If you are thinking on a place to retire, Costa Rica is the perfect place. Well known for its biodiversity and amazing landscapes, this country is one of the preferred destinations to live a happy and peaceful life.

Here you can find, among many other things, cities surrounded by mountains and rivers, but above all those things, you will find people full of charisma and happiness that will always want to make you feel at home, this is the ¨Pura Vida¨ lifestyle.

If you think that Costa Rica is your option, this article is the guide of everything you need to know to obtain your residency as a retired person.

Retirees or Pensionados, as we known them in Costa Rica, are the people that receives a pension either from the government or a private company. Obtaining residency as a Pensionado is one of easiest ways according to the Costa Rican regulations, if you meet the requirements, the process will be simple.

This type of residency is considered as “Temporary”, meaning, that once this is granted, it will only be valid per 2 years. This does not mean that after 2 years you will lose your status, however, every resident must renew their residency after this period.

This category does not have a limit of age to apply, you may have 35 years old or 70 years old that as long as you receive a pension, you will be able to apply.

---

Requirements to become a resident:

Every residency has some general and mandatory requirements that will apply according to the current regulations. Nevertheless, in this article, we will focus on the main requirement for the pensionados. According to the Immigration Law 8764, to apply under this category, it is required the following:

1. Receive a Pension either from the government or by a private company: it is important to understand that a person can only be eligible for this type of residency if the person receives income from a Pension. This must be verified with a letter issued by a certified institution.
2. The pension amount must be over $1,000: the person that is applying for this category must receive a pension that is at least $1,000 USD. In case this amount cannot be reach, it is possible to combine multiple pensions from different companies to reach the threshold. As long as the pensions are being received by the same person, meaning the primary applicant.
3. The pension must be received on a monthly basis: one of the requirements to apply for this residency category is to receive a monthly income due to the pension.
4. The benefit must be granted for life: the main requirement for this type of residency, is to proof that the pension benefit will be received for the rest of the applicant´s life. Therefore, when submitting the pension information or as we call it “pension letter” this has to be explicitly mentioned in the document. Some of the words or language that can be use are lifetime, for life, until death.
5. Pension letter: as mentioned above, to proof to the Immigration Department the receipt of the monthly benefit, it is required to file a Pension Letter. The letter must be apostilled or legalized to be used in Costa Rica. In case the pension comes from a private company, a public notary will need to authenticate the signature of the person who is signing the pension letter, this is crucial so the letter can be accepted and apostilled. If you are a US citizen, and receive a pension from the Social Security Administration, it is possible to obtain the letter through the US Embassy in Costa Rica, this will avoid the need of getting the document apostilled and translated, because the letter will be issued in Spanish. Below are some samples of such letters:

Sample 1:

Sample 2 (Social Security Pension – US Embassy):

Choosing your retirement destination is not easy, however, Costa Rica offers many options and facilities for foreigners that decide to make this piece of paradise a home. Zurcher, Odio & Raven are here to assist you navigate through the residency journey and make this process a peaceful and easy experience.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.