Costa Rica’s new digital nomad visa is now open for applications

[Martin Everson]

Costa Rica’s new digital nomad visa is now open for applications

Remote workers, step this way.

www.timeout.com

 

[Paul77]

What a joke! Seriously. Those who invented that program should better study a profile of a digital nomad. They have no clue how a digital nomad looks like, how he lives and how "much" money does a typical digital nomad make. Digital nomads can be found in great numbers in Southeast Asia and why? Because they are not making thousands of dollars each month and they are living on a budget, looking for a cheap way of life but with great freedom. The financial requirements are insane and ridiculous!!!

"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)."

 

[RealDude]

Cheap Charlie is now a digital nomad

 

[Golden Fleece]

What a joke! Seriously. Those who invented that program should better study a profile of a digital nomad. They have no clue how a digital nomad looks like, how he lives and how "much" money does a typical digital nomad make. Digital nomads can be found in great numbers in Southeast Asia and why? Because they are not making thousands of dollars each month and they are living on a budget, looking for a cheap way of life but with great freedom. The financial requirements are insane and ridiculous!!!

"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)."

It is not a joke. Costa Rica is simply seeking to draw digital nomads with a certain financial profile -- and it has every right to do so. A nation looking out for its own best interests. What is so odd about that?

 

[fortunespeculator]

It is not a joke. Costa Rica is simply seeking to draw digital nomads with a certain financial profile -- and it has every right to do so. A nation looking out for its own best interests. What is so odd about that?

There is nothing odd,but what Paul77 is trying to convey is if you price your goods way higher than competition then you will have lower sales.So which in turn means that the Costa Ricans may not have too many takers of their Digital Nomad Visa.And for a Digital Nomad it would'nt matter much where they are whether it is Costa Rica or Phillipines as long as they get a better bang for their buck they will be in a particular location.So entire program of Costa Rica because of its overpricing may not work for most Digital Nomads and they might not use it. In sucha case the program would be considered to be adding little to no value to either the nomads or the government.

 

[JackAlabama]

Well, it seems quite a steep number for what the place has to offer (not that much).
However the amount per se is okish, but Panama next door has only 1k$ requirement for retire visa.

 

[Golden Fleece]

There is nothing odd,but what Paul77 is trying to convey is if you price your goods way higher than competition then you will have lower sales.So which in turn means that the Costa Ricans may not have too many takers of their Digital Nomad Visa.And for a Digital Nomad it would'nt matter much where they are whether it is Costa Rica or Phillipines as long as they get a better bang for their buck they will be in a particular location.So entire program of Costa Rica because of its overpricing may not work for most Digital Nomads and they might not use it. In sucha case the program would be considered to be adding little to no value to either the nomads or the government.

He said: "The financial requirements are insane and ridiculous." It is "insane and ridiculous" to want to draw digital nomads that earn at least $3,000 per month? This also fits its existing program to draw more affluent expats, which is decades old.

You need to remember that Costa Rica was the very first Latin American country to market itself and to enact legislation to entice Americans, especially retirees, to its shores. It was the first Panama in that regard. It later made a conscious decision to rescind those middle-income incentives and to cater only to the more affluent American retirees. So, it chose its upscale market niche decades ago. This new scheme is similar.

Those who do not know history do not understand how or why the world works the way that it does.

 

[Sols]

Looking at the average digital nomad type of person I come across, the requirement of 3,000 USD per month in revenue/salary is not a problem.

So maybe Costa Rica will have fewer applicants, but the applicants they do get will be wealthier and that tends to be what countries prefer anyway.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Costa Rica just wants to avoid cheap back packer digital nomads and go for digital nomads that will spend a bit more. Dont blame them.

 

[lopez007]

Costa Rica is a very expensive but equally beautiful country. The people that will go there enjoy it a lot and have the time of their life. But probably it will be full of Gringos or rich Dutch trust-fund kids.

 

[TheCryptoAnt]

Ive been there a few times and yeah the place is stunning and locals are friendly most of the time but it's filled to the brim with Americans which makes everything more expensive.

As a result locals are losing their patience and the place kinda sucks now.

 

[lopez007]

Ive been there a few times and yeah the place is stunning and locals are friendly most of the time but it's filled to the brim with Americans which makes everything more expensive.

As a result locals are losing their patience and the place kinda sucks now.

Some of my coworkers from Costa Rica go to U.S. for shopping (buying clothes etc). They fly, buy stuff, stay in hotel for couple of days, have small vacation, come back and it's still cheaper cost wise. CR is incredible expensive.

 

[GNews]

I believe as someone mentioned before, they probably are looking for a specific group of 'digital nomads' and thinking how a certain number at that level of income can create a positive change for their economy.

The world is becoming more of a mixing pot because of the internet era and I applaud them for TRYING SOMETHING vs just sitting on the sidelines quietly.

 

[Mr Magoo]

CR is full of americans since they sold off all cost line in the 90s. After that CR government regretted that and tried to recover some of it. Its relatively safe, beautiful but expensive. All 'n all not that authentic anymore but americans dont care about that as long as there is a McDonald's somewhere.