Legal Framework

In principle, all foreigners have the possibility of working legally in Costa Rica, with rights similar to those granted to Costa Rican citizens (social security, workers’ compensation insurance, pension fund, etc.), provided their profession is not included in the list of 240 occupations with high unemployment rates in the local market (e.g., lawyers, business administrators, teachers, journalists, tourism professionals, etc.), according to Recommendation #535 of December 1, 2022, issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Costa Rica.  Before being able to work legally, they must first apply to the immigration authorities for a residency permit in the country, a process that can take up to two years and generally requires hiring a local lawyer to handle the process.

This is why ABCD Consulting & Asociados Ltda. offers a service to incorporate foreign professionals into Costa Rican companies to fill specific vacancies through outsourced payroll management, specifically designed for all types of companies established in Costa Rica interested in the expedited hiring of foreign professionals.  Our service is governed by a decree in effect since 2011 and includes processing the employee’s and their family’s residency application, obtaining a work permit from Costa Rican authorities, and adding them to our payroll.