(MENAFN- Costa Rica News) The post From Practice to Regulation: The End of the $60,000 Deposit as a Path to Rentista Residency appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

One of the most frequent questions raised by expats across various forums and online communities concerns the possibility of obtaining residency in Costa Rica under the rentista subcategory by making a single deposit of $60,000 USD, which would later be reimbursed in monthly installments of $2,500 over a period of 24 consecutive months..

For several years, this was a common and effective strategy. In practice, the only requirement was to have the $60,000 available to be deposited into a fixed-term certificate of deposit in a banking institution. By demonstrating the existence of stable and permanent monthly income for the next two years, the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Affairs (DGME) deemed the financial requirement satisfied and granted temporary residency under the rentista category.

However, with the enactment of Executive Decree No. 43926 of February 14, 2023, the Administration introduced a regulatory interpretation of the term“renta” (income), defining it as follows:

(ES)“Renta: es utilidad o beneficio que rinde anualmente algo o lo que de él se cobra. No se entenderá como renta el depósito que se realice en una entidad bancaria a efectos de que sea devuelto en fracciones mensuales, por cuanto lo que hace es recibir el reintegro del dinero que entregó a la entidad inicialmente para su administración.” (emphasis added)

(EN)“Income is the profit or benefit that something yields annually, or that is collected from it. Income shall not be understood as a deposit made in a banking institution for the purpose of being returned in monthly installments, since what is actually received is merely the reimbursement of the funds initially delivered to the institution for its administration.” (Emphasis added; unofficial translation by the author).

By defining, through regulation, what must be understood as“income,” the Executive Branch made it clear that the strategy based on a $60,000 USD deposit no longer produces valid effects for this purpose. The rule not only provides a positive definition of income but also expressly specifies what it is not, effectively closing the door to those who intended to apply under this traditional approach.

Accordingly, it is now evident that the intention of qualifying as a rentista through a single deposit divided into 24 reimbursements of $2,500 USD is no longer legally viable and will lead to the rejection of the application.

This raises a very practical and legitimate question: How can one now demonstrate a monthly, stable, and permanent income as required by Article 82 of Law No. 8764?

Below are some illustrative examples of how such income may be demonstrated:

Financial investment in a national banking institution: The applicant may place their capital in a fixed-term deposit that pays an interest rate high enough to generate the required yield. For illustration, using the Base Passive Rate published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) on October 29, 2025 (3.81%), the approximate capital required to generate $2,500 USD per month would be $787,400 USD. It should be noted that actual yields depend on the specific financial instrument, term, fees, and applicable taxes. Therefore, all these factors must be considered to ensure that the required $2,500 USD monthly income is effectively achieved on a stable and permanent basis.

Real estate income: This may be demonstrated through lease agreements, bank statements, and deposit receipts proving stable and permanent monthly income equal to or greater than $2,500 USD for a minimum period of 24 months. It is important to highlight that when the income is not certified by a banking institution, the DGME requires that the evidence be presented through a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who, under the authority of their professional license, certifies the existence, stability, and permanence of the monthly benefit, with apostille/legalization and translation as applicable.

Financial trust: The applicant may also opt for a financial trust that distributes monthly yields. If such a trust produces a return similar to the Base Passive Rate (3.81%), the required capital would likewise be approximately $787,000 USD.

The examples above do not constitute an exhaustive or numerus clausus list of the possible ways to demonstrate the existence of monthly, stable, and permanent income that meets the statutory minimum. Other scenarios may fall within the concept of periodic profit or benefit as interpreted by the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Affairs. Nonetheless, the essential elements remain the same: the income must be MONTHLY, PERMANENT, and STABLE. These three elements -expressly stated in Article 82 of Law No. 8764- are the key to substantiating the rentista status before Costa Rica's immigration authority.

Oscar Andrés López Hernández
Director of Legal and & Immigration
Expat Legal Advisors.
Expatlegaladvisors

The post From Practice to Regulation: The End of the $60,000 Deposit as a Path to Rentista Residency appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

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