Costa Rica Launches New "Digital Nomad" Visa

• Published date: 29 July 2022
• Subject Matter: Tax, Immigration, Income Tax, General Immigration, Work Visas
• Law Firm: Mayer Brown
• Author: Ms Grace Shie and Paul Justas Sarauskas

As of July 2022, Costa Rica officially opened the application process for the country's new remote worker visa under the immigration category 'Stay (Estancia) for Remote Workers and Service Providers.' Like many countries, Costa Rica suffered a hit to its tourism sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country created the digital nomad visa in an effort to attract long-term visitors and stimulate the local economy. The law enabling the new visa category was signed in August 2021, but administrative and logistical requirements have delayed implementation until now.

Costa Rica's adoption of a digital nomad visa follows the introduction of similar immigration pathways in Italy, Romania, Iceland, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. A major benefit of the new pathway is that visa holders will not have to obtain local sponsorship or employment authorization in order to work in Costa Rica for an employer...