How to Move to Costa Rica: The Infographic Steps, Updated for 2026

The six steps we walk people through when they ask how to move here, refreshed with current rules.

Moving to Costa Rica takes six basic steps: visit first, choose a residency category (pensionado, rentista, inversionista, or a digital nomad visa), gather apostilled documents, file with immigration, sort out housing and healthcare, then make the physical move. Most people who move to Costa Rica start on a 180 day tourist entry while their paperwork is in progress.

Why we rewrote this infographic post

This post started life in 2023 as a one image infographic showing the basic steps for moving to Costa Rica from the US. The steps themselves still hold up. Several of the numbers behind them have changed, including how long a tourist can stay and how residency applications get processed. So we turned the graphic into a full written guide, checked the figures against current sources, and added what we have learned helping expats settle in Playas del Coco. Here is the process, step by step.

Step 1: Visit before you commit

We say this to everyone, and we mean it. Costa Rica in a one week vacation and Costa Rica in month four of the rainy season are two different countries. Since late 2023, immigration officials may grant visitors from the US and Canada a stay of up to 180 days without a visa, according to the U.S. State Department. The exact number of days is stamped at the border and is not guaranteed, and you need a return or onward ticket to enter. We covered the details in our post on Costa Rica's 180 day tourist entry.

Use that time well. Come in green season (roughly May through November), not just in the dry, sunny high season. Rent in the town you think you want. Drive the roads. Shop at the local grocery store, not just the tourist one. If you still love it in week six, that tells you something a brochure cannot.

Step 2: Choose your residency category

Tourist entries are for visiting. If you want to live here legally long term, you apply for residency through Costa Rica's immigration agency, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. The main first time categories for North Americans are:

• Pensionado (retiree): proof of a lifetime pension of at least $1,000 USD per month, such as Social Security.
• Rentista: proof of $2,500 USD per month in stable income for two years, or a $60,000 USD deposit in an approved Costa Rican bank.
• Inversionista (investor): an investment of at least $150,000 USD in Costa Rican real estate, a business, or another approved asset. Buying a home here can qualify.
• Digital nomad visa: not residency, but a renewable permit for remote workers earning at least $3,000 USD per month ($4,000 for a family), working for employers or clients outside Costa Rica.

These categories start you as a temporary resident. After three years you can typically apply for permanent residency, which removes the income conditions. Requirements and processing rules change, so confirm the current details with a licensed Costa Rican immigration attorney before you rely on any of these numbers. We wrote about why that matters in our post on hiring a good lawyer in Costa Rica.

Step 3: Gather your documents early

This is the step that trips people up, because the paperwork starts in your home country. For most residency categories you will need a certified birth certificate, a criminal background check (an FBI check for Americans), marriage certificates if applying as a couple, and proof of your income or investment. Each document generally needs an apostille from the issuing authority, and most are only considered fresh for a few months after they are issued.

That timing is the trap. If you get your background check apostilled in January and do not file until August, you may be redoing it. A good immigration attorney will sequence the documents so nothing expires before filing. Start this step before you sell the house, not after.

Step 4: Rent first, buy when you know the area

You do not need residency to own property here. Foreigners hold titled property with the same rights as citizens, which is one reason so many people buy before their residency is approved. Even so, our standing advice is to rent for at least a few months first. Neighborhoods feel different at 6 a.m. than they do at sunset, and towns thirty minutes apart can have completely different personalities. We compared the options honestly in renting vs. buying property in Costa Rica.

When you are ready to look seriously, work with people who live where you are buying. We are based in Playas del Coco, we manage about 40 vacation rentals here and in Ocotal, and we will tell you plainly when a property or a town is not the right fit. You can browse our current listings to get a feel for prices in Guanacaste.

Step 5: Plan healthcare, banking, and money

Once your residency is approved, enrollment in the Caja, Costa Rica's public healthcare system, is mandatory for residents. The monthly contribution is calculated from your declared income, so ask your attorney or accountant for a current estimate rather than trusting an old blog number, including ours. Many expats carry private insurance too, since private hospitals in San José and Liberia offer fast, high quality care at a fraction of US prices.

On banking: opening a full Costa Rican bank account is much easier once you hold a DIMEX (your residency ID card). Until then, most newcomers run life from a US account, a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, and colones from the ATM. Budget honestly before you come. Our guide to the cost of living in Costa Rica breaks down where it is cheaper than the US and where, honestly, it is not.

Step 6: Make the physical move

The last step is the truck, the suitcases, and the goodbyes. Two pieces of hard won advice. First, bring less than you think. Shipping a container is expensive, import duties on household goods add up, and most furniture you can buy or have made here. We keep a running list of things to leave behind when you move to Costa Rica. Second, if you are bringing pets, start their paperwork early. Dogs and cats need a recent health certificate from an accredited vet, endorsed for travel, and airlines have their own rules on top of the government's.

How long does the whole process take?

Longer than the infographic made it look, shorter than the horror stories suggest. Relocation guides and attorneys currently report that most residency categories take somewhere between six months and a year from filing to approval, and processing has improved recently as immigration services moved more steps to same day service points. The digital nomad permit is much faster, often a matter of weeks. The practical pattern we see: people file, fly down on a tourist entry, and are already living here when the approval comes through.

Ready to look at the housing side?

We are Expat Properties | CR. We sell homes and manage vacation rentals in Playas del Coco and Ocotal, and we made this move ourselves, so we know which parts are paperwork and which parts are nerves. If Guanacaste is on your shortlist, browse what is for sale, read our guide on what to know before moving, or send us an inquiry and we will answer with straight talk, not a sales pitch.

Frequently asked questions

Can I live in Costa Rica on a tourist visa?

Not legally as a long term plan. US and Canadian visitors may receive up to 180 days per entry, but the stamp is at the officer's discretion and perpetual border runs are risky. If you intend to live here, apply for a residency category such as pensionado, rentista, or inversionista, and confirm current rules with an immigration attorney.

How much income do I need to retire in Costa Rica?

The pensionado residency category requires proof of a lifetime pension of at least $1,000 USD per month. That is the legal minimum, not a realistic budget. Most retired couples we know in the Coco area spend considerably more once housing, insurance, and travel are included, so build your budget around your lifestyle, not the visa threshold.

Do I need a lawyer to apply for Costa Rica residency?

It is not legally required, but nearly everyone uses one. A licensed immigration attorney sequences your apostilled documents so none expire, files the application correctly the first time, and tracks it through the system. Given that documents come from two countries and rules change often, the fee is usually money well spent.

Cover photo: Emw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Photo: HireAHelper, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse