Obtain a Business License in Costa Rica

An important step when opening a company in Costa Rica is filing for the necessary business licenses. There are several types of permits and/or authorizations to obtain depending on several factors, such as whether the enterprise will operate from a physical location.

Below, our agents for opening a Costa Rican company present the main types of business licenses and how to obtain them. You can rely on us for both procedures – incorporation and licensing.

The licensing phase when setting up a company in Costa Rica

Licensing is one of the first stages of starting a business in this country. The regular business license in Costa Rica is known as patente comercial in Spanish and must be obtained with the local municipality in the city where the company will operate. Apart from this, there are also other authorizations to be obtained, depending on the industry of the enterprise.

The steps to obtain a business license in Costa Rica are:

incorporating the company with the Trade Register;
filing for the business license;
applying for tax and VAT numbers;
registering for employment.

Certain activities, such as import-export, require trade licenses in Costa Rica, associated with the procedures of bringing and sending goods in, respectively from the country. Other operations will imply obtaining other business permits in accordance with their specific undertakings.

How to obtain a business license in Costa Rica

Business permits are issued by the licensing department of the municipality and imply the following steps:

file a standard application form issued by the department;
have the application form sealed by the Revenue Administration;
have the premises of the company inspected;
obtain a clearance from the local Taxes Department indicating the company has no financial debts;
pay the business license tax.

Please note that between these steps additional procedures may be required, depending on the operations to be undertaken.

Our local specialists can help you file for a business license in Costa Rica.

Documents required to obtain a Costa Rican business authorization

Here is a list of the documents to prepare when filing for a business permit in Costa Rica:

the above-mentioned application form;
details of the applicant (a company representative must apply for the permit);
a description of the activities of the business;
the legal address;
copy of the lease agreement or other document indicating the use of the premises;
an institutional list of requirements, in accordance with the activity to be completed;
a soil certificate indicating the right to use the property for the desired purpose;
copy of the Registration Certificate;
the labor risk insurance or a clearance letter from the National Insurance Institute (INS) if the company does not have employees;
receipt of payment of the licensing tax.

The license is issued in 2 to 4 weeks from submitting the documents. You can rely on our Costa Rican company formation agents for support with the application. We can also help you with all the steps for opening a business in Costa Rica.

Specific business permits in Costa Rica

There are certain activities that require special business licenses in Costa Rica. Among these, we mention:

enterprises operating in the food, health, and hospitality sectors must obtain a health permit from the Ministry of Health;
companies operating in the pharma sector also need a special license;
banks and other similar institutions must apply for financial licenses;
companies operating in sectors that impact the environment must obtain authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

Trading licenses in Costa Rica

Import-export operations imply obtaining a specific business permit. Also known as the trade license in Costa Rica, this authorization is issued by the National Customs Service in accordance with the General Law of Customs.

Costa Rican trade licenses are required when importing and exporting certain goods and the procedure depends on the products to be brought or sent out. For most of them, the following documents are required:

invoices;
airway bills;
bills of landing.

For certain goods, specific certificates must also be presented. Our local specialists can provide more information about trade licenses in Costa Rica.

Number of multinational companies in Costa Rica

According to recent data, at the level of 2023, 28 multinational companies have announced setting up operations in Costa Rica, as can be read below:

10 operate in digital technology;
7 in corporate services;
4 in tourism infrastructure;
3 in life sciences.

Our team is made up of lawyers who can help foreign citizens in various matters. Among them, we want to mention our immigration services in Costa Rica. They are available for those seeking to obtain residency and citizenship in Costa Rica.

Feel free to contact us for support in applying for a business license in Costa Rica.