What are the visa & residency requirements in San Jose?

We asked people about the visa & residency requirements in San Jose, they wrote...

"Tourist visas for the US and I believe most of Europe etc. are 90 days no real questions asked. They can also be renewed by a 3-day stay out of the country. As a result, many expats are "perpetual tourists" who just take short trips to Nicaragua or Panama every three months. This probably isn't good, and "perpetual tourists" can and sometimes are prevented from re-entering, but it works for tens of thousands of foreigners over many years. There are three ways to obtain legal residency (in addition to through marriage). One way is to come in as a pensioner. This only requires showing a minimum of $1000 a month income for life, as well as of course dealing with a lot of paperwork and paying fees. Those who can't or prefer not to show the $1000 a month income for life can obtain residency as either rentistas or investors. Rentista residency now requires showing $2500 a month income for a shorter period of time as well as the same fees and paperwork. . I'm not sure how to obtain residency as an investor, and I believe it depends upon the kind of investment, but some people seem to get it by just buying a house valued at either $200,000 or $250,000. Of course, people need a clean criminal record too, but otherwise it's either $1000 a month guaranteed for life or a fair amount of money in a lump sum for either rentista or investor residency," said another in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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"To apply for a visa to San Jose, applicants must submit a valid passport, a completed visa application form, a passport-sized photograph, proof of sufficient funds, and proof of a return ticket. Depending on the type of visa, additional documents may be required. Once the application is approved, the visa will be issued and the applicant will be allowed to enter the country. To apply for residency in San Jose, Costa Rica, applicants must submit a valid passport, a completed residency application form, a passport-sized photograph, proof of sufficient funds, and proof of a return ticket. Depending on the type of residency, additional documents may be required. Once the application is approved, the residency will be issued and the applicant will be allowed to stay in the country for a specified period of time," explained one expat who made the move to San Jose, Costa Rica.