How to Apply for Pensionado Residency in Costa Rica: Step by Step Guide

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Considering moving to Costa Rica ? Costa Rica's Pensionado Residency might be perfect for you! In this detailed video, we break down everything you need to know about applying for Pensionado Residency in Costa Rica, ensuring a smooth and successful transition to your new life in Costa Rica.
👉 What You Will Learn:
Eligibility Criteria: Understand who can apply for Pensionado Residency and what makes you eligible.
Required Documents: A comprehensive list of all the documents you will need to gather before applying.
Financial Requirements: Detailed information about the financial requirements and proof of income needed for the application.
Application Process: Step-by-step guide through the application process, from start to finish.
Legal Considerations: Insights into the legal aspects of the residency process, including tips on dealing with Costa Rican authorities.
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Advice on how to avoid common pitfalls that could delay or disrupt your application.
🎥 In This Video:
[00:00] Introduction to Pensionado Residency
[00:39] Qualification for Pensionado Residency
[00:56] Types of Pensions that qualify
[01:25] Other residency alternatives
[01:54] Your spouse qualifies as a dependent on the application
[02:41] Documents required for your application
[03:28] You Pension verification letter
[03:54] Criminal Background Check
[04:16] Legalization and Apostille of documents
[05:27] Translate your documents into Spanish
[05:45] Fingerprinting in Costa Rica
[07:09] Other supporting documents that are required
[07:29] The Application
[08:09] The Background Information Form - Hoja de Filiacion
[08:41] Informed Consent Form
[08:55] The Application Process
[09:15] The online application platform
[09:42] The costs of Pensionado Residency
[10:59] How long does it take
[11:29] Register with the Costa Rican Social Security System
[12:01] Final appointment to get your residency DIMEX card
[12:09} Get the Free Immigration Guide
[12:20] Conclusion
🔗 Helpful Links and Resources:
Department of Immigration: www.migracion.go.cr/
F.B.I. Background check: www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-y...
RCMP Canada Background check: www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/crimina...
Ministry of Foreign Relations approved translators: www.rree.go.cr/?sec=servicios...
VitalChek - Vital records processing company: www.vitalchek.com/v/
Costa Rica Ministry of Public Security Fingerprinting office: www.seguridadpublica.go.cr/tr...
U.S. State Department Apostille: travel.state.gov/content/trav...
Canadian Government Apostille: www.international.gc.ca/gac-a...
Download the Free Costa Rica Immigration Guide: costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-i...
For more information about Costa Rica visit us at costaricalaw.com/

Пікірлер: 31

@joecahill4164 3 ай бұрын

I have been using Roger Petersen publications for probably 20 years..Thank you again for a fabulous presentation, very informative and well presented.....

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi Joe. Good to hear from you and thank you for watching and your feebback is always appreciated.

@ManifestMoon 13 күн бұрын

Thank you for providing the information you do.

@CostaRicaLaw 12 күн бұрын

Hi and thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.

@YourBuddyRob 3 ай бұрын

Hi, Roger. Thanks for the best CR legal info on the web! My question is: How long is the apostille good for?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Rob. Thank you for watching and your feedback is much appreciated. The apostille will be accepted by immigration in Costa Rica up to 6 months from the date issued.

@lornehargis2614 3 ай бұрын

Roger, your videos are very good. Thx. I obtained my Pensionado Residency in 2022. If I had the chance to do it over, I would not have done it. Resson...the cost of CCSS. Almost in tandem with the Residency types that were being promoted, the government seemed to be working behind the scenes to change the pension and CCSS required contributions. I have heard this is under reconsideration but cannot find any credible information. Do you have any updated information and guidance on this? Thanks

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi, and thanks for watching. That is an excellent point that you make about the increased cost of the mandatory CCSS contribution. For years the contribution was limited to the Health Insurance component known as SEM. Then by way of policy changes they modified the criteria and added the IVM (pension) component to the equation which significantly added to the overall cost. For this reason, applicants need to understand these costs. Those who have more than one pension should always apply with the lowest one as the CCSS will be based on a percentage of the pension you used to apply for residency. As to your question about the attempt to change the existing regulation so that Pensionados, Rentistas, and Investors can opt out of the system. A member of Congress had a proposed legislative bill that would amend the General Immigration Law, Law No. 8764, with the purpose of excluding investors, rentistas, and pensionados from the mandatory insurance and contribution to social security. However, that proposal was sent over to the Attorney General's Office of the Republic for legal analysis and opinion of the proposal. Their opinion issued on September 4, 2023 (PGR-OJ-091-2023 was “……, we believe that this bill is legally unfeasible because it violates the constitutional autonomy of the CCSS in matters of social insurance….” Other institutions also weighed in against it and as a result on March 12, 2024 the Legislature voted against it as follows: “Based on the technical and constitutional considerations indicated here, we have decided to issue a negative opinion on File No. 23.494, "REFORM OF ARTICLES 7, SUBSECTION 7 AND 80 OF THE GENERAL IMMIGRATION LAW NO. 8764, OF AUGUST 19, 2009 AND ITS AMENDMENTS, TO PROMOTE THE INCLUSION OF INVESTORS, RENTISTAS, AND PENSIONADOS IN THE COSTA RICAN TERRITORY." and consequently order its immediate archive.” The change must come from the legislature and it appears at the moment that there is no political viability to do so based on what I have discussed above. Thank you for the question.

@victoriajackson8361 3 ай бұрын

@@CostaRicaLaw Super information to have...even though it's not what I was hoping for. Thanks for this!

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

@@victoriajackson8361 Thank you for your feedback. If they would at least revert back charging just the health care component like they did for many years that would be acceptable and reasonable. Adding the IVM pension component to the equation is what caused the increase in the payment. There are still ongoing efforts to at least get this part modified.

@VirtualJohnDoe 3 ай бұрын

Hi Mr. Peterson ... a little off topic but I have a question on something (in my particular use case) related to deciding how to engage in the "pensionado residency application" process ... question: can a person either bring (import or drive) a car into Costa Rica or buy a car in Costa Rica then own the car "legally (after paying for local license plates, paying all import taxes, other fees, Marchamo, etc.)" and "fully (after paying insurance as an individual - not a corporation)" while visiting the country on a tourist visa? Would the car ownership - after paying all fees and being duly registered as a local car - still be subject to, and tethered to, the duration of the owner's tourist visa? Would it still be forced to leave and re-enter the country every 90/180 days to obtain a a new Temporary Import Permit (TIP)? or having duly registered the car would negate the requirement for border runs?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi and thank you for watching and your comment. Let me address your question in two parts. The ownership and the Temporary Import Permit. 1. Ownership. Yes. You can import or drive your car into Costa Rica or you can buy a vehicle in Costa Rica as well. You will own the vehicle with Costa Rica registration in the case of an imported vehicle once you pay all import taxes, have the vehicle inspected and then titled into your name. If you buy a local car then it would already have the registration and tags and then it would just be a transfer of title from Seller to Buyer. In both cases you can own a vehicle in your personal name if that is your preference and a company is not required. You can title a vehicle or purchase a vehicle using your passport. 2. Tourist and Temporary Import. If you import or drive your car to Costa Rica and wish to apply for a temporary import permit then it will be tied to your tourist visa status. The regulations indicate that the length of the permit for the vehicle is tied directly to the number of days you were granted in your tourist visa. In the past that visa was issued for 90 days and it only allowed a single additional renewal of 90 days for a total of 180 days. Since then the visa was expanded now to 180 days and I am not sure how Customs is interpreting that today regarding the extension. I would recommend you check that with a Costa Rica customs broker since they work directly with Customs on imports and will have more specific knowledge about the process.

@billgalli5991 3 ай бұрын

Also will charge you Caja of 18% for medical.

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

We have an article on the website where anybody can estimate their Caja payments based on the amount of the pension that they are applying with. Here is the link for those interested in doing their calculation based on their circumstances. Thank you for watching and commenting. costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/immigration-and-residency/how-to-calculate-your-monthly-caja-fee-for-residency-in-costa-rica/

@82ndairborne53 3 ай бұрын

I was told by another Costa Rican lawyer that only my birth certificate and FBI background check needed the apostille, but not the Social Security Benefit Letter. Also, I thought I could select for the State of Florida and FBI to automatically forward these documents to the related state and federal departments of state for apostilles. Do I have to wait for them to arrive and them mail them to the entities?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and your questions as follows: The US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica has a Federal Benefits office inside the Embassy. The Federal Benefits office would issue a letter in Spanish directly to the Department of Immigration certifying the social security income of the applicant. That letter was accepted by immigration without any Apostille required. Here is the contact information for the federal benefits office so you can confirm if they will issue that form. "Please contact us by phone: (506) 2519-2228 or via email fbu.costarica@ssa.gov before coming to the FBU in San José, since most issues can be resolved without you having to visit the Federal Benefits Unit. In order to fully utilize the time available from our specialized representatives, services will be provided by APPOINTMENT ONLY, therefore we recommend that you call first to obtain advice from the FBU personnel prior to your visit to the San José Embassy. " As to the FBI Apostille. Here is the response from the FAQ on the official FBI website: 6. Does the FBI provide apostilles*? (*An apostille is a certification that a document has been "legalized" or "authenticated" by the issuing agency through a process in which various seals are placed on the document.) The FBI will no longer place the FBI seal on U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results. The FBI will authenticate all fingerprint search results by placing the FBI watermark and the signature of a division official on the results at the time of submission. Documents authenticated by the FBI may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted. www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/identity-history-summary-checks/identity-history-summary-checks-faqs

@motadum007 3 ай бұрын

for rentista , your video was 3 year ago, any change since ?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi. Thanks for watching the video and you comment. There are no changes in RENTISTA category so the information in that video is up to date. You can also download our Free 2024 Immigration Guide here as well. costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-immigration-guide/

@toddmaek5436 Ай бұрын

How long is the residency good for??

@CostaRicaLaw Ай бұрын

Hi and thank you for watching. The initial residency card that you will receive is good for two years. You will then have to file for a renewal of your card which will be granted for an additional two years. At the three mark you can also apply to switch to permanent residency if you wish. As a permanent resident you no longer have to prove the pension income requirement.

@myinspirationalgoods 3 ай бұрын

How do I reinstate my Costa Rica Pensionado status? I obtained my status in 2007. Had Total Knee Replacement at Biblica in 2012. Replacement required Revision Surgery. Came to San Antonio, Texas in September 2013. Surgery was performed in 2014. Had 2 infections requiring multiple surgeries and treatment. Had surgery #7 in 2023 and Surgeon says I can return in late 2024. Have retained a Surgical Record History. Is reinstating Pensionado Status possible?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

You have a few considerations. If you are absent for two consecutive years then it can be cancelled. However you have a medical justification that you can claim. The other issue is that you will need to prove that you are up to date with your CCSS caja payment when you request a renewal

@myinspirationalgoods 3 ай бұрын

@@CostaRicaLaw Wasn’t aware of Medical Justification. Thanks! My wife is a Lawyer in Costa Rica. We were aware of having to pay CCSS for the time it hadn’t been paid. Hope to return later this year with my Surgeon’s blessings. But returning with a bottle of Oral Antibiotics. Thanks again for your very rapid reply.

@michaelmiller2277 2 ай бұрын

Question sir. What if I get a disability Pension from the government, that's more than a 1,000 dollars a month, but it does not say that the Pension is for a life time. Would this Disqualify me from the Penisonado visa sir?

@CostaRicaLaw 2 ай бұрын

Here is the exact wording from the Department of Immigration. "Provide a document issued by a competent authority demonstrating that you receive a lifetime pension with an amount not less than one thousand dollars per month (US$1000). If the certification is issued abroad, it must be properly legalized and authenticated or apostilled" If you can't show that the pension is a lifetime pension then they have the discretion of rejecting it.

@richardwilkinson72 3 ай бұрын

Does the spouse of the applicant require all the same documents?

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi Richard. Thank you for the question. Yes. The spouse needs the same documents with the exception of the pension document if your spouse is applying as a dependent on your application.

@richardwilkinson72 3 ай бұрын

My wife was born in Germany of a German mother, adopted by Americans and naturalized in the United States at the age of three. Which if any of these documents would be appropriate? I’m not even sure how we would obtain them.

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

@@richardwilkinson72 if she can get her German birth certificate then that is the easiest since she complies with the law. If not then she can provide an affadvit setting forth the reason and provide her naturalization certificate instead.

@MrVader282 3 ай бұрын

Visiting CR is fine but the entire country is geared toward taking as much money as they can, not a bad place to visit but moving there is another story. The fleecing is everywhere in CR, not worth the effort, too many living in CR without legal status, much easier in other countries.

@CostaRicaLaw 3 ай бұрын

Hi. Thank you for your feedback and opinion. Costa Rica is certainly not for everybody and as you indicate there are other options all over the world.