01
Transparent
Every price published. Every scope defined in writing. No hourly clock running while you wonder what it will cost. You see the number before we start.
Costa Rica, Guanacaste
Your Costa Rica life,
legally organized.
A legal bureau built by expats, for expats. Transparent pricing, proactive service, and one membership that covers your entire legal life in Costa Rica.
Operated by licensed Costa Rican attorneys
Fixed fees, no hourly surprises
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The problem
Moving to Costa Rica shouldn't mean
guessing your way through the legal system.
Most expats arrive excited, then spend months figuring out a legal system that seems to change depending on who you ask.
- No one publishes prices. You call five lawyers, you get five different quotes.
- Visas, property, vehicles, corporate structures: each handled by someone different who doesn't talk to the others.
- Deadlines slip. Your residency renewal, your corporate tax filing, your marchamo. Nobody tracks them for you.
- In 2023, a major expat law firm collapsed overnight, leaving clients stranded. Stability and trust are not optional.
A clearer first step
Need help in Costa Rica?
Tell us where you are in your journey. Answer five quick questions and we’ll point you toward the legal support that fits your situation.
Lived Experience
We didn't just study the system.
We lived it.
Before building this bureau, we moved to Costa Rica ourselves. Over the years, we went through every process our clients face. Not from a textbook, from personal experience. We brought the standards we were used to from Europe, transparency, structure, accountability, to a system that didn't naturally offer them. That's why we know where the friction is, what questions to ask, and how to get it right the first time.
Visas & Residency
We went through the Digital Nomad Visa and the Inversionista residency pathway ourselves. Document apostilles, consular filing, the full immigration bureaucracy. We know what the Dirección General de Migración actually requires, versus what the checklist says.
Property Purchase
We bought a home in Guanacaste. Title search, Maritime Zone considerations, escrow, closing, Registro Nacional registration. We learned where the hidden risks are and how to verify what sellers and realtors tell you.
Vehicle Imports
We imported three cars from the United States. We did not reinvent the wheel, we worked with established customs brokers and shipping agents, but we project managed every step: customs, valuation, marchamo, registration. The import process has specific valuation tables and permit requirements that trip up most first-timers. We know them because we lived through them.
Container & Moving
We shipped a full household container. We coordinated with reputable freight forwarders and customs brokers, but we managed the project ourselves: ISPM-15 compliance, customs clearance, final delivery. The import regime under Law 9996 has exemptions and deadlines that are easy to miss. We didn't.
Corporate Structures
We formed three companies. S.R.L. registration, shareholder agreements, tax registration with Hacienda, ongoing compliance. We understand how the corporate vehicle affects everything from property ownership to tax exposure.
Restaurant Acquisition & Licensing
We bought a restaurant and handled the entire licensing process. Permits, health department, liquor license, municipal compliance, a full reopening. Commercial licensing in Costa Rica involves multiple agencies and timelines that overlap in non-obvious ways.
The Hotel Deal We Walked Away From
During a hotel acquisition, our own due diligence uncovered defects and irregularities that weren't disclosed. We walked away. It cost us time and money, but it proved something important: proper due diligence works. We apply the same rigor to every client transaction. The right answer is sometimes "don't buy."
We built NordVida Legal to be the bureau we wished existed when we arrived.
Our approach
European service culture.
Costa Rican legal precision.
American accessibility.
We built NordVida Legal on four principles that are standard in Europe and North America, but almost unheard of in Costa Rica.
02
Proactive
We don't wait for your visa to expire before mentioning renewal. We track deadlines, monitor changes in law, and contact you before problems become problems.
03
Holistic
Your move to Costa Rica isn't just a visa application. It's property, vehicles, corporate structures, estate planning, import logistics, all connected. We handle the whole picture.
04
Innovative
A monthly membership, not a retainer deposit that evaporates. Fixed-fee modules for major processes. A digital portal for your documents, deadlines, and communications.
ExpatOne Membership
One membership.
Your entire legal life in Costa Rica.
ExpatOne isn't a legal insurance plan and it isn't "unlimited" legal work. Instead, ExpatOne is proactive management: we monitor your deadlines, answer your questions, coordinate your processes, and give you priority access to our fixed-fee services at a member discount. All memberships are annual contracts, billed quarterly, and renew automatically each year.
How ExpatOne works in practice
1
Onboarding
We review your current legal situation: visa status, property, vehicles, corporate structures, estate planning. You receive a personalized "Legal Life Map" showing what's in order, what's missing, and what needs attention within 90 days.
2
Ongoing monitoring
We track every deadline that matters: residency renewals, corporate tax declarations (D-150, D-140), marchamo (vehicle tax), property taxes (both municipal and luxury home tax), school calendar dates, and any concession expirations. You get reminders, not surprises.
3
Quick questions
Need to know if a notarized document is required? Whether your S.R.L. needs to file this year? How to register a vehicle bought private-party, or which documents a school requires for a foreign-born child? Ask us. Your response time depends on your tier (1-2 business days). No billable hours, no hesitation.
4
Fixed-fee execution
When you need a major legal process handled, a visa application, property purchase, corporate formation, we scope it, price it, and execute it as a fixed-fee module. Your member discount (10, 15, or 20% depending on your tier) applies to all professional services.
5
Annual review
Every year, we sit down (in person if you're here, by video if you're not) and review your Legal Life Map. What changed in Costa Rican law? What's coming up? Are you optimized? This is included in all tiers.
Your personal legal dashboard
Real-time transparency, built in.
Every ExpatOne member gets a personal client portal: a live timeline of your legal life in Costa Rica. Track your cases, see what's next, know exactly where things stand. No calling to ask "what's the status?" You already know.
Case timeline
Every process laid out chronologically: visa application, property purchase, corporate filing. See what's done, what's in progress, what's next.
Action items
What you need to do, and by when. Document uploads, signatures, appointments. Clear tasks with deadlines, not vague requests.
Document vault
All your legal documents in one place: residency card, property deed, corporate records, tax filings. Encrypted, organized, accessible 24/7.
Live status
Real-time updates from Migration, Registro Nacional, Hacienda. When your residency is approved or your corporation is registered, you see it here first.
Deadline calendar
Marchamo due date, residency renewal, corporate declarations, property taxes. All your deadlines in one calendar with automatic reminders.
Direct messaging
Message our lawyer and the team directly through the portal. No email chains, no lost WhatsApp messages. Everything in context, everything saved.
One of the few law firms in Costa Rica operating at this level of transparency and technology. We built this because it's how we would want to be treated as clients.
Feature
Essential
Premium
Family
Response time
2 business days
1 business day
Same day
Deadline monitoring
Visa, corporate
+ Property, vehicle
Full coverage
Document reviews
Not included
3 per month
10 per month
Check-in calls
Quarterly, 30 min
Monthly, 30 min
Monthly, 60 min
Strategic advisory
Quick questions only
Quick questions + cargo
2 hrs/month + attorney
Discount on services
10%
15%
20%
Essential
$199 per month, billed quarterly
Excl. 13% IVAResponse time2 business days
MonitoringVisa, corporate
Document reviewsNot included
Check-in callsQuarterly, 30 min
Discount10%
Choose Essential
Most chosen
Premium
$599 per month, billed quarterly
Excl. 13% IVAResponse time1 business day
Monitoring+ Property, vehicle
Document reviews3 per month
Check-in callsMonthly, 30 min
Discount15%
Choose Premium
Family
$899 per month, billed quarterly
Excl. 13% IVAResponse timeSame day
MonitoringFull coverage
Document reviews10 per month
Check-in callsMonthly, 60 min
Discount20%
Choose Family
Essential
For the newly arrived expat
Best for: Simple setup, visa application, getting settled
$199Excl. 13% IVA
per month, billed quarterly
- Response time: 2 business days
- Monitoring: Visa, corporate, marchamo deadlines
- Quick questions: Included within fair use, by email
- Document reviews: Not included
- Check-in calls: Quarterly, 30 minutes
- Secure document vault (client portal)
- Monthly Costa Rica Legal Update newsletter
- Annual Legal Life Map review
- 10% discount on fixed-fee services
Most chosen
Premium
For the established expat with assets
Best for: Property, vehicle, family, ongoing compliance
$599Excl. 13% IVA
per month, billed quarterly
- Response time: 1 business day
- Monitoring: Visa, corporate, marchamo, property, vehicle
- Quick questions: Included within fair use, by email and phone
- Document reviews: 3 per month, up to 10 pages each
- Check-in calls: Monthly, 30 minutes
- Cargo and import advisory (container, ISPM-15)
- Annual Legal Life Map review
- Secure document vault (client portal)
- 15% discount on fixed-fee services
Family
For the high-net-worth client
Best for: Multiple assets, urgent access, cross-border coordination
$899Excl. 13% IVA
per month, billed quarterly
- Response time: Same day, during office hours
- Monitoring: Full coverage, all deadlines
- Quick questions: Included within fair use, direct line to our lawyer
- Document reviews: 10 per month, up to 20 pages each
- Strategic advisory: 2 hours per month
- Check-in calls: Monthly, 60 minutes
- Multi-jurisdiction support (EU, US, Swedish coordination)
- Priority crisis support and emergency response
- Our lawyer personally on strategic matters
- 20% discount on fixed-fee services
Ready to get your legal life organized?
Book your ExpatOne Onboarding session with our licensed Costa Rican attorney. 90 minutes, a personalized Legal Life Map, and a clear path forward.
Book ExpatOne OnboardingWhat ExpatOne is, and isn't
Included in membership
- Quick questions & legal guidance (within fair use)
- Deadline tracking & reminders
- Document review (tier-dependent)
- Coordination with third parties (customs brokers, translators, architects)
- Life-admin guidance: school enrollment, CAJA, insurance, utilities, broadband
- Strategic advisory (tier-dependent)
- Legal Life Map & annual review
- Monthly legal updates
- Client portal & document vault
Separate fixed-fee modules
- Visa & residency applications
- Property due diligence & closing
- Corporate formation & restructuring
- Vehicle import execution
- Will drafting & estate planning
- Litigation & court representation
- Notarial acts (escrituras públicas)
- Life-admin modules: School Start, CAJA Setup, Insurance Review, Utilities Connection
- Government fees, translations, apostilles
Quick questions are included within fair use. Work that requires drafting, research memos, filing, or representation is quoted as a fixed-fee module before we begin. Member discounts apply to all professional services. Government fees, translations, apostilles, customs duties, and third-party costs are never included in attorney fees.
More than legal: your whole Costa Rica life
Life-admin guidance, included
- School enrollment: documents, apostilles, translations, MEP calendar
- CAJA and private healthcare: how affiliation works for your category
- Insurance: what to check before signing home, health, or vehicle policies
- Utilities: ICE and AyA accounts, deposits, ASADA water systems, broadband options
- Practical errands: which office to visit, in what order, with what papers
Life-admin packages, fixed-fee
- School Start Package: enrollment support for your children, end to end
- CAJA Setup: affiliation filed and first payment in place
- Insurance Review: needs review, product comparison, application coordination
- Utilities Connection: accounts opened, deposits structured, broadband ordered
Life-admin guidance works like all advisory: within fair use in your membership. Execution is a fixed-fee package, quoted before we begin with your member discount applied.
Membership terms
Contract and billing
All ExpatOne memberships are 12-month annual contracts. The monthly price shown is billed quarterly, meaning you receive one invoice every three months for the upcoming quarter. Payment is due within 15 days of invoice date.
Automatic renewal
Your membership renews automatically at the end of each 12-month term for another 12 months, unless you provide written notice of cancellation at least 30 days before the renewal date. Notice must be sent by email to your assigned contact.
Mid-year cancellation
If you cancel before the end of your 12-month term, no refund is issued for the current billing quarter. Remaining quarters in the contract term are not refundable. You retain access to all member benefits and portal until the end of the paid quarter.
Onboarding requirement
The one-time onboarding fee ($450, excluding 13% IVA) is required before any membership begins. It includes a 90-minute legal review, your personalized Legal Life Map, and portal setup. This fee is non-refundable.
Price changes
We may adjust membership prices annually. Any price change takes effect on your next renewal date, not mid-contract. You will be notified at least 60 days before renewal if the price will change.
Tier upgrades
You can upgrade to a higher tier at any time during your contract. The price difference is prorated for the remaining quarters. Downgrades take effect at the next renewal date.
Fixed-Fee Services
Every price. Published. Upfront.
When you need a major legal process handled, you get a fixed price, not an estimate that grows. Members save 10, 15, or 20% depending on tier.
Foreign Business Incentives
Could the Free Trade Zone Regime fit your Costa Rica operation?
Law 7210 offers qualifying companies conditional tax and customs incentives, but professional services are excluded and binding investment, employment and reporting commitments apply.
| Service | What's included | Standard | Essential (10%) | Premium (15%) | Family (20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Nomad Visa | Application, document handling, DGME representation | $1,200 | $1,080 | $1,020 | $960 |
| Pensionado Residency | Application, pension verification, DGME representation | $1,800 | $1,620 | $1,530 | $1,440 |
| Rentista Residency | Application, bank deposit guidance, DGME representation | $2,000 | $1,800 | $1,700 | $1,600 |
| Inversionista Residency | Application, investment verification, DGME representation | $3,000 | $2,700 | $2,550 | $2,400 |
| DNV Dependent Add-on | Dependent application for Digital Nomad Visa holder, DGME representation | $500 | $450 | $425 | $400 |
| Residency Dependent Add-on | Dependent application (spouse or child) for pensionado, rentista, or inversionista, DGME representation | $950 | $855 | $808 | $760 |
| Corporate Formation (S.R.L.) | Registration, articles, resident agent (1 year) | $900 | $810 | $765 | $720 |
| S.A. Formation | Registration, articles, board structure, resident agent (1 year) | $1,100 | $990 | $935 | $880 |
| Annual Corporate Compliance | Corporate tax filing coordination, RTBF filing, resident agent renewal | $450/yr | $405 | $383 | $360 |
| Property DD, Titled Land | Title search, encumbrance check, survey verification | $1,000 | $900 | $850 | $800 |
| Property DD, Maritime Zone | All titled-land DD + concession verification, municipal standing, plan regulador | $1,800 | $1,620 | $1,530 | $1,440 |
| Property Closing (Notary Fee) | Escritura pública, registration, transfer tax. Fee set by Art. 74 statutory scale (2% / 1.5% / 1.25% / 1% by property value), cannot be discounted below mandatory minimum. | Tariff | Tariff | Tariff | Tariff |
| Full Property Package (DD + Closing Coordination) | Titled-land due diligence plus closing coordination, contract structuring, and escrow guidance. Notary transfer fee billed separately at statutory Art. 74 scale. | $1,400 | $1,260 | $1,190 | $1,120 |
| Vehicle Import Coordination | We act as your project manager: we coordinate with established customs brokers and shipping agents, handle document preparation, track the valuation and permit process, and manage timelines end to end. You get one point of contact while we orchestrate the specialists. | $800 | $720 | $680 | $640 |
| Bilingual Will | Costa Rican will, notarial execution, bilingual EN/ES drafting | $500 | $450 | $425 | $400 |
| Container Advisory | We manage the full container import as your project lead: ISPM-15 compliance, customs clearance, documentation, and coordination with reputable freight forwarders and warehouse operators. We do not replace the customs broker, we make sure the right people do the right thing at the right time. | $600 | $540 | $510 | $480 |
| Advisory (Non-Member, Hourly) | Hourly advisory for non-members. ExpatOne members receive advisory within their tier, not billed hourly. | $250/hr | Member | Member | Member |
Government fees, translations, apostilles, customs duties, and third-party costs are not included in attorney fees. Member discounts apply only where Costa Rica's mandatory minimum tariff permits. Advisory beyond the membership scope is quoted as a separate fixed-fee service before work begins.
All prices are shown excluding tax. 13% IVA is added after you approve the service and terms, and is itemised on your approval summary and invoice as subtotal + IVA 13% + total. Government fees, translations, apostilles, customs duties, and third-party costs are billed separately and are not included.
Packaged journeys
Bundles for the full expat journey.
Each bundle packages the services a typical client actually needs into one purchase, with a built-in discount off the a la carte total. Every bundle creates an ongoing relationship through ExpatOne membership or annual compliance.
Bundle 1
The Relocator
For the digital nomad or remote worker moving and setting up base.
$3,500
A la carte $3,900. You save $400 (10%). Excl. 13% IVA.
- Digital Nomad Visa
- Property DD, Titled Land
- S.R.L. Formation
- Vehicle Import Coordination
Bundle 2
The Investor
For the expat investing in Costa Rica property through a corporate structure.
$4,500
A la carte $5,100. You save $600 (12%). Excl. 13% IVA. Notary transfer fee billed separately at statutory scale.
- Inversionista Residency
- Property DD, Titled Land
- S.A. Formation
Bundle 3
The Retiree
For the retiree relocating to Costa Rica.
$2,950
A la carte $3,300. You save $350 (11%). Excl. 13% IVA.
- Pensionado Residency
- Property DD, Titled Land
- Bilingual Will
Bundle 4, Flagship
The Family Plan
The whole family: membership, property due diligence, and a cross-border estate plan.
$11,900
A la carte $13,288. You save $1,388 (10%). Excl. 13% IVA.
- ExpatOne Family, 12 months
- Multi-Jurisdiction Estate Plan
- Property DD, Titled Land
Each bundle carries an internal allocation ensuring every tariff-regulated component stays at or above the mandatory minimum. Government fees, translations, apostilles, customs duties, and third-party costs are not included.
Who we are
A partnership built on
complementary expertise.
Our licensed Costa Rican attorneys handle local legal execution. Our European founding network handles the client experience. Together, they built a bureau that works the way Europeans and Americans expect, and delivers the legal precision Costa Rica requires.
Get started
Book your free
15-minute introduction.
No pressure, no obligation. Tell us where you are in your Costa Rica journey, and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help, or point you to someone who can.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Brasilito, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
WhatsApp
+506 0000 0000
Email
hello@nordvidalegal.com