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12. Sectors: Costa Rica

Sectors in Costa Rica: the laws that decide who can generate and sell electricity, install rooftop solar and chargers, import and sell fuels, mine, use spectrum, export coffee, grow medicinal cannabis or run casinos and betting data centres, with the fees, terms and caps in each, tied to the official texts in SCIJ. For Argentine investors there is no Argentina specific sector regime; see The Argentine Thread guide for the Argentine side.

Investor view. A clean power grid, open telecom and services markets and new room for private self generation, charging and biofuels give investors real openings in Costa Rica, rewarding those who plan around the State utility, the fuel monopoly and the strict mining and oil limits.

• Key regulated sectors in Costa Rica and who regulates themMost of Costa Rica's economy is open to private and foreign investors, but energy, fuels, mining, telecom, coffee, cannabis and gambling run under sector laws. ICE dominates electricity and buys from
• Private power generation in Costa Rica: Ley 7200 plants, ICE purchase contracts and ARESEP tariffsElectricity in Costa Rica is built around the State utility ICE, which buys power from private plants under Ley 7200. Private plants up to 20 MW need an ICE eligibility declaration and an ARESEP conce
• Rooftop solar and self consumption in Costa Rica: distributed energy resources under Ley 10086Since January 2022 homes and businesses can generate renewable power for their own use, store it and connect to the grid under Ley 10086 and its regulation DE 43879. Systems up to 5 MW count as small
• Oil, gas and fuels in Costa Rica: the petroleum moratorium to 2050, the RECOPE monopoly and the 2026 opening to biofuels and green hydrogenThe State owns all petroleum and hydrocarbons, and an executive moratorium blocks oil exploration and exploitation onshore and offshore until 31 December 2050. Import, refining and wholesale distribut
• Mining in Costa Rica: concessions, the open pit metal mining ban, surface fees and quarry rulesThe State owns all minerals, and private parties, local or foreign, can hold exploration permits and exploitation concessions granted by the Dirección de Geología y Minas of MINAE after environmental
• Telecommunications in Costa Rica: spectrum concessions, SUTEL authorisations, FONATEL and 5G security rulesCosta Rica opened its telecom market in 2008. Using spectrum requires a concession from the Executive, usually by public tender, for up to 15 years and 25 in total; networks and services without spect
• Electric vehicles in Costa Rica: tax incentives, used EV rules and the 2026 charging station regimeLey 9518 gives electric vehicles, their batteries, motor parts and chargers a stepped VAT rate and phased relief from selective consumption tax and customs value tax, plus relief from vehicle property
• Medicinal cannabis and hemp in Costa Rica: licences, fees and the 1% THC lineSince March 2022 Costa Rica allows hemp (under 1% THC by dry weight) for food and industrial use with a simple prior authorisation, and psychoactive cannabis only for medical and therapeutic use under
• Casinos and online betting call centres in Costa Rica: the Ley 9050 taxesCosta Rica taxes casinos and companies that receive and process electronic betting data under Ley 9050. Casinos pay 10% of net income plus a monthly charge per gaming table and slot machine, and new c
• Coffee in Costa Rica: ICAFE registration, regulated margins and the export levyCoffee is the one Costa Rican crop with a statutory value chain. Processing mills (beneficios), exporters, roasters and buyers must register with the Instituto del Café de Costa Rica (ICAFE), and expo

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