The Rentista Residency Category (based on investment income) is of major interest to many persons contemplating moving to live in Costa Rica.

This Category requires the following documentation for each Applicant, which must be issued current within six months of the Application date, as submitted to the Costa Rican Immigration Department:

1. An original Birth Certificate, issued by the State, or Province in which you were born, and authenticated by the Costa Rican Consulate which has jurisdiction. In the case of U.S. citizens, the Certificate must be certified by the Secretary of State.
2. If applying with a spouse, a Marriage Certificate issued in the same manner as paragraph #1.
3. A Criminal Records Search conducted by the police in the jurisdiction where you reside and authenticated by the Costa Rican Consulate.
4. A notarized copy of all pages of your Passport (this can be done by a Costa Rican Notary, which saves the authentication process).
5. A Financial Responsibility Letter from a recognized financial institution indicating a monthly income from investment sources of at least $2,500.00 U.S. per month, notarized and authenticated by the Costa Rican Consulate if issued in a foreign country.
6. Registration with the Embassy of your home country in Costa Rica.

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Fingerprinting will also be necessary by the Costa Rican Police and the subscription to the Costa Rican Public Health Insurance, following the grant of Residency.

The documentation will have to be translated into Spanish by a recognized interpreter and formalized into an Application by a Costa Rican Notary, prior to submission to the Immigration Department.

An interesting change to the Application requirements for this Category under the new Regulations to the Law, just published, is that the period for establishing a monthly income of US$2,500 per month, has been reduced from a five year to a two year period (Regulation Article 76 e).

This has the effect of reducing the investment funding required for this Residency Category from the previous requirement of a US$150,000 funded investment to a US$60,000 funded investment. This change will open-up an opportunity for many would-be Applicants that didn’t previously exist.

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Written by Lic. Rick Philps. Richard (Rick) Philps is a Canadian citizen, naturalized as a citizen of Costa Rica. He was born, raised, and educated in Victoria, British Columbia, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1977, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (English Common Law) in 1980, from the University of Victoria. He thereafter practiced law in Victoria, as a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, for fourteen years, prior to moving to Costa Rica in 1998.

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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.