Immigration Law

Immigration to Costa Rica has become popular in the last decade. According to CNN news, Costa Rica is ranked as the second best destination for people to retire. Costa Rica offers a series of facts and circumstances that make it a good option to retire, invest, live, visit, work or study. In Libre Verdad, we provide legal services in migration issues and specifically in the process of temporary and permanent residency, looking for the category that best suits your requirements and conditions.

All residency applications in Costa Rica are regulated by the “Ley General de Migración y Extranjería” (General Immigration Law). This law is subject to constant changes and periodic revisions, which requires our lawyers and staff to keep updated with the current immigration regulations, as well as the applicable immigration regimes and their digital update application through Tramite Ya. All applications are studied and eventually subject to approval by the corresponding section of the Immigration Department.

Our team will advise you and carry out the whole process in a smooth manner and anticipate any unforeseen event that may arise thanks to our experience in carrying out this type of procedure.

Libre verdad offers bilingual services in both Spanish and English, giving the client the possibility to communicate directly with us in the language in which he/she feels most comfortable.

We advise you in the following areas:

Residency procedures:

In Costa Rica immigration laws offer numerous options for people to become residents and can be under the legal framework in the country, where they can obtain benefits such as:

Social Security
Facility for the opening of national bank accounts.
Homologation of driver’s license
Pay as nationals in National Parks and other tourist attractions.

Among the categories for which you can opt are:

Residency by Investor: At least have a minimum investment of $150,000, either a in business or real and personal property.
Pensioner Residency: Having a minimum income of $1,000 per month, coming from pension or retirement plans.
Residence for Annuitant: If you have a fixed and stable minimum monthly income of $2,500, you can opt for this category.
Residency by link with a Costa Rican spouse: This category is available to any foreigner who is married to a (a) Costa Rican.
Digital Nomad If you have a labor contract with a transnational company that offers technology – related services, you may opt for this category.
Changes in residency categories: After 3 years of being a temporary resident, you may opt for a change to permanent resident.
Stay visas
Management of documents from abroad: We assist you with obtaining apostilled documents such as: birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificates.
Management of pending procedures: If you previously made your residency application in any of the temporary categories offered by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, and after 90 days you have not obtained any response to the process, please contact us and we will gladly advise you.