Use this Costa Rica Rentista residency document checklist to organise your application, then compare your file with the current DGME general requirements and Rentista y sus Dependientes requirements. Both sections matter. The checklist below was reviewed against those official sections on September 6, 2026.
Personal and application documents
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Application | Include identity details, your request, current address and notification contact. Follow DGME’s requirement to sign before the relevant official or have the signature authenticated by a lawyer. |
| Photographs | Two recent passport-size photographs; the general checklist specifies a front-facing view. |
| Birth certificate | Obtain the certificate from your country of origin and follow the authentication or apostille requirements. Check identity details against the passport. |
| Criminal-record certificate | Use the country of origin or the country where you legally resided during the last three years. For the latter, include the specified evidence of legal residence. |
| Passport copies | The listed pages contain identity details, the Costa Rican entry stamp and the entry visa where required. DGME describes certification by a notary or comparison with the original by the relevant official. |
| Consular registration | The general checklist lists proof of consular registration. |
| Income evidence | A document from a competent authority establishing the Rentista income requirement described below. |
For countries with both federal and local criminal jurisdictions, DGME’s general instructions contain additional guidance on nationwide coverage and records of pending proceedings. Review those details for the country issuing your certificate.
Rentista income documentation
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 specific checklist does not state that every applicant must deposit US$60,000 in a Costa Rican bank. The general requirements list forms of financial evidence, including CPA certification, but those must be read together with the specific Rentista requirement. Confirm how the document establishes your qualifying income rather than treating a document label as a guarantee of acceptance.
See our Rentista income-proof guide for more detail.
Authentication, translation and document age
DGME’s general notes require foreign public documents to be apostilled or to follow the specified consular legalization and Foreign Ministry authentication route where applicable. Documents issued in a language other than Spanish need a literal Spanish translation by an official translator or a notary who knows the language.
Do not assume every birth certificate expires after six months. The general checklist allows a birth certificate issued more than six months earlier when it meets its stated conditions: Spanish translation by an official Costa Rican translator and the specified apostille or legalization, details matching the passport, and a document in proper condition without alterations that cast doubt on its legitimacy. Differences in identity details must be clarified or corrected. Check the complete DGME wording before relying on an older certificate.
If a country’s birth certificate omits the parents’ names, the general notes call for a notarised sworn declaration supplying those details. Requirements for one document should not be applied automatically to every other document.
Documents for family members
The Rentista section includes spouses, minor children and adult children with disabilities. A spouse must provide the specified marriage certificate. Parents apply for minors. For an adult child with a disability, DGME lists medical evidence and judicial guardianship certification where applicable. Review each person’s supporting documents separately.
Payment evidence and fingerprints
The Rentista checklist lists proof of a US$50 government application payment or the applicable colón equivalent. The general notes also list a US$200 payment when a request involves a change from non-resident status to a category established by law. These are distinct items; they are not a complete quote for every cost of the process.
The general notes place submission of fingerprint evidence at the documentation stage. Confirm the arrangements for that stage rather than relying on an old article’s assumed sequence.
Organise a final document review
- List each applicant and the records needed for that person.
- Check identity details, issuing country and document condition.
- Record required translations, apostilles or legalization steps.
- Review the financial evidence against the specific Rentista requirement.
- Confirm current payment and submission instructions with DGME before filing.
For help reviewing your preparation, see our Rentista residency overview or contact CRIE at info@crie.cr.
Official source: DGME Regularización Migratoria, general requirements and Rentista y sus Dependientes. Reviewed September 6, 2026. Consult the complete current official instructions for your application.