Costa Rica’s published Rentista checklist requires proof of income. It does not state that every applicant must place US$60,000 in a Costa Rican bank. The starting point is the requirement issued by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), followed by the evidence appropriate to your circumstances.
What does DGME require for Rentista income?
For the Rentista category, DGME requires documentation issued by a competent authority showing stable and permanent income of at least US$2,500 per month for at least two years. If the income comes from abroad, the supporting documentation must be legalized and authenticated, or apostilled, by the corresponding authorities.
The checklist appears under Regularización Migratoria → Residencia Temporal → Rentista y sus Dependientes. It also requires the general application documents and the specific documents listed for this category.
Is a US$60,000 bank deposit compulsory?
The published checklist does not set out a compulsory US$60,000 deposit for every applicant. US$60,000 equals 24 monthly payments of US$2,500, but that calculation is not itself an instruction from DGME to open or fund a particular bank account.
There is an important distinction between the legal income requirement and a proposed way of documenting it. The checklist alone also does not establish that every bank-based documentation method has been abolished. Before moving money or paying for a financial certificate, confirm how the proposed document will establish the required income and who is competent to issue it.
What should your income documentation establish?
- Amount: income of at least US$2,500 per month.
- Duration: income over a period of at least two years.
- Nature: the income must be stable and permanent.
- Issuer: documentary evidence must come from a competent authority.
- Foreign documentation: follow DGME’s legalization and authentication, or apostille, requirements when income comes from abroad.
These are the elements specified in the official checklist. A bank balance, an investment statement or an accountant’s letter should not be described as automatically sufficient without checking how it meets the requirement in the individual case.
Prepare the financial evidence before committing funds
Make a short inventory of the income you intend to rely on, the documents available and the organisation that can confirm the arrangement. Then discuss what further evidence is needed before ordering certifications or transferring money.
- Describe the income source and the period for which it is available.
- Identify the competent issuer of the required evidence.
- Check the document’s wording against DGME’s amount, duration and stability requirements.
- Confirm the authentication or apostille steps for foreign evidence.
- Review the financial documents together with the rest of the application.
This is a preparation checklist, not a promise that a particular financial product or document will be approved.
Income evidence is only part of the application
DGME’s Rentista checklist also lists a signed application, proof of the application payment, photographs, a birth certificate, a criminal-record certificate and the relevant passport copies. Additional evidence applies to dependants. Consult the complete official checklist for the details that apply to your case.
For an overview of the category, see our Rentista residency guide. If you would like help organising an application, contact CRIE to discuss your circumstances and the documentation available.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need 24 months of past bank deposits?
The published requirement is evidence that you will receive the required stable and permanent income for at least two years. It does not specify 24 past monthly bank deposits as the universal requirement.
Can a bank or accountant’s letter be used?
DGME calls for a document issued by a competent authority. Check the proposed issuer, wording and supporting evidence for your case rather than assuming that any letter will be accepted.
Does this prove the bank-deposit method has been cancelled?
No. The published checklist supports the income requirement described here. It does not, by itself, establish an announced abolition of a documentation method.
Financial requirement checked against the current DGME Rentista checklist on September 6, 2026. Application requirements and the acceptability of individual evidence should be checked before submission.