QCOSTARICA – The first formal requests from digital nomads to work in Costa Rica were received this week.
Digital nomads (nómadas digitales) are foreigners who would work remotely in the country, alone or accompanied by their family, according to Costa Rica’s immigration service, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).
“As an institution, we are committed to streamlining this immigration process, and these first requests begin the reactivation of Costa Rica as a destination for this type of worker,” said Marlen Luna, director of Immigration.
Read more: Costa Rica continues to close the doors to the formal arrival of digital nomads
Once a request is received, immigration authorities have five days to review the request, which, if complete, must be resolved within 15 calendar days to grant work visas with terms of up to one year and with the option of extension. Applicants may request a visa for a period of less than one year.
Foreigners wanting to work remotely in Costa Rica are required to have a income greater than US$3,000 if they come alone or US$4,000 if they accompanied the family.
Earlier this month, in announcing the regulations to the “visionary law” approved in July 2021, President Rodrigo Chaves highlighted that each foreigner under this category can contribute more than ¢30 million (US$45,000) per year in the local economy. Chaves added that this migratory modality even affects the exchange rate, by injecting dollars into the local money flow.
In order to avoid excess paperwork for people interested in being digital nomads in Costa Rica, Apostilled documents are excluded from the regulations.
