Keep your US job or clients
The Digital Nomad Visa explicitly permits employment by or contracting for non-Costa Rican entities. Your W-2 from a US employer or your 1099s from US clients qualify, provided work is performed remotely.
← 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa
Keep your US job, build a Costa Rican base. $3,000/month in remote-work income clears it, foreign-source income exempt from Costa Rican tax, and US-aligned time zones throughout.
- Financial req
- $3,000/mo income
- Processing
- 2 to 3 months
- Naturalization
- 7 years
- Presence required
- 180+ days / year
The basics of the Digital Nomad Visa
What it is
Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Visa (Estancia para Trabajadores y Prestadores Remotos) is a one-year temporary residency permit for non-Costa Rican citizens earning foreign-source active income through remote employment, contracting, or remote ownership of a foreign-incorporated business. You demonstrate monthly income of at least $3,000 ($4,000 for families), apply through the Costa Rican consulate or through Migración Costa Rica, and receive a one-year visa renewable for a second year. Foreign-source income earned during the visa term is explicitly exempt from Costa Rican taxation.
Who it’s for
- Remote employees of US companies with documented salary and remote-work authorization
- Independent contractors with consistent foreign-source contract income ($3,000/month+)
- Founders running US LLCs or S-corps that pay them through documented salary or distributions
- Clients who want a low-friction first step into Costa Rica before committing to longer-term residency
- Tech, finance, consulting, and creative professionals already structurally remote
Why it’s beneficial
The Digital Nomad Visa is Costa Rica's fastest residency route and includes an explicit foreign-source tax exemption during the visa term – a benefit no other Costa Rican visa category offers. It's the right entry point for clients who want to live in Costa Rica for one to two years before deciding whether to commit to the seven-year citizenship path. The US-aligned time zone means you keep your existing job or client base with no calendar disruption.
Key benefits
The outcomes the Digital Nomad Visa actually delivers, beyond the headline numbers. The six that matter most to our clients.
Foreign-income tax exemption
Foreign-source income earned during the visa term is explicitly exempt from Costa Rican taxation. Combined with Costa Rica's territorial tax system, this gives you a clean two-year window with no Costa Rican tax exposure on US income.
Fastest Costa Rican residency route
Consular processing of complete Digital Nomad files typically runs 30 to 60 days. End-to-end you can be in Costa Rica with the visa in hand inside 90 days.
US-aligned time zone
Costa Rica sits on UTC-6 year-round. Same time as US Central in summer, one hour behind US Eastern in winter. Client calls and US business operations stay on cadence.
Family on the same application
Spouse or registered partner and dependent children qualify on the principal application. Family income threshold steps up to $4,000/month.
Conversion path to long-term residency
At renewal, you can convert to the Inversionista or Pensionado if you've established property, business, or qualifying passive income. The conversion preserves accumulated time toward the seven-year citizenship clock.
Financial requirements
The financial threshold to qualify, with the documentation we walk every client through.
Active foreign-source income
$3,000/month
Demonstrate active-source foreign income of at least $3,000/month for the principal applicant, or $4,000/month for the principal applicant plus family. Eligible sources: salary from a foreign employer with documented remote-work authorization, contractor income from foreign clients on 1099s, founder distributions from a foreign-incorporated company you actively run.
Choosing the right route is half the work. We model the comparison against your portfolio in the Consult.
How the process works
Contact us
Reach out and tell us about your situation. From there, you’ll either book a 60-minute Freedom Consult (if you’re weighing options across countries) or get started on this route directly (if you already know it’s the right fit).
Engagement and document gathering
We coordinate the document pack: FBI background check (apostilled), birth and marriage certificates, twelve months of bank statements, employment letter or contractor agreements, US tax returns, proof of international health insurance, and the Costa Rican-counsel power of attorney.
Application submission
Submit your visa application through the Costa Rican consulate or directly to Migración Costa Rica. The visa can be applied for in advance from the US or from inside Costa Rica on a tourist entry.
Arrival and DIMEX appointment
If applying from abroad, you enter Costa Rica on the visa stamp. Within 90 days of arrival, register at the Dirección General de Migración to confirm your DIMEX. The card arrives within 60 to 120 days.
Establish Costa Rican presence
Open a Costa Rican bank account, set up local healthcare coverage, and lock in a Costa Rican address. Most clients spend their first six months in the Central Valley or the Pacific coast.
Decide and convert at year two
At year two, the Digital Nomad Visa expires. If you're staying, convert to the Inversionista or Pensionado and continue the seven-year citizenship clock. If you're leaving, the visa was a low-cost two-year Costa Rican residency.
Processing
Temporary residency
Permanent residency
Citizenship
2-3 months
Years 1-2
Year 3+ (post-conversion)
Year 7+
Digital Nomad Visa versus the alternatives
How this program stacks against the closest credible options for the same visitor. We don’t earn more if you choose one over another.
| Dimension | Costa Rica Digital Nomad | Costa Rica InversionistaLearn more | Costa Rica PensionadoLearn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum financial bar | $3,000/mo active income | From $100K (forestry, property, or business) | $1,000/mo passive income |
| Presence required | 180+ days / year | Once per year | Once per year |
| Processing | 2-3 months | 6-8 months | 3-5 months |
| Time to citizenship | 7 years (post-conversion) | 7 years | 7 years |
| Right to work in Costa Rica | No (foreign income only) | Yes (your own business) | No (passive income only) |
| Family inclusion | Spouse, children | Spouse, children, parents | Spouse, children, parents |
| Foreign-income tax | Exempt (visa term) | Territorial (not taxed) | Territorial (not taxed) |
The Digital Nomad Visa fits clients in the first year or two of relocation, with an explicit foreign-income tax exemption that's unique to this visa. The Inversionista fits clients deploying capital. The Pensionado fits retirees and pensioners. We don't earn more if you pick one over another.
Want a four-page Costa Rica PDF covering everything on this page plus the comparison framework we use internally?
Why clients work with us
Three reasons families pick Freedom Files over the do-it-yourself path or a single-jurisdiction agent.
First-hand experience
The Digital Nomad Visa is Costa Rica's youngest residency category and the consulates are still calibrating. We know which evidence packages move and which get bounced.
Honest recommendations
About a third of Digital Nomad inquiries end with our recommendation against engagement. We tell you when the Inversionista, Colombia, or Mexico fits cleaner.
Pro counsel from the start
Every engagement runs with US-licensed counsel from the first call. The foreign-income exemption mechanics and US worldwide-tax overlap are mapped before you trigger Costa Rican residency.
What income qualifies for the Digital Nomad Visa?
What income qualifies for the Digital Nomad Visa?
Active-source foreign income: salary from a foreign employer (typically your US W-2 employer) with documented remote-work authorization, contractor income from foreign clients on 1099s, or founder distributions from a foreign-incorporated company you actively run. The consulate weights stability heavily.
Does the Digital Nomad Visa lead directly to citizenship?
Does the Digital Nomad Visa lead directly to citizenship?
Not directly. The Digital Nomad Visa is a one-year visa renewable for a second year, and Costa Rican naturalization requires seven years of legal residency. To reach the seven-year clock, most clients convert to the Inversionista or Pensionado at renewal. The time accumulated counts toward the seven-year clock when you convert.
How does the foreign-income tax exemption work?
How does the foreign-income tax exemption work?
The Digital Nomad Visa includes an explicit exemption: foreign-source income earned during the visa term is not subject to Costa Rican income tax. Combined with Costa Rica's territorial tax system (which already excludes most foreign income), this gives you a clean two-year window with no Costa Rican tax exposure on US income. US worldwide-income filing continues regardless.
Can I work for a Costa Rican employer on the Digital Nomad Visa?
Can I work for a Costa Rican employer on the Digital Nomad Visa?
Not initially. The Digital Nomad Visa is built specifically for foreign-employer or foreign-client income. If your situation changes, you would need to convert to a work-permit visa or another category.
Do I have to spend a minimum number of days in Costa Rica?
Do I have to spend a minimum number of days in Costa Rica?
If you intend to pursue citizenship (via conversion at year two), you need substantial Costa Rican presence accumulated by year seven – the consensus standard is 180+ days per year. Falling short can break the citizenship-clock continuity.
What is the total cost beyond the income demonstration?
What is the total cost beyond the income demonstration?
Plan on $1-2K in government and administrative fees (visa, DIMEX, family-member fees), $3-5K in Costa Rican legal fees through our partner counsel, and $500-1,000 in translation and apostille costs. Total cash outlay for a clean single-applicant engagement typically lands in the $5-8K range.
Can my family join me on the Digital Nomad Visa?
Can my family join me on the Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes. Spouse or registered partner and dependent children qualify on the principal application. The family income threshold steps up to $4,000/month. Dependent parents are not typically included on the Digital Nomad Visa (unlike the Inversionista and Pensionado).
Ready to talk?
Two paths in. If the Digital Nomad Visa is clearly the right program for your family and you’re ready to engage, contact our team directly. If you’re weighing this against other programs and want an honest read on the right move, the Freedom Consult is the sixty-minute conversation that ends the loop.
We take a small number of new families each quarter.