Becoming a Digital Nomad in Costa Rica: Everything You Need to Start

Want to work remotely from Costa Rica for a year or more? This article helps you choose between a tourist stay and an Estancia for remote workers, put together your application in the right order, anticipate the fees and delays that catch people out, and organize your arrival: banking, healthcare, housing, internet, and choosing your city.

The Essentials at a Glance

• French citizens get 90 days of tourist stay without a visa^[1].
• The digital nomad program lets you extend that 90-day stay to a full year, renewable for one additional year^[2].
• Required income: at least $3,000 USD per month from outside Costa Rica, or $4,000 USD per month to include dependents^[3].
• Your health insurance must cover the entire length of your stay, with at least $50,000 USD in coverage^[2].
• A $100 USD deposit must arrive net in the Ministry of Finance's accounts: bank fees are your responsibility^[2].
• Once the resolution is notified, you have three months to get your immigration document issued, or the status granted will be canceled^[4].
• Costa Rica only taxes income sourced in Costa Rica, but there is no tax treaty between France and Costa Rica^[5].
• Status holders may open a savings account at a bank within the national banking system, subject to conditions^[6].

Which Status to Work Remotely in Costa Rica: Tourist or Estancia?

On arrival, French citizens get 90 days of tourist stay without a visa, extendable on request through the DGME, Costa Rica's immigration directorate^[7]. This status has very concrete limits: it does not let you open a bank account or access the CCSS, the public healthcare system^[1].

For a long stay, the designated route is the Estancia for remote workers and service providers, often called the digital nomad visa^[8]. There is no rule that makes a long tourist stay a safe basis for remote work: it's better not to build a lasting setup on that foundation^[8].

Other residency routes exist (pensionado, rentista, inversionista), but they suit different profiles: retirees, holders of passive income, and investors. This article focuses on the Estancia, the natural entry point for a remote worker.

Estancia: Requirements, Application, and Cost

Who Can Apply

You must provide remote services paid by a natural or legal person located outside Costa Rica, with a minimum of $3,000 USD per month from outside the country, or $4,000 USD per month if you also want to host your dependents^[3]. These amounts are set according to the official sale price fixed by the Central Bank of Costa Rica^[3].

Documents to Gather

• The application form, filed online through the Tramite Ya platform or in person at DGME offices^[9].
• Proof of the $100 USD payment to the government (or the equivalent in colones at the Central Bank's reference rate)^[9].
• Bank statements accompanied by a sworn statement certifying that they were requested and obtained from the financial institution concerned^[3].
• Health insurance covering the entire length of your stay, with at least $50,000 USD in coverage^[2].

You can take out this policy with an international provider or a regulated Costa Rican insurance company, and any dependent who accompanies you must also be covered^[2].

Translations and Legalizations

All documents issued in a foreign language must be accompanied by an official Spanish translation^[3]. Only one document requires an additional consular legalization or apostille: the income certification issued by a chartered accountant or notary, when you submit it in place of bank statements^[3].

After Approval

Once the resolution is notified, you and your dependents have three months to get your immigration document issued, by appointment and against a $90 USD receipt^[4].

Employed by a foreign company or self-employed: what the status allows

The status is aimed at people who provide services remotely, whether or not those services are subcontracted, to an individual or company located outside Costa Rica^[3]. The criterion is therefore not the form of your activity but the source of your income: it must come from outside the country^[3].

Whether you are employed or self-employed, you prove this income with bank statements. You can also present a certificate issued by a chartered accountant or a notary (or their equivalents abroad, depending on the legislation of the country concerned)^[3].

Duration, renewal and leaving the country

The program extends the 90-day tourist stay to a full year, with the option to renew for one additional year^[2].

To renew, you must prove a minimum period of presence on Costa Rican territory: the program's official renewal page states 80 days^[10].

The application file includes new income statements, the receipt for the payment indicated in the approval resolution, the receipt for $90 USD, a passport that is still valid, and a health insurance policy covering you and your dependents for the entire authorized stay^[10].

Taxation and tax residence

Costa Rica applies a territorial tax system: only income from Costa Rican sources is subject to income tax^[5]. Digital nomads are not considered ordinary residents for tax purposes and are therefore exempt from formal and substantive obligations toward the Directorate General of Taxation of the Ministry of Finance^[11].

The pitfall lies on the French side. If you are or remain a French tax resident, be aware that there is no bilateral tax treaty between France and Costa Rica^[5]. Without a treaty, France may continue to tax your worldwide income if your tax residence has not been clearly severed^[5].

Another point to anticipate if you are concerned: the French exit tax (article 167 bis of the CGI) applies if you transfer your tax domicile outside France and hold more than €800,000 in shareholdings or more than 50% of a company^[5]. Taxation depends on your personal situation: consult a tax specialist before you leave.

Health and insurance

The CCSS, the public system, is presented as the best in Central America, but it suffers from long waiting times for specialists^[1]. Its main limitations: waiting for non-urgent care and the lack of choice of practitioner^[12].

Whatever your possible affiliation, medical insurance remains a mandatory part of the Estancia application file: it must cover the entire length of the stay and your dependents, with at least $50,000 USD in coverage^[2].

Arrival steps: DIMEX, bank, phone

The identity document issued to regularized foreigners is the DIMEX^[12].

Status holders can open a savings account at a bank within the national banking system, provided they comply with anti-money-laundering legislation^[6].

For your phone, consider a local SIM card or eSIM: several Costa Rican banks send verification codes by SMS or app, which requires a working data connection^[13].

Housing

Online listings and Facebook groups make searching easier, but visit the places and check the contract before committing^[14]. Rents range widely, from a simple apartment in San José to a beachfront home costing up to three times as much^[14].

Also budget for water, electricity and internet^[14]. On the coast, air conditioning is not always included in the rent and can significantly increase the electricity bill^[15].

Cost of living

Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America, even though it remains 22 to 33% cheaper than the United States excluding rent^[12]. The most sought-after beaches on the Pacific coast cost noticeably more, especially in high season, from December to April^[15].

Internet and Connectivity

In the big cities and the main expat hubs, internet infrastructure is reliable, with very high-speed fiber^[15].

In remote rural areas, especially on the Osa Peninsula or in some mountainous regions, the connection can be unstable or even nonexistent^[15]. Before signing a lease in an isolated place, check the quality of the connection and plan for a portable router as a backup^[15].

Even in tourist areas, coverage varies: some coastal villages handle messaging but occasionally drop video calls, which is why it's worth testing the connection before you commit^[13].

Cities and Regions to Settle In

• San José and the Central Valley: you live here for the airport, the hospitals, and reliable fiber, with the option to reach both coasts in three hours^[16].
• Tamarindo: a real digital nomad community, though less dense than Santa Teresa, with many year-round residents, so the community is more stable^[17].
• Santa Teresa: along with Tamarindo, one of the most popular destinations on the Pacific coast, with higher rents^[15].
• Atenas: a small town of 27,000 residents, including about 1,500 expats^[12].

Transportation

The bus network is very developed, but trips are long and few tourist sites are served^[18]. The country has two international airports, one near San José and one in the north, as well as domestic flights and ferries to the Nicoya Peninsula^[18].

To rent a car, you must be between 21 and 75 years old and hold a national driver's license that is more than two years old^[18]. An international credit card in the name of the main driver listed on the reservation is also required^[18].

Language, Integration, and Community

Although some Costa Ricans speak English, especially in tourist areas, making the effort to learn Spanish shows real respect and opens the door to deeper integration^[19]. Outside of Escazú and the tourist areas, Spanish is essential^[12].

Costa Ricans place great importance on courtesy (greeting your neighbors, respecting the calm of the neighborhood) and on the environment^[19]. In Tamarindo, people connect through surfing, yoga classes, and the Facebook groups of Guanacaste^[17].

Pitfalls, Scams, and Things to Watch For

Application and Procedures

• The full USD 100 must arrive: the fees of the sending bank and the receiving bank are your responsibility^[2].
• All documents in a foreign language require an official Spanish translation; only the income certification, if you submit it in place of bank statements, must also bear an apostille or consular legalization^[3].
• After the approval notification, the deadline is three months: beyond that, proceedings are initiated to cancel the granted status^[4].
• The status is intended for services provided to clients located outside Costa Rica, with income coming from abroad: it does not allow you to work for the local market^[3].
• Rules and thresholds change: check the current conditions with the Directorate of Migration before taking any steps^[8].

Taxation

The absence of a tax treaty with France creates a risk of double taxation if your French tax residence is not clearly severed^[5]. The recommended approach: notify the tax authorities of your departure, move your family, transfer your economic interests, and consult a specialized tax advisor before leaving^[5].

Safety

• Cases of burglary and serious violence have been reported, especially in Guanacaste around Tamarindo: be vigilant when choosing your accommodation^[20].
• Passport theft is common, so store your documents in a safe and carry only a copy of your passport, including the page with the entry stamp^[20].
• Costa Rica has a very high rate of road accidents: drive with caution^[20].
• Drownings are common: be careful at sea and check beach conditions before swimming^[20].

Steps, in Order

• Check the current conditions and thresholds with the Directorate of Migration^[8].
• Purchase medical insurance (at least $50,000 in coverage) and gather your proof of income, with official Spanish translations^[2][3].
• Pay the $100 fee, accounting for bank charges so that the full amount arrives net, then submit your application online or at the DGME^[2][9].
• Once approved, have your immigration document issued within three months^[4].
• Open a local savings account, get a SIM card or eSIM, and arrange your accommodation^[6][13].
• Plan your renewal: minimum physical presence in the country, new proof of income, and valid insurance^[10].

These benchmarks will help you choose your status and assemble your file in the right order. They do not replace the details of each procedure, from the online submission to collecting your immigration document, nor a line-by-line budget, nor choosing a city and neighborhood. To truly settle in, those are the points you need to explore further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely on a simple tourist stamp?

The dedicated channel is the Estancia, and there is no framework that makes a long tourist stay a safe basis for remote work^[8].

Does the Estancia give me access to a bank account?

Yes, under the conditions of the anti-money laundering law, whereas tourist status does not allow it^[6][1].

Is my driver's license valid?

Digital nomads may use their home-country driver's license for the entire duration of their stay^[11].

Can I import my computer equipment duty-free?

Digital nomads may be eligible for an exemption from customs duties on telecommunications and electronic devices needed for remote work, under certain conditions^[2].