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You can now live and remote-work in Costa Rica – here's how to apply

With the details of the scheme now finalised, here’s how you could relocate to a Caribbean paradise

Ed Cunningham
Written by
Ed Cunningham
News Editor, UK
Beach in Costa Rica
Photograph: ShutterstockBeach in Costa Rica
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Tired of working in the same old city in the same stuffy office with the same stuffy people? Well, here’s your chance to leave it all in the dust. Everyone is travelling to Costa Rica right now, and now the details for the country’s hotly-anticipated digital nomad visa scheme have finally been revealed – meaning that an escape to one of the Caribbean’s most naturally spectacular countries could finally be on the cards.

Costa Rica’s digital nomad visa scheme has been a long time coming. Originally signed into law by the country’s president Carlos Alvarado in August 2021, the final details of the scheme were finally revealed earlier this month.

Here are the rules: for starters, you’ll have to be already working for a foreign (ie non-Costa Rican) company and, obviously, you’ll need to be able to do your job remotely. Then you’ll need to be earning a minimum of $3,000 (£2,500) per month which, if you want to bring your family along, rises a min of $5,000 (£4,200).

If you meet those criteria, you’ll be eligible to live and work in Costa Rica for an entire year, which can then be extended for another year. During that time, you won’t have to pay any income tax, you won’t have to pay import duty on stuff you buy for work. Oh, and you’ll be allowed to import up to two cars. You have got to submit your form in Spanish, however. 

It’s not just visa conditions that make Costa Rica a prime spot for a remote-working sojourn, though. From hotels with networking nights and shared workspaces to entire residential communities designed for remote workers, the country in general sure seems ready to welcome an enormous influx of digital nomads.

So, fancy moving to Costa Rica for a while? You can get started with the visa registration process here.

And if eye-wateringly beautiful jungles and beaches leave you cold, then here are the other countries offering digital nomad visa schemes for remote workers.

Did you see? These hotels officially have the most beautiful views in the world.

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