Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 12. Sectors › Mining in Costa Rica: concessions, the open pit metal mining ban, surface fees and quarry rules

Mining in Costa Rica: concessions, the open pit metal mining ban, surface fees and quarry rules

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

The 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 approval. Since 2010 no permits or concessions are granted for open pit metal mining, leaving quarries, river aggregates and underground mining as the main activities. Holders pay annual surface fees in salarios base, metal miners pay 2% of gross sales to municipalities, and income tax applies normally.

USD 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), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Open pit metal mining permits and concessions	Prohibited textCódigo de Minería art. 8 bis (Ley 8904), as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum initial exploitation concession term	25 yearsCódigo de Minería art. 30, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum exploitation concession area	10 km²Código de Minería art. 29, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Annual surface fee, exploitation concession	3 salarios base per km²Código de Minería art. 55, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Municipal levy on metal mining gross sales	2 %Código de Minería art. 55, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. The State has absolute, inalienable and imprescriptible ownership of all mineral resources in the territory and its patrimonial sea; it may grant concessions for exploration, exploitation and processing.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 1, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. No exploration or exploitation without a prior permit or concession, granted after approval of the environmental impact study; operating without one bars the person and related companies from concessions for ten years.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 3, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Coal, natural gas, petroleum and hydrocarbons, radioactive minerals, thermal, geothermal and hydro sources and waters are reserved to the State and can only be exploited by special concession on terms set by the Legislative Assembly.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 4, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. No permits or concessions are granted for open pit metal mining exploration or exploitation; only scientific and research exploration permits are allowed.Ley 6797, Código de Minería (added by Ley 8904), art. 8 bis, 2010-12-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Abangares gold cooperatives were temporarily allowed to mine and process gold from 16 August 2023 to 10 February 2025 while their concession applications were decided.Ley 10375, reform of transitorio X of Ley 8904, sole article, 2023-08-16 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 10375 of 16 August 2023 set the Abangares window, which ended on 10 February 2025.

6. Any national or foreign person may hold mining rights except foreign States and listed officials and their relatives; foreign companies and non resident foreigners must appoint a legal representative and register the company.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 9 and 11, 2002-04-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Exploration permits last up to three years with one justified two year extension and cover at most 20 km²; exploitation concessions cover 1 to 10 km² and last up to 25 years, extendable once by up to ten years.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 20, 21, 29 and 30, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. River bed concessions last up to ten years, extendable in five year periods to a maximum of 30 years including closure.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 36, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Annual surface fees, paid in advance in December: artisanal mining one third of a salario base per km²; exploration one salario base per km²; exploitation three salarios base per km² (or per km of length for river beds). Metal mining and placers also pay 2% of gross sales to the host municipalities.
Cost to do it: Surface fee per km² at the 2026 salario base of ₡462,200.
Example: Exploration ₡462,200 per km²; exploitation ₡1,386,600 per km². / About US$1,016.23 and US$3,048.68 per km².Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 55, 2002-04-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. Quarry and river bed concessionaires pay the municipality 30% of the monthly sales tax on aggregates sold, or ₡100 per cubic metre (CPI indexed) when used in their own industry.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 38, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. Mining profits are subject to ordinary income tax, and a 10% tax applies to the amount of any tax exemption granted to mining.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 56 and 58, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. Banks of the national banking system cannot finance more than 10% of the investment of foreign capital companies or companies with less than 50% national capital; foreign companies must be domiciled and keep accounts in Costa Rica.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 70 and 71, 1982-10-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Right	Salarios base	CRC	USD
Artisanal mining, per km²	1/3	₡154,066.67	US$338.74
Exploration permit, per km²	1	₡462,200	US$1,016.23
Exploitation, quarry, placer or mine, per km²	3	₡1,386,600	US$3,048.68
Exploitation, river bed, per km of length	3	₡1,386,600	US$3,048.68

Annual surface fees (Código de Minería art. 55) at the 2026 salario base of ₡462,200 (Circular 246-2025) and ₡454.82 per US dollar.

Worked example

An aggregates company holds a 4 km² quarry concession. Its annual surface fee is 12 salarios base, ₡5,546,400 (about US$12,194.71), paid in December. If it sells ₡200,000,000 of aggregates in a month with 13% VAT of ₡26,000,000, it owes the municipality 30%, ₡7,800,000 (about US$17,149.64).

Step by step

Confirm the target mineral and method are not open pit metal mining.
Register the company or appoint a legal representative; domicile and keep accounts in Costa Rica.
Apply to the Dirección de Geología y Minas and obtain SETENA environmental viability.
Pay surface fees each December and municipal levies monthly.
Plan closure and keep environmental viability current for extensions.

Common traps

Ten year disqualification for any work done without a permit also reaches related companies.
Majority foreign companies face a 10% cap on local bank financing.
Reserved resources (hydrocarbons, geothermal, water) are outside the Mining Code concession system.

Sources

← Oil, gas and fuels in Costa Rica: the petroleum moratorium to 2050, the RECOPE monopoly and the 2026 opening to biofuels and green hydrogenTelecommunications in Costa Rica: spectrum concessions, SUTEL authorisations, FONATEL and 5G security rules →

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