Costa Rica, known for its political stability and favorable business climate, is attracting more and more foreign investors. The process of company registration in this Central American country is relatively simple but has its own peculiarities.

Forms of doing business

There are several forms of doing business in Costa Rica, but the most popular among foreign investors are Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) and Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.). S.A. is similar to a joint-stock company, while S.R.L. is more like a limited liability company.

Company registration

• Company registration in Costa Rica includes several key stages.
• First, you need to choose and reserve a unique company name.
• Then, you should prepare documents for the director and shareholder and have them notarized (usually a passport and a second form of identification are required).
• After that, the documents are submitted to the National Registry, and the final step is obtaining a tax identification number. The process of company registration in Costa Rica usually takes about 2 weeks.

All companies must have a physical address in Costa Rica. For offshore activities or if you don't have a current address in the country, the registration agent's office address will be provided as the registered address for your company.

Costa Rica welcomes foreign investment and does not impose significant restrictions on foreign business ownership. However, it's worth noting that for some types of activities (for example, in the telecommunications or energy sectors), there may be certain restrictions or requirements for local participation.

How to register a company in Costa Rica in 2024?

Registering a company in Costa Rica is a relatively simple and straightforward process, and the favorable business climate, stable political situation, and strategic location make this country an attractive place for doing business.

However, as with opening a company in any other country, we recommend contacting IT-OFFSHORE specialists who have extensive experience in registering and servicing companies in this jurisdiction, and can also ensure compliance with all legal and tax requirements.