We learned about Costa Rica preparing their version of the Digital Nomad Visa way back in 2021, yet the Visa is still unavailable. It went through both houses of parliament and was approved. It was even signed by the President early in January, yet, it still hasn’t been implemented.
We bring you the latest updates on the COSTA RICA Digital Nomad Visa program.
We are not the only ones who are wondering why the visa is still not available. Recently the directors of the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism, have been questioning the unjustified setback in rolling out the new visa type.
The documents legalizing the Brazilian Digital Nomad Visa have been scheduled to be published in December 2021, but nothing has been implemented yet. The legal basis for the visa has already been signed by President Carlos Alvarado, and the regulations are just waiting to be published.
The pressures also come from the tourist industry businesses, which would benefit from the regulations that encourage the arrival of digital nomads. It is estimated that each digital nomad who sets up an “office” in Costa Rica can inject about US$24,000 (¢15 million colones) per year into the economy.
The executive director of the Cámara Nacional de Turismo, the local National Chamber of Tourism, Shirley Calvo, said no clear explanations for why no progress has been made with the regulations. Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) legislator, has questioned the government’s slowness on this issue.
Currently, digital nomads who come to Costa Rica are classified as tourists and, as such, must exit the country within 90 days.
Source: QCostaRica.
Want to learn more?
You cannot apply for the visa just yet, but we have some information that can help you prepare for when it becomes available:
Last updated October 4, 2022.
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