Americas & Caribbean · CR
Costa Rica
A long-standing operational base for international online businesses, with financial activity supervised by Costa Rica's financial superintendencies.
At a glance
- Status
- Sovereign state
- Region
- Americas & Caribbean
- Authorities
- SUGEF · SUGEVAL
Overview
The framework
Costa Rica has long been used as an operational base by international online businesses, including service and support companies in the online gaming sector. We assess, with local counsel where required, whether a particular activity requires authorisation in Costa Rica under the law in force at the time.
Financial activity is supervised by national superintendencies under the National Council for Supervision of the Financial System (CONASSIF), including SUGEF for financial entities and SUGEVAL for securities markets.
Authorities
Who regulates what
- General Superintendency of Financial Entities (SUGEF)
- Supervision of financial entities.
- General Superintendency of Securities (SUGEVAL)
- Supervision of securities markets.
Considerations
What to weigh up
- Plan licensing for player markets separately: an operating company in Costa Rica does not authorise gaming offered to players elsewhere.
- Plan banking for gaming-related companies early.
This overview is general information, summarised at a high level. Requirements change and depend on the specific activity; seek advice on your circumstances before acting.
Industries
Relevant industries
Across jurisdictions
Cross-jurisdiction capabilities
Services we support across the jurisdictions in our directory, described once on their own pages. We deliver each to the requirements that apply locally, coordinating local specialists where local law, registration, representation or professional requirements require it.
- Privacy & Data ProtectionExternal DPO services and working privacy programmes: GDPR and global privacy laws, DPIAs, data mapping, transfers and ISO/IEC 27701.
- Information Security & CybersecurityFractional CISO support, ISMS and security programmes, certification and audit readiness, DORA, NIS2 and customer assurance for enterprise sales.
- AI GovernanceGovernance that lets AI adoption scale: EU AI Act readiness, ISO/IEC 42001 management systems, AI risk and impact assessments, and vendor risk.
- AML & Financial Crime ComplianceAML/CFT programmes, MLRO-as-a-Service, independent AML/CFT audits, risk assessments, monitoring, sanctions and inspection support.
- IP Registration & ProtectionTrademark and patent registration, copyright, domain disputes and enforcement that protect your brand, software and content across markets.
- Legal OpinionsRegulatory, business model, perimeter, payment, gaming, crypto-asset and cross-border opinions that answer what banks and investors ask.
- Bank Account OpeningHelp organising your banking with banks and EMIs that fit your model, from the onboarding file and account structure to periodic reviews.
- Merchant Account / Acquiring SetupMerchant applications, acquiring structure and negotiated terms for online and high-risk merchants that need stable card and local payment acceptance.
Support
Costa Rica: how we support your business
Costa Rica: the right fit for your business?
We look at your product, target clients and banking needs to see whether this jurisdiction fits or another would serve you better, then send a written proposal with scope, timetable and fee.