Costa Rica · Student
Costa Rica Student stay
First stay: 2 yrs
Estudiante — permanencia por estudios (Ley 8764 arts. 102-105)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Student stay is a student route for Costa Rica. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- $5/yr
- Processing
- 3 months
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee $5/yr; decision: 3 months. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$5/yr
- $5 a yearAnnual payment for non-resident and special categories, which include students (Ley 8764 art. 33(5)); minors are exempt. The Reglamento de Extranjería art. 191 also lists USD 30 for the document and an annual USD 25 when the student is documented.
RenewalRenewable
Permission lasts up to 2 years and can be renewed for equal periods while your studies continue, up to the total length of the programme. You must leave when it ends.
Defensoría de los Habitantes / Dirección General de Migración
Processing3 months
Migration must decide within a maximum of 3 months once all requirements are met.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply to a migration agent in your country of origin or residence, in a third country, or at the national offices of the migration authority.
Defensoría de los Habitantes / Dirección General de Migración
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a place at a school or university in Costa Rica
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- Applicants must enter solely to study or do unpaid research at a centre recognised by the education ministry (MEP).
- The family nucleus can be authorised on request.
- Family members may only do paid and academic activities with authorisation.
What you must show1
- Students show financial means through a certified public accountant's certificate of origin of funds, or a scholarship certificate.
Documents2
- The education institution certifies, signed by its legal representative or director, that the applicant is a student.
- Criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or of legal residence in the last three years, legalised or apostilled.
Steps1
- Apply with the migration agent in the country of origin or residence, in a third country, or at the Dirección General offices.
After you arrive2
- Authorisation lasts up to two years and renews for equal periods while studies continue, up to the programme length.
- Students may not do paid or lucrative activities unless the Dirección General authorises.
When you become tax resident
How Costa Rica decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Foreign-source income
Territorial
Costa Rica taxes profits of persons domiciled in the country that come from lucrative activities with Costa Rican source, meaning income generated exclusively in the national territory; foreign-source passive income is taxed only for taxpayers classed as non-qualified entities.
All tax rules for Costa Rica Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Certified translation
Criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or of legal residence in the last three years, legalised or apostilled
- Police certificate and civil documents
Criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or of legal residence in the last three years, legalised or apostilled
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Authorisation for foreigners who enter solely to study or do unpaid research at centres recognised by the education ministry (MEP). 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of $5 a year · Annual payment for non-resident and special categories, which include students (Ley 8764 art. 33(5)); minors are exempt. The Reglamento de Extranjería art. 191 also lists USD 30 for the document and an annual USD 25 when the student is documented. 3 2
Requirements
- Applicants must enter solely to study or do unpaid research at a centre recognised by the education ministry (MEP). 1
- The family nucleus can be authorised on request. 1
- Family members may only do paid and academic activities with authorisation. 1
- Students show financial means through a certified public accountant's certificate of origin of funds, or a scholarship certificate. 2
- The education institution certifies, signed by its legal representative or director, that the applicant is a student. 2
- Criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or of legal residence in the last three years, legalised or apostilled. 2
- Apply with the migration agent in the country of origin or residence, in a third country, or at the Dirección General offices. 1
- Authorisation lasts up to two years and renews for equal periods while studies continue, up to the programme length. 1
- Students may not do paid or lucrative activities unless the Dirección General authorises. 1
Stay
- Authorisation up to 2 years, renewable for equal periods while studies continue, up to the total length of the programme.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Visa validity: 24 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Students may not do paid or lucrative activities, except where the Dirección General authorises; compulsory professional practice may be authorised.
Family
Family nucleus may be admitted; members may do paid and academic activities with authorisation.
Official sources
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764, arts. 77-105 (original 2009 text) · Defensoría de los Habitantes / Dirección General de Migración · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2009-08-19
- Reglamento de Extranjería, Decreto 37112-G (art. 87 investors) · Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones · checked 2026-10-12
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764, Título IV (art. 33: payments of USD 25 and USD 5) · Defensoría de los Habitantes (text of Ley 8764) · checked 2026-10-12
Student stay and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student stay | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Student residence Mexico | Needs income of MXN 26k+ a month ≈ $1,410 | – | – |
| Student visa V Colombia | – | 2 yr | Yes |
| Student visa Brazil | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Student residence Argentina | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Student stay?
A fee of $5 a year. Annual payment for non-resident and special categories, which include students (Ley 8764 art.
How long can I stay on the Student stay?
Authorisation up to 2 years, renewable for equal periods while studies continue, up to the total length of the programme.
How long does the Student stay take to process?
Migration must decide within a maximum of 3 months once all requirements are met.
Can I work on the Student stay?
Students may not do paid or lucrative activities, except where the Dirección General authorises; compulsory professional practice may be authorised.
Can I bring my family on the Student stay?
Family nucleus may be admitted; members may do paid and academic activities with authorisation.
How are Student stay holders taxed in Costa Rica?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Student stay. The standard rules apply: Costa Rica taxes profits of persons domiciled in the country that come from lucrative activities with Costa Rican source, meaning income generated exclusively in the national territory; foreign-source passive income is taxed only for taxpayers classed as non-qualified entities.
More in Costa Rica
Study visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 3 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764, arts. 77-105 (original 2009 text) · Defensoría de los Habitantes / Dirección General de Migración · checked 2026-10-10
- Reglamento de Extranjería, Decreto 37112-G (art. 87 investors) · Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones · checked 2026-10-12
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764, Título IV (art. 33: payments of USD 25 and USD 5) · Defensoría de los Habitantes (text of Ley 8764) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.