Promote:
Invest in Costa Rica
A short guide for companies expanding into Costa Rica: the economy at a glance, the rules and steps to set up, and who can help, each with its source.
1. Costa Rica at a glance
Population
5.15 million
The World Bank reports a population of 5,152,950 in 2025.
Source: World Bank, Costa Rica population, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP
US$102.9 billion
The World Bank reports GDP of US$102,904,921,157.48 in 2025, in current dollars.
Source: World Bank, Costa Rica GDP, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP per person
US$19,970
The World Bank reports GDP per person of US$19,970.1 in 2025, in current dollars.
Source: World Bank, Costa Rica GDP per person, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Real GDP growth
4.6%
The World Bank reports real GDP growth of 4.6 percent in 2025.
Source: World Bank, Costa Rica real GDP growth, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Inflation
0.3%
Consumer prices rose 0.34 percent over the 12 months to September 2026, in the index the central bank republishes from the statistics office.
Source: BCCR, consumer price index table to September 2026 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of September 2026
Foreign direct investment inflows
US$5.12 billion
Foreign direct investment inflows were US$5,121.8 million in 2025, from UNCTADstat.
Source: UNCTADstat, foreign direct investment flows, Costa Rica, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
The currency is the Costa Rican colón (CRC).
Source: WTO, Trade Policy Review of Costa Rica, July 2019 (opens in a new tab) · as of July 24, 2019
2. Before you set up
The investment agency, any one-stop route, the sectors reserved for nationals and the zones, as the guide found them.
PROCOMER describes itself as the official agency for attracting foreign direct investment to Costa Rica.
Source: PROCOMER, investment site about page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
The Investment Single Window (Ventanilla Única de Inversión, VUI), run by PROCOMER, centralizes the procedures for companies that want to operate in Costa Rica.
Source: PROCOMER, procedures simplification, VUCE and VUI (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
As of 2019, per the WTO review, State monopolies cover fixed telephony, petroleum, spirits and lotteries, and only Costa Rican vessels may fish the exclusive economic zone. Confirm current rules before investing.
Source: WTO, Trade Policy Review of Costa Rica, July 2019 (opens in a new tab) · as of July 24, 2019
PROCOMER reported 85 free zone park administrators in operation in 2024, 69 inside and 16 outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, in preliminary data.
Source: PROCOMER, free zone report 2020 to 2024 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of 2024
3. Steps to set up
The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.
Setting up in Costa Rica
- Ask PROCOMER's investment team for guidance on location, incentives and legal steps.Promotora del Comercio Exterior de Costa RicaOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: PROCOMER, investment site about page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- After incorporation, report the company's participants and beneficial owners to the central bank's transparency register.Banco Central de Costa RicaOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Hacienda, beneficial owner register questions (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- Register the company in the Single Tax Registry with Hacienda, through its taxpayer app or online service.Ministerio de HaciendaOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Hacienda, press release of October 21, 2026 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 21, 2026
- To use the free zone regime, apply to PROCOMER with the required minimum investment and then pay the monthly fee.Promotora del Comercio Exterior de Costa RicaMinimum new investment US$150,000 inside a park in the Greater Metropolitan Area; monthly fee at least US$200.Official page (opens in a new tab)
Source: PROCOMER, free zone regime guide (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Show 2 more set-up steps
- Follow the permits and procedures needed to install and start operations through the Investment Single Window.Promotora del Comercio Exterior de Costa RicaOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: PROCOMER, procedures simplification, VUCE and VUI (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- To bring foreign staff, a company with Classification B can ask COMEX for a recommendation letter to join the immigration directorate's company registry.Ministerio de Comercio ExteriorOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: COMEX, recommendation letter for immigration company registry (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
4. Organizations that help investors
Start with Aduanas. Each card links to the organization’s own site.
Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets
Investment and business setup
- Get advice
Foreign trade ministry
COMEX
Ministerio de Comercio Exterior
Manages trade agreements, explains origin certification and leads foreign direct investment policy.
Visit COMEX (opens in a new tab)Source: COMEX, home page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Customs and tax
- Meet requirements
Customs authority
Aduanas
Servicio Nacional de Aduanas
Receives export declarations and explains the export steps, from exporter registration to documents and taxes.
Visit Aduanas (opens in a new tab)Source: AduanaFácil, exporter guide (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- Meet requirements
Finance and tax ministry
Hacienda
Ministerio de Hacienda
Registers taxpayers and runs the tax and customs services, including its new taxpayer app for registering and filing.
Visit Hacienda (opens in a new tab)Source: Hacienda, press release of October 21, 2026 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 21, 2026
Chambers and industry associations
- Get advice
Binational chamber of commerce
AmCham
Cámara Costarricense-Norteamericana de Comercio
Connects member companies through a member directory and events.
Visit AmCham (opens in a new tab)Source: AmCham Costa Rica, home page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- Get advice
Chamber of commerce
Cámara de Comercio
Cámara de Comercio de Costa Rica
Runs a business training center, a women entrepreneurs program and a conciliation and arbitration center.
Visit Cámara de Comercio (opens in a new tab)Source: Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica, home page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Show 2 more organizations
- Get advice
Industrial chamber
CICR
Cámara de Industrias de Costa Rica
Signs certificates of origin for member exporters and offers training, certification and advice.
Visit CICR (opens in a new tab)Source: CICR, services page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
- Get advice
Technology industry chamber
CAMTIC
Cámara de Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación
Gives members non-technical export advice and runs events for technology and services companies.
Visit CAMTIC (opens in a new tab)Source: CAMTIC, member services (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
5. Worth knowing
Export concentration
Medical and surgical instruments were 39.9 percent of 2025 merchandise exports in UN Comtrade data, and COMEX names precision and medical equipment as the main export sector.
What to do: Check which lines in the ranking come from free zone plants before you benchmark your own product.
Sources: UN Comtrade, Costa Rica exports by product, 2025 (opens in a new tab); COMEX, press release of October 26, 2026 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Logistics and border performance
PROCOMER's 2025 report says the new integrated control at Peñas Blancas handles 87 percent of the country's land exports to Central America and Mexico.
What to do: Schedule land shipments around the integrated control and confirm its current hours with your customs agent.
Source: PROCOMER, annual report 2025 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Trade agreement pipeline
COMEX says CPTPP members announced on May 5, 2026 that Costa Rica's accession talks were substantially concluded; PROCOMER reports the agreement with the United Arab Emirates entered into force.
What to do: Do not assume a preference applies to a market until its agreement is in force.
Sources: COMEX, Transpacific Partnership accession page (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab); PROCOMER, annual report 2025 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Reserved sectors
As of 2019, the WTO review lists State monopolies on fixed telephony, petroleum, spirits and lotteries, and majority State ownership rules in electricity and telecommunications.
What to do: Check the sector rules in the current law before you invest.
Source: WTO, Trade Policy Review of Costa Rica, July 2019 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Show 2 more
Investment agency change
COMEX began ending its investment agreement with CINDE on May 3, 2023; PROCOMER carries out foreign investment attraction and COMEX leads investment policy.
What to do: Contact PROCOMER first for investment guidance and check older material that names CINDE.
Sources: PROCOMER, news of May 3, 2023 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab); COMEX, COMEX-PROCOMER semiannual report 2026 (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
Free zone entry terms
The free zone guide sets a minimum new investment of US$150,000 inside a park in the Greater Metropolitan Area, a monthly fee to PROCOMER and an annual operations report.
What to do: Read the free zone guide and confirm the current terms with PROCOMER before you commit capital.
Source: PROCOMER, free zone regime guide (in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) · as of October 31, 2026
6. How Promote:Global helps
- Compare Costa Rica with other countriesSet Costa Rica beside other countries on investment momentum, fundamentals and trade access, before site, tax and legal work.
- Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
- Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.
Turn this guide into your Costa Rica project.
Use Promote:Global to explore markets, understand requirements and organize your next steps.
Free to start. No card required.
Already have an account? Sign in
Promote:Costa Rica is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.
Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of October 31, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.