Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 8. Immigration › Costa Rican immigration fees, guarantee deposits and processing times: what a residence file actually costs

Costa Rican immigration fees, guarantee deposits and processing times: what a residence file actually costs

Last verified: 2026-10-29 · Status: Stable

Immigration fees are set in US dollars by Ley 8764 and payable in colones at the BCCR selling rate: US$50 per first residence application, US$200 to change category inside the country, US$30 plus US$30 for the card, US$25 to the social fund at grant and renewal, US$100 for non resident extensions and US$3 a month for late renewal. A cash deposit worth an open one year ticket home is also required. DGME has three months to decide a complete residence file.

Colón figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), which is also the rate Ley 8764 tells payers to use for fees set in dollars. Fines set in salarios base use the 2026 salario base of ₡462,200 (Circular 246-2025 of the Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial, under Ley 7337 art. 2).

Key facts

Residence card request fee	30 USDLey 8764 art. 252, as of 2010-03-01 · in force
Residence document issue fee	30 USDLey 8764 art. 253, as of 2024-08-28 · in force
Social migration fund payment at grant and each renewal	25 USDLey 8764 art. 33(4), as of 2024-08-28 · in force
Late renewal fine per month	3 USDLey 8764 art. 254, as of 2010-03-01 · in force
Guarantee deposit, non resident stay	100 USDDecreto 36539-G art. 14, as of 2011-04-27 · in force

The rule

1. Every first application for temporary or permanent residence must carry proof of payment of US$50 to the State; without it the application is not processed.
Cost to do it: US$50 (₡22,741)
Example: ₡22,741 / US$50Ley 8764, art. 255, 2009-08-19 official text · verified 2026-10-29

2. A non resident or special category holder who changes migration category from inside Costa Rica pays US$200.
Cost to do it: US$200 (₡90,964)
Example: ₡90,964 / US$200Ley 8764, art. 89 and art. 96, 2009-08-19 official text · verified 2026-10-29

3. The residence card (cédula de extranjería, known as DIMEX) costs US$30 for the request (art. 252) plus US$30 for issuing the document that proves legal stay (art. 253), on top of the production cost of the document set by the Dirección General (art. 251).
Cost to do it: US$60 plus the document production cost (₡27,289.20 plus that cost)Ley 8764, as amended by Ley 10493, art. 251 to 253, 2024-06-05 official text · verified 2026-10-29

4. Foreigners granted legal status pay an extra US$25 to the Fondo Social de Migración when status is granted and at each renewal; non residents and special categories pay US$5 a year. Minors, refugees, asylees, stateless persons, adults with disabilities, cross border workers and tourists are exempt (wording set by Ley 10493 of 2024).Ley 8764, as amended by Ley 10493, art. 33(4) and (5), 2024-06-05 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Ley 10493 (in force 28 August 2024) rewrote the exemption list and allowed up to 50% less for seasonal farm workers on stays of nine months or less.

5. Permanent and temporary residents must make a cash guarantee deposit equal to an open one year ticket to their country of origin; the approval resolution states the amount, and DGME publishes ticket based amounts by resolution and reviews them every five years. Stay (estancia) non residents deposit US$100, and employers of temporary workers US$30 per worker.Decreto Ejecutivo 36539-G, Reglamento del Fondo de Depósito de Garantía, as amended by Decreto 44088, art. 10, 12, 14 and 16 bis, 2023-05-10 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Decreto 44088 (in force 27 July 2023) replaced fixed deposits for residents with the value of an open one year ticket and added art. 16 bis.

6. Renewing the document more than thirty days after expiry costs a fine of US$3 for each month or fraction of delay.
Cost to do it: US$3 a month (₡1,364.46)Ley 8764, art. 254, 2009-08-19 official text · verified 2026-10-29

7. Visas on arrival offices may charge double the migration payment; multiple entry visas cost US$100.Ley 8764, art. 34 and art. 257, 2009-08-19 official text · verified 2026-10-29

8. Fiscal stamps of ₡125 plus ₡2.50 per page accompany most applications; copies confronted against originals carry a ₡20 fiscal stamp.Decreto Ejecutivo 37112-G, art. 21 and art. 83(d), 2012-03-21 official text · verified 2026-10-29

9. Timelines: complete residence files are decided within three months; incomplete files must be completed within 10 business days; tourist and stay extensions and business visitor requests within five business days; temporary worker requests within 15 calendar days.Decreto Ejecutivo 37112-G, art. 27 to 30, 2012-03-21 official text · verified 2026-10-29

Item	Norm	USD	CRC
First residence application	Ley 8764 art. 255	US$50	₡22,741
Change of category	Ley 8764 art. 89	US$200	₡90,964
Card request	Ley 8764 art. 252	US$30	₡13,644.60
Card issue	Ley 8764 art. 253	US$30	₡13,644.60
Social migration fund	Ley 8764 art. 33(4)	US$25	₡11,370.50
Total before card production cost and deposit		US$335	₡152,364.70

State fees for one temporary resident changing status inside Costa Rica, USD at ₡454.82

Worked example

A temporary resident renewing five months late pays 5 x US$3 = US$15 (₡6,822.30) on top of normal renewal fees; past three months the residence can also be cancelled (Ley 8764 art. 129(10)).

Step by step

Pay each fee in the applicant's name; deposit receipts must name the beneficiary (Decreto 36539-G art. 17).
Budget the deposit on the basis of the resolution's ticket amount for the country of origin.
Diary the 10 business day window to complete files and the three month renewal limit.

Common traps

Global deposits for several workers are not accepted; one deposit per person (Decreto 36539-G art. 13).
A deposit made for an earlier category is not rolled over; it is refunded and a new one is made (art. 22).
Fees in dollars move in colones with the exchange rate.

Sources

← Family members of foreign residents in Costa Rica: spouses, children under 25 and permission to workPermanent residence in Costa Rica: three years of temporary residence, freedom to work and the four year absence rule →

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