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Costa Rica: visas, tax & cost of living

Costa Rica digital nomad visa needs ~$3,000/mo income, foreign earnings stay tax-free, and a mid cost of living. Honest 2026 guide.

Costa Rica: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomCosta Rica

Your move to Costa Rica on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitEasyVisa-free entry
  • NomadEasyNomad visa — likely eligible
  • RelocateMediumResidence with conditions

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 180 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity:Costa Rican law requires the passport valid for the length of stay (one day beyond planned departure), but most airlines enforce their own six-month validity rule.

Heads-up:Following a DGME rules update published in November 2025, the maximum visa-free stay is reported as up to 180 days; for Group 1 nationals it is generally non-extendable.

At the border:Officers may ask for an onward or return ticket, proof of funds (about USD 100 per month of stay), and cash or securities of USD 10,000 or more must be declared.

Working remotely

Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos.

Income needed:~$3,000/mo foreign income solo (~$4,000 with dependents), Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos / digital nomad visa under Law 10008(estimate)

Duration:12months

Fee:~100 USD(estimate)

Who qualifies:The Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos (Law 10008) is open to those working remotely for clients or employers abroad with stable foreign income of about USD 3,000 a month (USD 4,000 with dependants) and medical insurance covering at least USD 50,000.

Tax and residency

Territorial system; foreign income untaxed; 183-day residency trigger, but nomad-visa foreign earnings stay exempt past that.(estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty:none

Practical

Currency:CRC. Cost of living:mid.

Healthcare:Costa Rica has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with foreign visitors, so comprehensive travel or international health insurance is needed and is required for the digital-nomad visa.

Driving:You can drive on a valid foreign licence for the length of your authorised stay, and carrying an International Driving Permit alongside it is recommended.

Sources: Costa Rica, DGME (Nómadas Digitales) · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Should you move to Costa Rica?

Jungle, beaches, and a “pura vida” pace while you keep the remote job: Costa Rica is one of the easier soft landings in the Americas. Most nomads settle around San Jose and the central valley, where the internet is fast and rent is kinder, or chase the surf and the coworking scene in beach towns like Tamarindo, Santa Teresa, and Nosara. Costs land in the mid band. Cheaper than the US or Western Europe, pricier than much of Central America. And beach-town life has a way of draining your budget faster than you planned.

Costa Rica digital nomad visa and entry

Yes, there’s a real one. Costa Rica’s digital nomad visa, the “Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos” under Law 10008, gives you a one-year stay that you can renew once for a second year. Plan to show roughly $3,000 a month in foreign income on your own, or about $4,000 if you’re bringing dependents, plus health insurance and a tidy application. Plenty of people land as tourists first and apply once they’ve decided to stay. But if you’re going past the usual 90-day tourist window, the formal visa is the cleaner path.

Tax residency and what to check

Costa Rica taxes territorially, so money you earn outside the country generally isn’t taxed here. The usual residency trigger to watch is spending more than 183 days in a fiscal year. Here’s the part that makes Costa Rica stand out: the nomad visa is built to keep your foreign earnings exempt even past that day count, though rules and how they’re read can shift over time. Treat all of this as an estimate and check your own situation, because your home country may still want its share.

Figures are estimates. Always check the official source linked below.

At a glance

Currency
CRC
Cost of living
Moderate
Digital-nomad visa
Yes
Tax & residency
Territorial system; foreign income untaxed; 183-day residency trigger, but nomad-visa foreign earnings stay exempt past that.

Frequently asked questions

Costa Rica: is there a digital nomad visa?
Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos. The Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos (Law 10008) is open to those working remotely for clients or employers abroad with stable foreign income of about USD 3,000 a month (USD 4,000 with dependants) and medical insurance covering at least USD 50,000.
Costa Rica: when do you become a tax resident?
Territorial system; foreign income untaxed; 183-day residency trigger, but nomad-visa foreign earnings stay exempt past that.
Costa Rica: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is moderate and the local currency is the CRC. Treat any figures as estimates.
Costa Rica: do you need health insurance?
Costa Rica has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with foreign visitors, so comprehensive travel or international health insurance is needed and is required for the digital-nomad visa.
Costa Rica: can you drive on a foreign licence?
You can drive on a valid foreign licence for the length of your authorised stay, and carrying an International Driving Permit alongside it is recommended.

Guides for this country

Terms worth knowing

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Put it to work

Last verified: 2026-06-24

Sources: Costa Rica — DGME (Nómadas Digitales)

Voymo gives general information to help you organise your move. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice, always confirm with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.

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