8 things to know about the Costa Rica digital nomad visa

The very long-anticipated Costa Rica digital nomad visa has ultimately been designed law, right after Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves signed off on the legislation this week, next the inclusion of modifications to make it extra accessible and much easier to use.

Formally regarded as the ‘Law to Catch the attention of Employees and Remote Vendors of Intercontinental Providers,’ the electronic nomad visa was very first permitted by the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica in July 2021 and in the beginning signed into legislation by Chaves’ predecessor Carlos Alvarado in August.

However, correct implementation of the visa was held up by problems raised among federal government departments that the demands were being also restrictive, prompting modifications to be built to ease the software procedure and relax its problems. It will come into power after the text of the regulation is published in the the formal government newspaper, La Gaceta.

SEE ALSO: Locate an employer of file for payroll outsourcing in Costa Rica

The law is 1 of a selection of measures the Costa Rican governing administration has taken considering the fact that the onset of the pandemic to really encourage foreign financial investment and readers again to the nation, and is one particular between numerous examples of visas becoming introduced all-around Latin The us and the Caribbean to appeal to distant workers.

The signing off of the legislation on July 6 introduces a number of adjustments to the unique laws that make it noticeably a lot easier to get a Costa Rica digital nomad visa. Down below, 8 crucial features of the visa and application course of action are highlighted:

1. A felony history examine is NOT necessary

1 of the most noteworthy modifications to the Costa Rica digital nomad visa is the elimination of the need for a criminal record examine. That promises to be a sizeable time saver for several applicants, mainly because obtaining a legal report qualifications examine can occasionally be a delayed procedure.

It is essential to notice that it does not necessarily mean all candidates will necessarily be granted the visa without acquiring their legal heritage checked. Mainly because Costa Rican authorities are nevertheless capable to insist on these kinds of checks if they deem it affordable to do so. But it is now at their discretion, fairly than compulsory.

2. The Costa Rica digital nomad visa needs a minimum amount income

1 of the principal criterions for acquiring a electronic nomad visa is staying capable to confirm that you fulfill the least revenue threshold. For everyone scheduling to shift to the place by itself, that indicates earnings of at minimum US $3,000 per month, though any person bringing a associate or family need to be earning US $4,000. Anyone set to be granted a visa as part of an applicatin must also have health and fitness insurance.

Demonstrating earnings involves furnishing primary bank statements that establish the applicant has continuously fulfilled the pertinent threshold by using an affidavit, which the US embassy in Costa Rica defines as a “written or printed declaration or assertion of specifics, manufactured voluntarily, and verified by the oath or affirmation of the man or woman generating it, taken just before a consular officer obtaining authority to administer this sort of an oath.”

3. The visa delivers important tax breaks

A significant draw of the Costa Rica electronic nomad visa is the simple fact it will come with entire earnings tax exemption for the holder, as nicely as exemption from import taxes for the importation of pcs and other tools the holder needs to undertake their work, in addition up to two vehicles.

It is well worth noting that whilst partners or dependents will be permitted to use any car or truck introduced in free of import tax, they will not get pleasure from income tax exemption, which only applies to the most important visa holder.

4. Files ought to be professionally translated

Any paperwork required as component of the software system that do not at first show up in Spanish will want to be translated by an accredited translator within just Costa Rica or the applicant’s country of origin, or by a registered Costa Rican notary.

This stipulation does not implement to passports.

5. You no for a longer time require apostilles to get a Costa Rica electronic nomad visa

Earlier the electronic nomad visa needed documents to be apostilled — a type of authentication acknowledged all-around the environment which can from time to time choose weeks to receive. Now, having said that, files can now be authenticated with an affidavit.

That is a substantially simpler necessity, meant to slice down the bureacracy and time associated in acquiring the visa.

6. An inital software will be processed quickly

To get started the software procedure for a Costa Rica digital nomad visa, applicants can check out the Trámite Ya system, where by they will be in a position to comprehensive the online type, which features distributing fundamental private details and a amount of individual and legal paperwork.

At the time the software has been submitted, authorities will then have a optimum of 15 days to accept or reject the application — a stipulation imposed to hasten the processing time. 

7. You have restricted time to get your immigration accredited 

At the time an application has in the beginning been granted the applicant can enter the state, upon arrival they will have 3 months to system their immigration accreditation doc. That will contain a encounter-to-facial area appointment at the offices of the country’s migration authority.

During that appointment, pictures and biometric information and facts will be taken, and other particular and lawful files should be offered.

8. Extending a Costa Rica electronic nomad visa demands a least remain

The Costa Rica electronic nomad visa is meant to appeal to remote workers, in part simply because their purchasing power in just the country will be a improve for the financial state. To that conclusion, stipulations for renewal have been provided to persuade holders to continue being in the region for at minimum 50 % of the time they maintain the visa.

A visa will be originally granted for a time period of 12 months, which can then be prolonged for a further 12 months. Nonetheless, holders will only be granted an extension if they are been in the state for a minimal of 180 days all through the initial 12 months.

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*Lewis McLeod contributed to this write-up