Pensionado
For retirees with a lifetime pension
USD 3,500
Costa Rica Pensionado Visa: How to Apply for Retiree Residency
With a lifelong pension of at least USD 1,000 a month, Costa Rica opens its door: two-year, renewable residency with a light presence requirement.
Fixed prices and ordering
All prices in US dollars for the main applicant; family members coming with you are added to the same case.
Not included: government fees, translations and apostilles (government fees approx. USD 400). Ongoing: contributions to the state health fund CCSS (Caja). You add family members at checkout.
Who this procedure suits
The pensionado programme suits retirees who can show a lifelong pension of at least USD 1,000 a month, whether from a state pension, an occupational scheme or a private retirement plan. Eligibility can depend on your nationality, and we check it before you order. There is no minimum age: if you draw a documented lifelong pension in your mid-fifties, you qualify just the same. It suits everyone looking for stability, safety and some of the best healthcare in Latin America, who knowingly accept somewhat higher living costs in return.
And who it does not suit:
- ✕You live on investment returns or rental income rather than a pension: then the rentista programme is the right route, a separate procedure with its own thresholds, not this service.
- ✕You want to avoid the Caja: registering with the public health system is mandatory and part of the deal; if you do not want that, Costa Rica will not make you happy.
- ✕You are looking for the cheapest retirement destination in the region: Costa Rica is noticeably more expensive than Paraguay or Ecuador; you pay for stability and healthcare.
Requirements
The central hurdle is pleasantly low: proof of a lifelong pension of at least USD 1,000 a month, issued and certified by the pension provider; the amount usually covers an accompanying spouse. Add a birth certificate, where relevant a marriage certificate for the accompanying spouse, and a police certificate, all apostilled and officially translated into Spanish. Important for planning in 2026: the former customs incentives under Ley 9996 expired on 14 July 2026; the core of the programme (the low pension threshold and territorial tax treatment) is unaffected.
Thinking about a retiree visa, but no pension that moves with you?
Retiree routes require a documented monthly income. For the self-employed and business owners we build a structure for exactly that: the pension plan LLC, your own US company that you fund with a loan and that repays it to you in regular monthly instalments under a documented pension plan. It works for many retiree visas, with no minimum age; we confirm acceptance for your destination before you order.
About the pension plan LLC →What we take care of
- ✓Review of your pension evidence and the programme requirements, before anything is ordered
- ✓Complete document list with an apostille and translation plan
- ✓Preparation and pre-check of every document before filing
- ✓Filing with the immigration authority by licensed local attorneys
- ✓Ongoing follow-up with the authority until the resolution
- ✓Support with the mandatory Caja registration after approval
- ✓Deadline tracking for the renewal and later permanent residence
- ✓One personal contact for the whole process, coordinating everything in English
Step by step
- 1
Clarify your pension evidence
We check whether your pension meets the programme requirement and how your pension provider issues the certified evidence.
- 2
Prepare your documents
Birth certificate, marriage certificate where relevant, police certificate: apostilled, officially translated and pre-checked by us before you fly.
- 3
File the application
Together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in Costa Rica, we file the application with the immigration authority and represent you in the process; we coordinate in-person appointments such as biometrics.
- 4
Processing and approval
The authority reviews the file, the local attorneys follow up, and we keep you updated in English until the resolution.
- 5
Caja registration and start
After approval comes the mandatory Caja registration; with that your status is complete and your residency is up and running.
How long it takes
From complete filing to approval, expect typically several months. Processing practice is still shifting after Ley 9996 expired, so we check the current position immediately before your application instead of relying on older guides. Nobody can honestly promise you a date.
Do you need to be there in person?
Application steps such as biometrics need in-person appointments, which we combine with your travel plans. After that the programme is very lenient: in current authority practice one visit a year of a few days is enough to keep the status. If you live there permanently, you meet that without trying; if Costa Rica is your second base, plan one visit a year.
Family members coming with you
The principal applicant's pension evidence usually covers an accompanying spouse; in practice a somewhat higher threshold is often quoted for couples, which we check in advance. For dependents, Costa Rica distinguishes between joint and separate filing and between adults and minors; filing jointly is the leaner route. Every family member needs their own document set, and we handle the coordination.
What comes next
Pensionado residency is valid for two years and fully renewable. After three years as a temporary resident, the way opens to permanent residence, which is no longer tied to the pension evidence. What life in the country feels like, from the Caja to the best places to live, is covered in our guide Retire in Costa Rica.
What is not included
- •Government fees in Costa Rica
- •Caja contributions (ongoing, as a percentage of your declared income)
- •Apostilles and legalisations in your home country
- •Certified translations
- •Notary fees
- •Travel and accommodation costs
- •Private health insurance
- •Tax advice in Costa Rica
Tax note
Residency is not the same as tax residence, and for pensions the treaty position decides a great deal. Private and occupational pensions paid from abroad can fall under Costa Rica's territorial system, but whether your state pension stays taxable at home depends on your country and its treaty with Costa Rica:
One point of contact, from start to finish
Your application is filed together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country, with whom we have worked for years. We coordinate your case, check your documents and remain your point of contact: in English, throughout.
That applies whether you are still at home or already on the road: one point of contact, no language barrier, no loose ends across four time zones.
Frequently asked questions
How high does my pension need to be?+
At least USD 1,000 a month, lifelong and documented, from a state, occupational or private pension. The amount usually covers an accompanying spouse; in practice a somewhat higher threshold is often quoted for couples.
Is there a minimum age?+
No. All that counts is a lifelong, documented pension, not your year of birth.
What is the difference between pensionado and rentista?+
Pensionado is the programme for people with a lifelong pension. Rentista is a separate programme for passive income that is not a pension, with different thresholds and evidence. The two are often confused, but they are different services.
Do I have to pay into the Caja?+
Yes, registering with the public health system is mandatory and a condition of the status. The contribution is a percentage of your declared income. Many residents combine the Caja with private top-up insurance.
How often do I need to be in Costa Rica?+
After approval, one visit a year is enough to keep the status in current authority practice. That makes the programme workable as a second base, too.
I do not have a conventional pension. Am I out?+
Not necessarily. For self-employed people and business owners we can set up a company pension structure that pays a pension documented by attorneys. Whether a programme recognises it, we check before every order. Alternatively, the rentista programme may fit.
Who files my application?+
Licensed attorneys in Costa Rica, our local partners whom we have worked with for years. We coordinate your case, check the documents and remain your personal contact in English.
Are the customs benefits for household goods and a car still available?+
No. The special incentives under Ley 9996 expired on 14 July 2026. If you are planning today, plan without these customs benefits; the core of the programme remains.
Pensionado Visa Costa Rica: let's look at your case
A fixed price, three ways to pay, and once your payment arrives our team first checks your requirements before your case goes to our local partners.
Order now
Prefer a consultation first?
A personal consultation with Harley Bieder, our Latin America expert, before you order.