Business
Commercial Code companies plus a free-zone regime
The sociedad anónima and the sociedad de responsabilidad limitada are the standard vehicles, both formed by notarial deed and registered at the Registro Nacional. The free-zone regime offers substantial tax relief for exporters and services, and is the backbone of the medical-device and shared-services sectors.
Key rules
- An SA requires at least two shareholders at formation, a board of three and a fiscal (statutory auditor).
- All companies must appoint a resident agent if no director is domiciled in Costa Rica.
- Annual corporate tax (impuesto a las personas jurídicas) is due in January regardless of activity.
- Shareholder registers must be filed annually with the Registro de Transparencia y Beneficiarios Finales.
- Free-zone companies obtain a 0% or reduced income-tax rate for a defined period under Ley 7210.
Governing law
- Código de Comercio (Ley 3284)Companies and commercial obligations.
- Ley de Régimen de Zonas Francas (Ley 7210)Free-zone incentives.
- Ley del Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas (Ley 9428)Annual entity tax.
In practice
Failure to file the beneficial-ownership return blocks registry filings and triggers fines, and is the most common compliance failure for foreign-owned entities. Incorporation typically takes two to three weeks.