residence is granted for two years, renewable for equal periods.

Renewal requires proof that the qualifying investment has been maintained continuously and uninterruptedly from the grant of regular status.

A person whose investment falls below the legally required amount, is disposed of, ceases to qualify or cannot be documented may jeopardize renewal.

Dependants

Costa Rican Investor residence has historically included qualifying dependants under the temporary-residence framework. Relationship evidence and the dependant's own documentation have to satisfy the current DGME requirements.

Dependants should not assume that residence automatically grants unrestricted work rights. Work authorization depends on the person's immigration status and DGME authorization.

Can an investor work or run the business?

Do not confuse ownership/investment with unrestricted work authorization.

Temporary residents may perform remunerated or lucrative activity only as authorized under the migration framework. A person whose plan is to personally provide professional services or operate as a specialized self-employed worker should compare the specialized own-account route and obtain advice on how the investor status interacts with their proposed operating role.

Tax treatment after Law 9996's window

Law 9996 created temporary tax/customs incentives for qualifying investors, rentistas and pensionados, but its Article 12 limited new opt-in to the first five years after entry into force. The law also says beneficiaries who validly opted in during those first five years can maintain granted benefits for a stated ten-year period from grant.

A new applicant after 14 July 2026 should therefore not assume the Law 9996 incentives remain newly available merely because the Investor immigration category continues to exist.

Law 9996 also expressly says that qualifying under the Investor/Rentista/Pensionado categories does not by itself create Costa Rican tax residence. Separate tax-residence and Costa Rican-source-income rules still apply.

Property investors should additionally account for property, transfer, rental-income, capital-gain and other taxes according to the actual asset and transaction.

Permanent residence

Investor is a temporary-residence category. Article 78 of Law 8764 provides a route to permanent residence after three consecutive years of temporary residence, subject to maintaining current lawful status and satisfying the current change-of-category requirements.

This is a materially different settlement track from Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Estancia, which is a non-resident category.

Absence and continuity

Costa Rican law can cancel temporary residence after more than two consecutive years outside Costa Rica, subject to statutory exceptions. A long-term investor should therefore maintain both the investment and immigration continuity rather than treating the residence card as permanently dormant.

Citizenship

Costa Rican naturalization remains a separate process. The Constitution generally uses seven years of official residence, reduced to five years for Central Americans, Spaniards and Ibero-Americans by birth, with other legal conditions concerning conduct, livelihood, Spanish and civic knowledge.

Applicants should obtain current TSE/Registro Civil guidance on how the exact residence history is counted when approaching naturalization.

Investor vs Rentista

Investor: qualifying capital investment; post-July-2026 threshold requires special confirmation; temporary residence with ongoing investment maintenance.

Rentista: stable qualifying rent of US$2,500/month for at least two years; no capital-investment purchase requirement; temporary residence with continuing income evidence.

Both are different from the Digital Nomad Estancia, which is designed for foreign-linked remote work.

Advantages

  • Genuine temporary-residence status.
  • Several qualifying investment forms can be relevant depending on current DGME rules.
  • Two-year residence/renewal structure.
  • Can contribute to the three-year temporary-residence path toward permanent residence.

Limitations

  • The post-July-2026 minimum-investment figure has a legal/regulatory mismatch that must be resolved before a new filing.
  • The applicant must maintain and document the qualifying investment for renewal.
  • Investment ownership does not automatically mean unrestricted work rights.
  • Law 9996's special new-beneficiary incentive window has expired.
  • Property/business investments create separate tax, registry and due-diligence obligations.

Alternatives

Frequently asked questions

What is the Costa Rica Investor Visa minimum in September 2026?

The safest current answer is not to assume US$150,000 remains sufficient for a new filing. Law 9996 made that reduction time-limited for five years from July 2021. The implementing regulation still shows US$150,000, so obtain current DGME confirmation. ReloTide uses the pre-reduction US$200,000 level as the conservative planning baseline after 14 July 2026.

Why do older websites still say US$150,000?

Because Law 9996 and its 2023 regulation reduced the minimum to US$150,000 during the law's operative incentive period. The regulation still displays that figure even after the statute's five-year window reached its end.

What can I invest in?

Depending on the current rules and documentation: real estate, registrable movable assets, shares, securities, productive or national-interest projects, with additional categories appearing in the Law 9996 regulatory framework.

How long is Investor residence valid?

The Law 9996 implementing regulation specifies two years, renewable for equal periods while the qualifying investment is maintained.

Can Investor residence lead to permanent residence?

Yes, potentially. It is temporary residence, and Article 78 provides a route to permanent residence after three consecutive years of qualifying temporary residence.

Are Law 9996 tax benefits still open to new applicants?

Do not assume so. Article 12 limited new opt-in to the first five years after the law took effect, while beneficiaries who opted in during that window can retain benefits for the period stated by the law.

Last verified: 15 September 2026. The post-July-2026 investment threshold should be confirmed with DGME before a new applicant commits capital. This page is informational and has not been reviewed by a Costa Rican lawyer.

Official and supporting sources

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