In ten months after regulation of law, Migration has authorized 619 residence permits for digital nomads

As published on May 16th, 2023 by Alessandro Solís for AmeleriaRueda.com (read original)

US citizens are the ones who have received the most residency in the migratory category of digital nomads during the ten months in which this type of visas have been issued in the country, according to data from the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) sent to AmeliaRueda.com.

The regulation to the law was published in La Gaceta on July 8, 2022, so since that date the DGME must process these applications on a preferential basis, with a period of 15 calendar days to resolve them. Between that month and May 5, 2023, 716 applications were submitted, of which 619 (86.5%) were approved.

The United States and Canada are the countries of origin with the most approved applications. During these first ten months, 313 Americans were approved to live in Costa Rica as digital nomads; that is, 50.5% of the total.In second place are Canadians, with 82. Between the two nationalities, they accumulate 63.8% of the approvals.

In addition, 36 Germans, 29 British and 21 Russians also obtained this category of residence in the period mentioned, while a group of 35 countries of origin share the rest of the approvals. On the other hand, there are people of 14 nationalities who applied but were not approved in that period.

Although the majority of applications and approvals are from North American and European citizens, there has also been interest from Latin Americans for this type of residency.For example, 16 Colombians, nine Salvadorans, eight Nicaraguans, four Argentines, and three Hondurans are already digital nomads in Costa Rica.

According to the law and its regulations, Costa Rica classifies residents as remote workers or remote service providers (i.e., as digital nomads) when they work for companies outside the country, have a fixed salary from abroad, and earn at least $3,000 per month ($4,000 if they come with family).

Digital nomads enjoy a series of incentives in the country, such as total income tax exemption and exemption from payment of all taxes on the importation of computers and other equipment necessary to carry out their work from the country.