Work Visa

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Costa Rica
About
Requirements
Cost of Living
Expats
Talent Migration

About

The General Directorate of Migration and Immigration is the entity in charge of authorizing work permits for foreigners. To give this authorization, the Directorate takes into account the recommendations of a re-commendatory nature prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security

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Duration

12 Month(s)

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Citizenship

84 Month(s)

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Fees

up to 150 USD

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P. Residency

36 Month(s)

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Processing time

6-8 Week(s)

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COMPLEXITY

Low

What are eligibility requirements for the Work Visa?

5 Eligibility Requirements

  • You need a passport valid for at least 6 months
  • You need an invitation/job offer from an employer
  • You must be of good conduct
  • You must not have any outstanding monetary obligations in Costa Rica
  • You need sufficient funds for initial stay period in Costa Rica

Which documents do I need to apply for the Work Visa?

14 Document Required

  • Application Form
  • Letter explaining why do you apply for the work permit in which you also indicate your full name, nationality, age, occupation, current address and place or mean for notifications
  • Receipt for the payment of 125 ¢ and 2, 5 ¢ for each page that you hand out with the residency application. The applicant must pay for it and include his/her name
  • 2 passport size photographs
  • Receipt of fingerprint registration issued by the Ministry of Public Security
  • Receipt of consular inscription
  • Birth Certificate
  • Criminal Record from your native country or the place where you have been living for the past three years. Copy of the migration document to demonstrate that you were a legal resident of said country
  • Certified copies of each page in the passport
  • Statement of Employing Company. This statement should indicate what functions will be undertaken by the applicant, the length of the contract and the salary
  • Legal Constitution and Registration Documents of the company
  • Certification of the Costa Rican Social Security Institution. This statement proves the company or the employer are registered and have no outstanding monetary obligations.
  • Proof of income, balance and result situation issued by an Authorised Public Accountant
  • Statement of Insurance Company. It should indicate that the insurance for the worker is duly paid

Cost of living

Avarage cost of living in Costa Rica

1. Grocery

ItemsUnited StatesCosta RicaComparison
Apples (1KG)2.2 - 6.61 USD2.13 - 5.99 USD8% less
Cheese (1KG)6.61 - 16.53 USD3.56 - 10.04 USD42% less
Bread (500g)1.53 - 3.41 USD1.11 - 2.67 USD24% less
Banana (1KG)1.08 - 2.2 USD0.53 - 1.42 USD41% less
Pack of Marlboro5.45 - 8.69 USD3.02 - 3.99 USD51% less
Eggs (12)1.75 - 3.99 USD1.96 - 3.99 USD3% more
Bottle of Wine9 - 16 USD8.89 - 15.11 USD4% less
Onions (1KG)1.52 - 4.41 USD1.2 - 2.67 USD35% less
Chicken Breast (1KG) 4.41 - 14.31 USD4.8 - 9.42 USD25% less
Milk0.65 - 1.12 USD1.07 - 1.6 USD50% more

2. Restaurant

ItemsUnited StatesCosta RicaComparison
Beer Imported (0.33L Bottle)4 - 7 USD2.13 - 4.44 USD41% less
Beer Local (0.5L Draught)3 - 5 USD1.51 - 2.67 USD48% less
Cappucino3 - 5 USD1.6 - 2.99 USD43% less
Meal for 2 at mid-restaurant35 - 70 USD21.33 - 44.44 USD38% less
Meal at inexpensive restaurant10 - 20 USD5.33 - 9.98 USD49% less
McDonald Combo Meal6 - 8 USD5.99 - 8 USD1% less

3. Transportation

ItemsUnited StatesCosta RicaComparison
One-way Ticket (Public)1.5 - 2.75 USD0.53 - 0.94 USD66% less
Gasoline (1LTR)0.53 - 0.76 USD0.94 - 1.24 USD68% more
Taxi (1KM)1.24 - 2.49 USD1.07 - 1.51 USD31% less

4. Rent

ItemsUnited StatesCosta RicaComparison
1 Bedroom City Centre650 - 2000 USD355.55 - 888.87 USD54% less
1 Bedroom Outside City550 - 1500 USD249.41 - 533.32 USD62% less
Internet (Cable/ADSL)35 - 80 USD28.44 - 71.11 USD14% less

5. Leisure and Shopping

ItemsUnited StatesCosta RicaComparison
Summer Dress (Zara,H&M)20 - 50 USD35.55 - 71.11 USD52% more
Cinema Ticket (one)9 - 13.5 USD5.33 - 7.98 USD41% less

69.9K People moved to Costa Rica from United States by 1990 - 2019

Other top ten expats in Costa Rica listed below

RankCountryMaleFemaleTotal
#1Nicaragua768.5K717K1.5M
#2El Salvador73K66.3K139.3K
#3Colombia43.7K42.4K86K
#4Panama32.3K34.9K67.2K
#5United States29.9K40K69.9K
#6Cuba15.4K17.2K32.6K
#7Honduras12.2K9.4K21.6K
#8Peru9.8K10.6K20.4K
#9Mexico9.2K7.9K17.1K
#10Hong Kong8K9.2K17.1K
#11Guatemala7.2K7.7K14.9K
#12Spain5.4K7K12.4K
#13Chile4.9K5.1K10K
#14Italy4.5K7.2K11.7K
#15Germany4.3K6K10.3K

Talent Migration data for Costa Rica

Talent gain & drain map of 2015-2019 data. Sourced from World Bank Digital Development Data.

Disclaimer: Visadb.io is a FREE visa database and Immigration Expert Marketplace. The information displayed in this page is not legal advice. Please speak to an Expert before applying.

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