Costa Rica was recently designated as one of the best countries to live in the world thanks to the many positive reviews given by foreign citizens who have relocated and have found the great living and healthcare conditions offered here. This may also be your case if you decide on immigration to Costa Rica from Canada and enjoy what this country has to offer.
Canadians moving to Costa Rica can obtain various benefits that are presented in-depth by our local specialists in immigration matters. Our team also comprises company formation agents in Costa Rica who can help entrepreneurs increase their finances by starting a business here. We can also offer detailed information about how to immigrate to Costa Rica.
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Do you want to immigrate to Costa Rica from Canada? What to consider
If you have not decided yet on permanently moving from Canada to Costa Rica, you don’t need to worry as you can freely travel and stay here for a maximum period of 3 months, a time during which you can even decide to change your visitor status to a resident one by submitting a simple application form in exchange for an approximately USD 200 fee.
This means that immigration to Costa Rica from Canada can be quite simple, especially if you consider the help of our local consultants.
We are at your service if you want to apply for permanent residency. Its requirement implies depositing USD 60,000 in a local bank. This sum includes dependents (spouse and minor children under 25 years old or older with disabilities). A higher sum may be needed for additional dependents. This is also a great route for Costa Rican citizenship.
Types of residence permits when immigrating to Costa Rica from Canada
If you want to relocate to Costa Rica from Canada the traditional way, meaning by applying for a residence permit directly from your country, you can decide on a temporary residence permit that you can obtain based on one of the following conditions:
- you are an entrepreneur and want to open a business in Costa Rica.
- you are foreign worker and you have obtained an employment contract here;
- you are a retired person who wants to live in a beautiful country, not too far from home. For foreigners who move to Costa Rica, finding housing may be both simple and challenging. It is simply because when it comes to renting or purchasing a home, foreigners enjoy the same rights as locals. The challenge arises from the competition for your ideal tropical home with all the other expats. Our agents can help you find and secure a property here.
- you are married to a Costa Rican citizen and want to join him/her here.
Moving to Costa Rica from Canada based on temporary residency implies filing a set of documents with the Costa Rican Embassy in Canada and waiting for a reply. To increase your chances of obtaining a favorable response, you can rely on our immigration lawyers in Costa Rica who can help you draft the paperwork.
An application for permanent residency in Costa Rica may be submitted after 2 years of under the retired or investor status. Working is also allowed after gaining this status without any limitations. If you are considering applying for such a permit, we invite you to get in touch with our local specialists for support.
Canadians moving to Costa Rica for business reasons
Costa Rica is not only a great country to live but also to do business in, which is why if you are a Canadian businessperson who wants to run his or her own enterprise here, you can do that in the simplest way possible: by obtaining an investor visa through the residency by investment scheme.
Immigration to Costa Rica from Canada as an investor implies one of the following:
- investing a minimum of 200,000 USD in a business, in the acquisition of real estate property, or in other government-approved assets;
- investing a minimum of 100,000 USD in the forestry sector.
You will need a carefully crafted business plan if you are interested in company registration in Costa Rica, which is why we invite you to get in touch with us for tailored guidance. We can also help you if you need to immigrate to Costa Rica.
The application process for job visas and work permits in Costa Rica may be challenging. Although the Latin American country is a great place for expats to settle, many of these foreigners are either retired or independent contractors who make their living elsewhere. So, if you want to move to Costa Rica, feel free to contact us.
Permanent residence when relocating to Canada from Costa Rica
Costa Rica immigration from Canada with the purpose of obtaining permanent residency is quite easy, as you only need to live here for 3 years in order to qualify for the status of a permanent resident. This way, you can later qualify for Costa Rican citizenship, more specifically after 7 years of living here uninterruptedly.
Moving to Costa Rica from Canada has never been easier with the help of our immigration lawyers in Costa Rica. We can help you every step of the way.
Assistance in moving from Canada to Costa Rica
Our consultants can help Canadian citizens who want to relocate to Costa Rica with all the procedures they need to complete in order to obtain the necessary residence permits. We can handle the paperwork, prepare any additional documents and file them with the Costa Rican authorities, and we can also advise on the steps to complete after entering the country.
We are also at the service of those who have been living here for a while and need guidance in renewing their documents to prolong their stay or of those who want to immigrate to Costa Rica.
How many foreign citizens live in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is quite an appealing immigration destination, if we are to read the data gathered by the Immigration Department based on the applications it handled. Based on the latest data, there are 488,935 residence permit holders living in Costa Rica. They are divided into:
- 379,901 permanent residents;
- 50,671 temporary residents;
- 58,363 special residence permit holders, such as retired persons;
- out of these, 3,639 are people with Canadian origins.
If you are interested in moving to Costa Rica from Canada and need assistance, please contact us. We are at your disposal with various services ranging from immigration to company incorporation in Costa Rica.