Home Costa Rica Legal TopicsImmigration and Residency How many foreigners live in Costa Rica ?

How many foreigners live in Costa Rica ?

by rpetersen

How many foreigners live in Costa Rica ?   The country has been a top tourism and retirement destination for many years.   So how many people from other countries have made Costa Rica their home with legal residency status.

How Many Foreigners Have Residency ?

According to the Department of Immigration of Costa Rica there are 488,935 (*) foreigners with residency status in Costa Rica.  This is further broken down into Special Categories 58,363,  Temporary Residency 50,671 and Permanent Residency 379,901.

Where do they Come From ?

The report further breaks it down by continent:

Africa:  710

Americas: 452,518

Asia: 15,852

Europe: 19,683

Oceana: 247

There are 24,201 United States citizens with residency in Costa Rica and 3,639 from Canada.   The vast majority of foreign residents in Costa Rica come from the neighboring country of Nicaragua with 329,066 citizens.

Costa Rica is also a popular safe haven for citizens of Latin America.  The country is now home to 7,792 Venezuelans, 26,739 Colombians and 2,828 Argentinians.

Costa Rica has always been a favorite destination for Europeans and we have 3,430 Germans, 3,963 from Spain, 3,147 Italians, 1,939 from France, Netherlands 1,279 and 1,167 from the U.K. and 1,272 from Switzerland.

The full list of each country is broken down for you below:

(*) The latest report from immigration is as of December 31, 2016

COUNTRYCATEGORYRESIDENCYTOTAL
SPECIAL *TEMPORARYPERMANENT
TOTAL GENERAL58,36350,671379,901488,935
AFRICA47574161710
AFRICA DEL SUR0347
ANGOLA3025
ARGELIA321015
BENIN1113
BHUTAN4004
BOTSWANA4004
BURUNDI4004
CABO VERDE0044
CAMERUN351238
COMORAS40610
COSTA DE MARFIL2114
EGIPTO11131943
ERITREA3115
ETIOPIA280129
GABON1012
GHANA141217
GUINEA BISSAU0011
GUINEA ECUATORIAL1001
KENIA4341461
LESOTHO2002
LIBERIA160420
LIBIA001212
MADAGASCAR1001
MALAWI120012
MALI0011
MARRUECOS371727
MAURICIO1102
MOZAMBIQUE150318
NAMIBIA3137
NIGER1012
NIGERIA6262088
REPUBLICA DE GUINEA0202
REPUBLICA DEL CONGO5016
REPUBLICA DEM. DEL CONGO80311
RWANDA320032
SENEGAL2035
SEYCHELLES0022
SIERRA LEONA8019
SOMALIA210122
SUDAFRICA19221354
SUDAN130114
SWAZILANDIA3003
TANZANIA112316
TOGO1304
TUNEZ1113
UGANDA422246
ZAMBIA210021
ZIMBABWE120012
AMERICAS5106041514359844452,418
ANTIGUA Y BARBUDA0415
ANTILLAS HOLANDESA0011
ARGENTINA138138513052,828
ARUBA7018
BAHAMAS116825
BARBADOS114419
BELICE1372479240
BERMUDA1102
BERMUDAS3216
BOLIVIA164135225524
BRASIL1828863841,452
CANADA280162717323,639
CHILE1466779161,739
COLOMBIA863339511415526,739
CUBA88725279029,041
CURAZAO0123
DOMINICA161825
ECUADOR5814918691,941
EL SALVADOR18922009752911,430
ESTADOS UNIDOS338710815999924,201
GRANADA0022
GUADALUPE1001
GUATEMALA771147215203,763
GUYANA582437
HAITI10228211341
HONDURAS1499120323885,090
ISLAS CAIMAN3003
JAMAICA1646126188
MEXICO603315715215,281
NICARAGUA272726887294907329,066
PANAMA62172856036,952
PARAGUAY735149173
PERU64679635364,978
PUERTO RICO317828
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA173932123174,377
SAN CRISTOBAL Y NEVIS5128
SAN VICENTE Y LAS GRANADINAS0044
SANTA LUCIA0415
SURINAM33814
TRINIDAD Y TOBAGO155433102
URUGUAY42163240445
VENEZUELA1180429922137,692
ASIA32352683993415,852
AFGANISTAN73212
ARABIA SAUDI0022
ARMENIA2068
AZERBAIYAN0011
BANGLADESH108220
BULGARIA2305
CAMBOYA180018
CHAD1102
CHIPRE4026
EMIRATOS ARABES UNIDOS1001
FILIPINAS68159193420
GUAM2204
HONG KONG03394127
INDIA8756657710
INDONESIA269641
IRAK0101
IRAN1034117161
IRAQ100414
ISRAEL52124292468
JAPON203178187568
JORDANIA10224476
KAZAJISTAN46111
KIRGUISTAN6107
KUWAIT0022
LAOS3014
LIBANO153294141
MALASIA1020333
MALDIVAS2002
MONGOLIA2002
MYANMAR200020
NEPAL62286150
OMAN1113
PAKISTAN1271433
PALESTINA731626
QATAR1001
REPUBLICA DE CHINA TAIWAN2516922072,401
REPUBLICA DE COREA1155004051,020
REPUBLICA DEM. POP. DE   COREA6210678
REPUBLICA POP. DE CHINA223074159708,941
SINGAPUR05813
SIRIA637281
SRI LANKA3912051
TAILANDIA5210567
TAJIKISTAN5005
TIMOR ORIENTAL1001
TURKMENISTAN1001
TURQUIA12112548
UZBEKISTAN60612
VIETNAM226331
YEMEN1102
EUROPA34806330987319,683
ALBANIA6028
ALEMANIA100981816033,430
ANDORRA0628
AUSTRIA14681139366
BELGICA36225279540
BIELORRUSIA701926
BOSNIA Y HERCEGOVINA0112
BULGARIA894562
CROACIA401014
DINAMARCA806053193
ESLOVAQUIA15221148
ESLOVENIA0279
ESPAÑA509138620683,963
ESTONIA3126
FEDERACION RUSA65168365598
FINLANDIA65131896
FRANCIA3067678661,939
GEORGIA80614
HUNGRIA13153159
IRLANDA226728117
ISLANDIA310031
ITALIA30990619323,147
LETONIA241218
LIECHTENSTEIN0303
LITUANIA010313
LUXEMBURGO25613
MACEDONIA2103
MOLDOVA2158
MONTENEGRO0011
NORUEGA825854194
PAISES BAJOS2714056031,279
POLONIA156271148
PORTUGAL108051141
PRINCIPADO DE MONACO0011
REINO UNIDO1804934941,167
REPUBLICA CHECA153651102
REPUBLICA HELENICA3122338
RUMANIA103297139
SAN MARINO0011
SANTA SEDE DEL VATICANO2013
SERBIA361928
SUECIA53113142308
SUIZA1594416721,272
UCRANIA272178126
YUGOESLAVIA0011
0
OCEANÍA

 

1007077247
AUSTRALIA505755162
FJI1001
ISLAS PITCARIN1023
MICRONESIA2002
NAURU1034
NIUE1001
NUEVA ZELANDA40101666
TIMOR ORIENTAL2002
TONGA0202
VANATU2114
OTROS1301225

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