Moving to Costa Rica from the US: the steps in order

Costa Rica lets you start the move before any paperwork is approved: US citizens arrive as tourists, and residency is applied for inside the country. The part that has to be done in the US is the documents, and people who skip it end up flying home to fix it.

1. Visit, and decide whether you need residency

US citizens enter Costa Rica without a visa. The officer stamps the number of days you may stay, currently up to 180, and can ask for proof that you will leave, such as a return or onward ticket.

That is enough for a long scouting trip or a winter. You need residency if you want to stay year-round without leaving, join the public health system, open a full bank account, get a local driver’s licence, or work for a Costa Rican employer.

2. Choose a residency route

Most Americans use one of four:

Route	Who it suits	Main requirement
Pensionado	Retirees	A lifetime pension of at least $1,000 a month
Rentista	People living on investments or savings	$2,500 a month of unearned income for two years, or a $60,000 deposit
Inversionista	Buyers and business owners	An investment of at least $150,000
Digital nomad visa	Remote workers staying a year or two	$3,000 a month of remote income, or $4,000 with family

The first three are temporary residency and lead to permanent residency after three years. The digital nomad visa does not. The residency overview compares them.

3. Gather and apostille your documents in the US

This is the step with the longest lead time. A residency application generally needs:

• A birth certificate.
• A criminal background check. For Americans this is normally the FBI check.
• A marriage certificate, if a spouse is applying with you.
• Proof of income for your category, such as a Social Security benefit letter.

Each document has to be apostilled in the US and then translated into Spanish in Costa Rica. Immigration only accepts documents issued recently, generally within the last six months, so order them close to when you will file. Your attorney will give you the exact list.

4. File with immigration in Costa Rica

Applications go to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), most often through an attorney. You are fingerprinted in San José as part of it. Once the application is filed, you can generally remain in the country while it is processed, even after your tourist days run out.

Processing times vary a lot. Plan for several months to more than a year, and ask your attorney what they are seeing now. See Costa Rica immigration lawyers.

5. Pick a place, and rent first

The Central Valley is mild all year and close to the main hospitals. The Pacific beach towns are hot, and some are several hours from the capital. Compare them in the best places to live in Costa Rica.

Most people who settle well rent for six months to a year before buying. Foreigners can own titled property outright, but much beachfront land is concession land with restrictions. Read buying property in Costa Rica before you look at anything near the beach.

6. Move your belongings

Many people arrive with suitcases and buy furniture locally. A full household goes by sea container, usually to the port of Moín near Limón or to Caldera on the Pacific, and clears customs with an inventory. Import duty normally applies to household goods. Some new residents have qualified for an exemption, so ask your mover and attorney whether one applies to you. See international movers to Costa Rica.

7. Bring pets and decide about your car

Dogs and cats need a health certificate endorsed by the USDA and current vaccinations. There is no routine quarantine. See bringing a dog or cat to Costa Rica.

Importing a car is expensive. Import taxes are charged on the government’s valuation of the vehicle and can exceed half of that value, more for older cars. Many people sell their car in the US and buy locally, where used cars also cost more than at home.

8. Arrange health cover

Medicare does not pay for care in Costa Rica. Residents must join the public system, the Caja (CCSS), and pay a monthly contribution. Many also keep private insurance for faster access to private hospitals. Until your residency is approved you are not in the Caja, so arrange private or travel cover for that period. See healthcare in Costa Rica.

9. Keep up with US taxes

US citizens file a US return every year wherever they live. Costa Rica taxes on a territorial basis, which means it generally taxes income earned in Costa Rica and not a US pension or US investment income. See taxes for Americans in Costa Rica.

A typical timeline

When	What to do
9 to 12 months before	Visit the areas you are considering. Check which residency route your income supports.
4 to 6 months before	Choose an attorney. Order your FBI check, birth and marriage certificates, and income letter, and have them apostilled.
3 to 4 months before	Get mover quotes. Start pet paperwork. Arrange a rental.
1 to 2 months before	Buy health cover for the period before the Caja. Set up a way to move money.
Arrival	File the residency application while your documents are still current.
After approval	Register with the Caja, collect your resident card (DIMEX), open a bank account, convert your driver’s licence.

If you would rather have one person coordinate these steps, see what a relocation planner does.

Common questions

Can a US citizen just move to Costa Rica?

You can enter Costa Rica as a tourist without a visa and stay for the number of days the officer stamps in your passport, currently up to 180. To live there year after year, work for a local employer or join the public health system, you need residency, which you apply for at Costa Rica's immigration department.

How much money do you need to move to Costa Rica?

The residency categories set the floor: a lifetime pension of at least $1,000 a month for a pensionado, $2,500 a month of unearned income or a $60,000 bank deposit for a rentista, or $3,000 a month of remote income for the digital nomad visa. Most couples spend more than the pensionado minimum to live comfortably.

Can I apply for Costa Rican residency after I arrive?

Yes. Most Americans enter as tourists and file the application at the immigration department (DGME) in Costa Rica, usually through an attorney. Your US documents have to be apostilled before you leave, so the preparation still starts at home.

Do I need to speak Spanish to live in Costa Rica?

You can get by in English in the beach towns and the parts of the Central Valley with many foreign residents. Government offices, public clinics, banks and most landlords work in Spanish, which is one reason people hire an attorney or a relocation planner.