Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa (Law No. 10008)

Costa Rica's Law No. 10008, the Ley para Atraer Trabajadores y Prestadores Remotos de Servicios de Caracter Internacional (2021), created a dedicated visa category for remote workers and digital nomads, implemented through the Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (DGME) with a promotional microsite run by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT).

Applicants must show at least $3,000 in monthly income ($4,000 with dependents), pay a $100 fee, and submit twelve months of bank statements. The permit runs for one year, is renewable for a second, and exempts foreign-earned income and imported work equipment from local tax and duty.

Visa approvals rose from 114 in 2022 to a peak of 317 in 2023, then fell to approximately 158 in 2024, a roughly 50% decline from the 2023 peak. A cumulative 949 approvals were recorded against 1,225 applications (including dependents). 61% of approvals were concentrated among applicants from the US, Canada, and Russia. Each nomad is estimated to contribute around 15 million colones to the local economy per six-month stay.

Costa Rica's scheme is part of a near-identical nomad-visa legislation wave across Latin America, with comparable laws adopted in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.