In order to receive Pensionado status in Costa Rica one must comply with the following rules and regulations:
Provide documentation which verifies that you are receiving at least $600.00 US dollars per month from either a private company or government institution. You must reside in Costa Rica for at least four months per year, however, you are free to leave at any time and may stay for as long as you like at any given time. Obtaining pensionado status eliminates the need to depart Costa Rica every three months, which is what your visa permits. Prior to 1992 the Costa Rica government offered tax exemptions for cars and household goods, in addition to other perks, however, those have since been terminated.

Resident Status
In order to receive Resident status in Costa Rica one must comply with the following rules and regulations: Provide documentation which verifies that you are receiving at least $1000.00 US dollars per month from an investment or other economic avenues; pension income does not count towards this value. Immediate Resident Status can be obtained by making an investment of at least $200,000.00 US dollars, however, these investments must be made in areas of nation interest, i.e. forestry. Simply investing in a hotel on the beach, farm or bar/restaurant will not yield Resident Status. These situations are regulated and approved by the Minister of Foreign Trade.

Documents Required for both Pensionado and Resident Status:
Birth Certificate
Police Record
If married, marriage certificate (all documents must be provided for both husband and wife) ** These documents must be notarized at the nearest Costa Rica Consulate. The fee to have each document notified is $40.00.