Although the Costa Rican Immigration Law came into effect in March of 2010 the Department of Immigration published the official regulations to the law on May 17, 2012 by way of Executive decree No. 37112-G.

The newly published regulations do clarify the income requirements to apply for the Rentista category.

The Immigration Law had established the monthly requirement to qualify for this category at US$2,500 per month. The problem was that officials at immigration were interpreting the previous law which required the applicant to demonstrate that the income was received in a stable and permanent manner for at least FIVE [5] years.

The new regulations adhere to the text of the new law which provides that the incomes is to be received in a stable and permanent manner for at least TWO [2] years. This reduces the financial requirement significantly.

Since many applicants would deposit with a bank or financial institution the funds to prove the income this meant that under the old interpretation the applicant would have to deposit US$150,000 to have the income disbursed over 5 years ($2,500 X 12 X 5 years).

Under the new regulations the applicant could deposit US$60,000 for 2 years ($2,500 X 12 X 2 years) and now qualify for the Rentista category.

This new interpretation of the requirement should allow more people that did not qualify for the Rentista category to take another look at the program.

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Written and copyright by Attorney at Law – Roger A. Petersen. Roger has been an attorney since 1992 and is a member of both the Costa Rican and Florida Bar. He practices law in San José, Costa Rica and is the author of the best-selling book The Legal Guide To Costa Rica which you can order from Barnes & Noble here or from Amazon.com here. Attorney Petersen’s website can be found at Petersen & Philps Law Offices.




To speak with Attorney Roger Petersen about hiring him as your Costa Rica attorney, please contact him using the information below:

Andrew Makarik

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Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.