Quick answer: We publish our fees, which most competitors do not. Advisory packages run from a $5,000 Discovery Trip to $50,000 white-glove relocation, and every package is all-inclusive for our professional services. The qualifying investment (for example $150,000 in real estate) and government filing fees ($200–$500 per applicant) are always separate and quoted up front. Here is the whole picture, with nothing behind a private quote.
Ready to talk specifics? Book a strategy call and we will map your situation against the options below.
Why we publish fees at all
Because the alternative — "contact us for pricing" — is usually a sign that the number moves depending on how much you appear able to pay. Publishing removes that game. You can see the ladder before you ever speak to us, and decide whether it fits before investing your time.
The advisory ladder
Discovery Trip — $5,000. A guided three-to-five-day experience before you commit a dollar to an investment: curated tours of pre-vetted qualifying properties, a private legal briefing, bank pre-introductions, and a written investment shortlist and cost breakdown. The full fee is credited toward any advisory package if you proceed within 90 days.
Essential — $10,000. End-to-end management of your application once you have chosen your qualifying investment: document preparation, translation coordination, DGME filing, and communication through to DIMEX issuance.
Premium — $25,000. Everything in Essential plus full legal due diligence on the chosen investment, title and structure review to confirm qualification, tax structuring consultation, banking setup, priority processing, spouse and dependents at no extra fee, and a 12-month post-approval advisory retainer — a single point of contact from start to DIMEX.
Platinum White-Glove Relocation — $50,000. Everything in Premium plus on-the-ground relocation: international school search, healthcare navigation, property management setup, vehicle import and licensing support, and community and club introductions.
What sits outside our fee — always quoted up front
This is the part opaque competitors blur, so we are explicit. Our advisory fee covers our professional services only. Separately, and paid directly rather than to us:
- The qualifying investment itself — for example $150,000 in real estate, paid to the asset seller, not to us. This is an asset you own, not a cost.
- Government filing fees — typically $200–$500 per applicant.
- Property transaction costs, where you buy — transfer tax 1.5% and total closing costs typically 4–5.5%.
- Ongoing costs — Caja at 7–11% of declared income, annual property tax 0.25%, and luxury-home tax above roughly $214,000.
The denial provision
Worth stating because it aligns our incentives with yours: our approval rate for complete, properly structured applications is high, and where DGME issues a denial — rare, and typically from missing documentation — we manage the appeal or re-application at no additional professional fee.
A worked total: what a real engagement adds up to
Abstract fee ladders are less useful than one worked example, so here is a representative build for an investor-route family choosing the Premium package. The advisory fee is $25,000 — our professional services, all-inclusive, spouse and dependents at no extra fee. Separately, the qualifying investment might be $150,000 in real estate, paid to the seller; that is an asset they own, not a cost. Property transaction costs run 4–5.5%, so roughly $6,000–8,000 including the 1.5% transfer tax. Government filing fees are $200–$500 per applicant. Ongoing, Caja lands at 7–11% of declared income and property tax at 0.25% a year.
The instructive part is the separation. Of that total, only the advisory fee and the transaction and government costs are truly "spent" — the $150,000 is retained wealth. A firm that quotes a single blended number, or hides the split, is usually obscuring how much of what you pay is fee versus asset. Publishing the components lets you see exactly where each dollar goes and compare us honestly against anyone else.
Why opacity usually costs you more
The "contact us for pricing" model persists for a reason, and it is rarely the client benefit. When a fee is not published, it can move with how much you appear able to pay, and the components — advisory versus investment versus government fees — can be blended into one figure that resists comparison. That is precisely the game publishing ends.
It also changes the incentive on the hardest promise in this business: what happens if an application fails. Because we publish and stand behind our process, a DGME denial on a complete, properly structured case — rare, and usually from missing documentation — is handled through appeal or re-application at no additional professional fee. That commitment is only credible from a firm willing to be transparent about what it charges in the first place.
Frequently asked
Is the investment part of your fee?
No. The qualifying investment — $150,000 in real estate, for example — is paid directly to the seller and is an asset you retain. Our fee covers professional services only.
Is the Discovery Trip fee wasted if I proceed?
No — the full $5,000 is credited against any advisory package if you proceed within 90 days of the trip.
Are spouse and children extra?
In our Premium and Platinum packages, spouse and dependents are included at no additional professional fee.
What are the government fees?
Government filing fees are typically $200–$500 per applicant, quoted up front and separate from our advisory fee.
Why do most competitors not publish fees?
Because an unpublished fee can flex with perceived ability to pay, and blended numbers resist comparison. Publishing removes both. You can see the ladder and the component split before you ever speak to us.
What is genuinely spent versus retained?
The advisory fee, transaction costs (4–5.5%) and government fees are spent; the qualifying investment — $150,000 in real estate, for example — is an asset you retain. Blended quotes obscure exactly this distinction.
Is the Premium package worth it over Essential?
It adds full legal due diligence, title and structure review to confirm qualification, tax structuring, banking setup, spouse and dependents at no extra fee, priority processing and a 12-month post-approval retainer — a single point of contact throughout. For investment-route cases it usually earns its place; simpler income-based cases may not need it.
Are there costs after I receive residency?
Yes — Caja at 7–11% of declared income, annual property tax at 0.25%, renewal fees, and luxury-home tax above roughly $214,000. We set these out up front so the ongoing picture is clear, not just the entry cost.
Do you ever recommend a cheaper competitor or DIY?
Where a case is genuinely simple — an organised pensionado applicant, no property, no complex funds — we will say so. Publishing our fees means we compete on value, not on obscuring what we charge, and that includes being honest when you may not need the full engagement.
Where to start
Decision-stage questions are best answered against your actual numbers, timeline and family situation rather than a general article. Book a strategy call and we will tell you plainly whether Costa Rica fits — and, if it does, which route and structure suit you. If a country other than Costa Rica is the better answer for you, we will say so.
This article is general information, not legal, immigration, tax or investment advice. Program terms and figures change and are applied to individual facts; those cited were accurate at the time of writing and should be confirmed. Engage qualified counsel and your own tax adviser before acting.