Costa Rica (DNV)
Estancia (Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa)
Launched 2022.
- Income req
- $3K/mo
- Initial validity
- 1 yr
- Renewable
- Yes
- Application fee
- $100
- Permit fee
- $90
- Processing
- 4-12 wks
- Path to PR
- No
- Path to citizenship
- No
Income requirements
- Monthly minimum (USD): $3K
- Monthly minimum (native): 3,000 USD
Bank statements 12 months + employment/freelance evidence
USD 3,000/mo single OR USD 4,000/mo with family. Established by Law 10008 (Aug 2022).
Tax treatment
- Becomes tax resident: Costa Rica uses territorial taxation — foreign-source income exempt by default
- Special regime: DNV-specific exemption from all Costa Rican taxes on foreign income
- Foreign income: Foreign income explicitly tax-exempt for DNV holders. Costa Rica generally territorial — foreign income exempt for any resident.
Costa Rica's territorial tax + DNV explicit exemption = zero CR tax on foreign income. Imports of personal goods and vehicles also exempt under DNV.
Remote work requirements
- Must work for foreign employer: Yes
- Local clients allowed: No
- Local employment allowed: No
- Self-employed accepted: Yes
- Salaried vs freelance: both
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents dependent: No
- + Income per dependent: $1K
Spouse and minor children covered; income floor rises to USD 4,000/mo.
Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residency
- Available: No
DNV time does NOT count toward 3-year PR clock. Costa Rica's Pensionado/Rentista/Inversionista routes lead to PR; DNV does not. After 2-year max, must transition to one of those.
Citizenship
- Available: No
Naturalization requires 7 years PR + Spanish proficiency (5 for spouses).
Eligibility requirements
- Non-Costa Rican citizen
- Remote work for foreign employer/clients
- USD 3K/mo (single) or USD 4K/mo (family)
- Health insurance USD 50K+
- Clean criminal record (not required at federal level but consular practice varies)
Disqualifiers
- Costa Rican employer/clients
- Inadmissibility
Recent changes
- 2022-08
Costa Rica DNV launched under Law 10008.
- 2024-2025
DNV uptake strong; some delays in DGME processing.
Notes
Costa Rica DNV combines territorial tax + zero-tax-on-foreign-income + 2-year stay + family eligible + import-tax exemption. Drawback: no PR path. Excellent 2-year stopover for US nomads — pair with Pensionado/Rentista for long-term PR.
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.