What kind of investments can get you a residence in Costa Rica?

The General Framework for Investor Residency in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s investor residency category is established under Article 79(4) of the General Immigration and Foreigners Law, Law No. 8764. It allows qualifying foreign nationals to obtain temporary residence through an eligible investment in Costa Rica.

Temporary residence is generally granted for renewable periods of two years. After three consecutive years of temporary residence, eligible applicants may request permanent residency under Article 78 of the same law. Qualifying family members may also apply, subject to the applicable dependent requirements.

The Original US$200,000 Investment Requirement

Under the original regulatory framework, Article 87 of Executive Decree No. 37112-GOB required a minimum investment of US$200,000. Recognized investments included real estate, registrable assets, shares, securities, productive projects and projects of national interest.

This was the regulatory investment threshold before the special framework introduced by Law No. 9996.

How Law No. 9996 Changed the Framework

Law No. 9996 entered into force on July 14, 2021. Its Article 8 introduced a reduced investment threshold of US$150,000, alongside tax and customs incentives for qualifying investors, pensionados and rentistas.

Executive Decree No. 43926-MGP-H-TUR subsequently regulated that framework, stated the US$150,000 threshold and expressly repealed the former provisions containing the US$200,000 requirement.

What Changed in July 2026

Under Article 12 of Law No. 9996, the five-year window for opting into the Article 5 tax and customs incentives ended in July 2026.

This deadline did not automatically cancel investor residencies already approved. Previously accepted investments may continue to support those authorizations and their renewal, provided the investment is maintained and the applicable conditions remain satisfied.

Separately, eligible beneficiaries who validly opted into the incentives during the statutory window retain the benefits granted to them for ten years from the date of grant, subject to their conditions. These included qualifying household and vehicle import exemptions, professional equipment exemptions and a 20% reduction in the real estate transfer tax.

How Much Must a New Applicant Invest

The original US$200,000 requirement and the later US$150,000 framework must be distinguished from the expiry of the tax incentive window.

Because the former US$200,000 provision was repealed, the July 2026 deadline alone does not establish its automatic reinstatement. Before you commit capital, we verify the investment threshold currently applied by Immigration, the eligibility of the proposed investment and any relevant transitional treatment.

In any case, it will be safe to apply and invest USD$200,000