Costa Rica's Law 10008 application has two official filing channels: online through DGME's Trámite Ya platform, or in person by appointment at DGME in La Uruca or a regional office that handles the procedure. The current official instructions do not describe a separate consular filing route.
If your shortlist is really "in-country filing with a favorable tax outcome," compare this DGME process with the Croatia MUP application process. Croatia's requirements checklist trades Costa Rica's 12-month bank-statement trail for a higher income floor and a Schengen address/OIB workflow.
Step-by-step application
Step 1 — Confirm your filing channel and entry status
Use Trámite Ya for a digital application, or book a DGME web appointment for an in-person filing. If you apply while already in Costa Rica, include the passport page with your entry stamp. Applicants whose nationality requires a consular or restricted entry visa must provide it.
Step 2 — Prepare income documentation
Run your numbers through the nomad visa eligibility checker first. The official income route is previous-year bank statements showing qualifying foreign income, accompanied by a sworn statement that they came from the relevant financial institution. Alternatively, submit a qualifying certification from a public accountant or notary in Costa Rica, or the equivalent professional abroad.
- US$3,000 or more in qualifying monthly income for one applicant
- US$4,000 or more when requesting legal stay for the family group
- Income must originate outside Costa Rica and continue while the applicant is away from their country of origin
Step 3 — Gather passport, insurance, and family evidence
Track each item with the document checklist tool. The published main-applicant checklist is narrower than many third-party guides suggest:
- Valid passport biographical page and, for an in-country filing, the Costa Rican entry-stamp page
- Medical-services insurance with at least US$50,000 coverage for the full authorized stay, including every dependent
- Applicable family records for dependents: marriage/civil-union record, birth certificate, disability medical opinion, or older-adult cohabitation affidavit
DGME performs criminal and police database checks itself. The official checklist does not ask the applicant to upload a criminal-record certificate or accommodation booking.
Step 4 — Translate documents to Spanish
Foreign-language documents must have an official Spanish translation. Costa Rica's official guidance recommends a translator registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a notary who knows the language. If income is proven by a professional certification issued abroad, that certification must also carry the applicable consular legalization or apostille.
Step 5 — Submit through Trámite Ya or at DGME
Complete the remote-worker Estancia form, upload the document packet, and pay the US$100 application fee to the Government of Costa Rica (Banco de Costa Rica account 001-0242480-0; IBAN CR15015201001024248003). Make one transfer per applicant, including each dependent, and account for bank charges so the Government receives US$100 net. For a physical application, book through DGME's Web Appointments Portal and bring the same requirements to La Uruca or an eligible regional office.
Step 6 — Wait for the resolution
DGME has 15 calendar days to issue a written resolution. Within 5 calendar days of receipt, the office may send one written notice listing omissions or requesting clarification. The applicant then has 8 working days to cure the file; that notice pauses the 15-day decision clock until the missing material is submitted.
Step 7 — Complete the immigration document
After the approval notice, you have three months to process the immigration accreditation document. Book the documentation appointment through the Immigration Call Center (1311) or Banco de Costa Rica (800-227-2482). Bring the valid passport, full-period insurance, the payment required by the approval resolution, a US$90 legal-stay/document fee, and the applicable non-resident guarantee deposit. Missing the three-month deadline can trigger cancellation proceedings.
Step 8 — Post-arrival admin
- Keep private medical coverage active for the entire authorized stay; it remains an express condition of this Estancia category.
- Bank account: beneficiaries may open a Costa Rican savings account subject to normal anti-money-laundering checks.
- Driver's license: a valid home-country license remains valid during the authorized stay.
Timeline at a glance
| Phase | Official clock or deadline | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Completeness review | Within 5 calendar days | DGME may issue one notice of omissions or clarification request |
| Applicant cure period | 8 working days | The 15-day decision clock is paused while the file is incomplete |
| Written decision | 15 calendar days for a complete file | The remaining clock resumes after requested material is submitted |
| Immigration document | Complete within 3 months of approval notice | Requires an appointment, insurance, passport, and post-approval payments |
Common rejection reasons
- Income proof lacks the sworn statement, or a foreign professional certification lacks legalization/apostille.
- Untranslated documents — foreign-language records need an official Spanish translation.
- Insurance gaps — the policy falls below US$50,000, does not cover the full authorized term, or omits a dependent.
- Passport or entry evidence is incomplete, including an absent visa where the applicant's nationality requires one.
- The applicant misses the 8-working-day cure deadline after DGME requests omitted or clarifying material.
Renewal and the 180-day rule
Law 10008 is valid for one year and can be renewed exactly once, for a second year — but only if you were physically present in Costa Rica for at least 180 days during your first year. The 180 days do not have to be consecutive, but you must be able to evidence them (entry/exit stamps, the DGME record). If you spent more than half the year elsewhere, DGME cannot renew this status, and there is no third year under Law 10008.
To renew, file through Trámite Ya before the authorized stay expires with updated income proof ($3,000 single / $4,000 family monthly), the accompanying sworn statement or professional certification, and insurance covering the renewed term. The post-approval payments include the amount stated in the renewal resolution and the US$90 legal-stay/document fee. The official renewal list does not describe a second US$100 application deposit.
After the two years are up, the nomad visa does not convert to permanent residency. Nomads who want to stay longer typically switch to a rentista or pensionado category; the months you spent here on Law 10008 do not count toward the rentista/pensionado clock.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Costa Rica digital nomad visa cost?
The initial government application deposit is US$100 per applicant, including each dependent. Approval does not end the government charges: documentation requires the amount stated in the approval resolution, a US$90 legal-stay/document fee, and the applicable non-resident guarantee deposit. Insurance, translation, legalization/apostille, and bank-transfer charges are separate.
How long does the Costa Rica digital nomad visa take to get?
Law 10008 and the official procedure give DGME 15 calendar days to resolve a complete file. DGME may identify omissions within 5 calendar days; the applicant then has 8 working days to cure them, during which the decision clock is paused. After approval, complete immigration documentation within three months.
What income do I need to apply for Costa Rica's digital-nomad stay?
You must show qualifying foreign income of $3,000/month for a single applicant or $4,000/month when requesting legal stay for the family group. Submit previous-year bank statements with the required sworn statement, or a qualifying professional certification. The governing law describes stable remuneration, fixed income, or monthly average income during the previous year; it does not state that one low deposit automatically rejects the application.
Can I renew the Costa Rica digital nomad visa?
Yes, once — for a second year — but only if you were physically in Costa Rica for at least 180 days during your first year. After two years the visa ends and does not become permanent residency; you would switch to a different category (rentista, pensionado, investor) to stay longer.
Do digital nomads pay tax in Costa Rica?
No tax on foreign-source income. Costa Rica runs a territorial tax system, so income earned from outside the country for services rendered abroad is not taxed locally, even once you become a tax resident. Law 10008 also exempts nomads from import tax on basic work equipment. See our Costa Rica nomad tax breakdown for the home-country side.
Sources
- Costa Rican Tourism Board — Digital Nomad Requirements. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- Costa Rican Tourism Board — Digital Nomad Procedure. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- Costa Rican Tourism Board — Requirements for Dependents. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- Costa Rican Tourism Board — Issuance of the Immigration Document. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- Costa Rican Tourism Board — Renewal. Retrieved 2026-08-05. Note: this page says 80 days, but current Law 10008 Article 15 and its regulation require 180 days; the governing legal text controls.
- Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica — current text of Law 10008. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica — Regulation 43619-H-MGP-TUR. Retrieved 2026-08-05.