Home/From your country/Costa Rica
From Costa Rica · The Americas
Costa Rica's software and services sector, and founders who've moved there, form US companies because Stripe doesn't take Costa Rican businesses. Mercury opens accounts for founders living in Costa Rica.
Mercury opens accounts remotely for founders living in Costa Rica. The banks, in detail.
From
Costa Rica
··:··UTC−6
To
Cheyenne, Wyoming
··:··UTC−6
01What changes because you live here
The tax treaty, whether Stripe will take you, which banks will open an account, and the time difference. Each was checked against its source in September 2026.
The tax treaty
None
The United States has no income tax treaty with Costa Rica. Dividends, interest and royalties from US sources are withheld at the standard 30%. Money you earn for work you do in Costa Rica isn't US-source income, so nothing is withheld on it.
Stripe
Not available locally
Stripe doesn't take businesses registered in Costa Rica. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account is a US business, so it can apply for a US Stripe account, and that's often the main reason founders in Costa Rica form one.
Banking
Mercury available
Mercury opens accounts remotely for US companies whose founders live in Costa Rica. It asks for the EIN, the formation documents, your passport, a real business address and a description of the company's existing or planned US operations. Relay asks a non-US owner for a US address, an ITIN or Social Security Number and a US operating presence, so it rarely suits a founder living in Costa Rica.
The time difference
UTC-6
New York is 2 hours ahead of Costa Rica in summer. Everything we do is in writing, through your dashboard and email, and we reply within one business day, so the time difference rarely slows anything down.
Checked in September 2026 against the IRS list of tax treaties, Stripe's country page, and Mercury's and Relay's published country lists. If something here has changed, email us and we'll correct it the same day.
02What Costa Rica expects
Costa Rica mostly taxes income earned inside Costa Rica, so money earned abroad is often outside its tax. Work you do while living there can still count as earned there, so how it treats a US LLC's profit is a question for a local tax adviser.
What founders here build
04What it costs
Charged once, in US dollars, with the Wyoming state fee passed on at cost. Where you live changes which bank we introduce you to, not the price.
Extras are optional, and the order form asks about each one with its price. Filing yours ahead of our next batch costs $75, and we email you before anything renews. Delaware, and every extra with its price, are on the pricing page.
05Questions
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Yes. The United States doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. You'll need a registered agent in the state, which every plan includes, and your passport for the bank. The filing is the same wherever you live. What changes is the tax treaty, the payment processors and the banks, which this page covers.
No. The filing, the EIN, the operating agreement, the bank application and the payment processors are all handled online. You don't need a visa or a trip.
The United States has no income tax treaty with Costa Rica. Dividends, interest and royalties from US sources are withheld at the standard 30%. Money you earn for work you do in Costa Rica isn't US-source income, so nothing is withheld on it.
You can apply. A US LLC with an EIN and a US bank account is a US business, and Stripe reviews it on its US terms. Approval isn't automatic: Stripe looks at the business, its website and the person behind it, and it can say no. Honest, consistent details and a real website give you the best chance.
The Americas
Ready when you are
It takes about four minutes. You see the whole order, state fee included, before anything is charged.
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