What paperwork do you need after moving to Costa Rica in 2026?

File the residence category that matches your real income story (pensionado, rentista, investor, or another DGME track): Apply for a residence permit. Authenticate foreign civil and police papers before you need them at the counter: Apostille or legalise documents. After approval, finish DIMEX biometrics and card steps. Get a NITE tax ID when banks or Hacienda-facing forms ask for it. Buy a local mobile number early for OTP SMS, then open a Costa Rican bank account once identity papers match.

Spanish dominates windows; bring a bilingual helper if forms feel opaque: Spanish bureaucracy without Spanish.

Enrol in CAJA / CCSS when your category requires it, and keep private cover until affiliation is live: Choose health insurance. Convert a foreign driving licence through COSEVI only after DIMEX is ready. Pets run through SENASA, not DGME: Bring pets. Containers use Dirección General de Aduanas menaje rules: Import household goods. Diary renewals months before DIMEX expires rather than after a bank refuses the card.