Category Archives: Costa Rica

BLP is awarded the Deal of the Year award by Latin Lawyer for its advice to Avianca to emerge from Chapter 11 process

Latin Lawyer announced the winners of its 16th annual Deal of the Year Awards at a charity dinner in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 5th. Our team was awarded for the excellence of its advice to Avianca when emerging from the Chapter 11 process. This award confirms once again BLP´s leadership in Central America Through…

Extension of the term to present the Ordinary Declaration 2022 of Registry of Transparency and Final Beneficiaries

On April 29, 2022, the addition to the General Scope Joint Resolution for the Registry of Transparency and Final Beneficiaries No. DGT-ICD-R-06-2020 of March 26, 2020, was published in the Official Gazette. Through this addition, legal entities and trusts required to file the ordinary tax return for the 2022 period may do so in the…

Authorization of remission for the formalization and collection of Social Charges

On April 25, 2022, the bill on the “Authorization of remission for the formalization and collection of Social Charges” was approved in a second debate, enabling the Costa Rican Social Security Authority, to carry out a remission of debt of employers and independent employees to the Costa Rican Social Security Authority for Sickness and Maternity…

Law is approved that promotes investment in free zones outside the GAM

On April 27, the Law to Strengthen Territorial Competitiveness that promotes the attraction of investments outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) was approved. At its entry into force, the law creates three new company categories to qualify for the free trade zone regime outside the GAM (except for the cantons of Palmares, Sarchí, Grecia, San…

Nomad visa: the extent of the stay of digital nomads is officially interpreted

In a second (final) debate on April 21, the authentic interpretation of the Law To Attract Remote Workers And Providers Of International Services was approved, stipulating that the immigration benefit to be granted for one year means that applicants will be able to request and obtain a visa for a period of less than one…

Costa Rican National Customs Service Contingency Plan against cyberattacks

Due to the cyber-attacks reported by the Ministry of Finance on April 18, 2022, which are affecting the Ministry’s computer systems, including the TICA System, and which affect the normal development of the procedures established for the entry, transit, export, and nationalization of goods, Costa Rica´s Directorate General of Customs has issued a series of…

Reform to combat labor discrimination against women in maternity condition

On Monday, April 19th, 2022, the reform of articles 94, 94 BIS, 95, 96, 97, 100 and the addition of subsection K) to article 70 of the Labor Code were approved in the second debate. According to these reforms, paternity leave is created, and the following modifications are made to the law: The employer is…

Procedural Guidelines for Free Zone Companies in the Logistics Services (SEL) category

General scope resolution RES-DGA-079-2022 specifies the “Guidelines for procedures related to the transit, internment, mobilization, and exit of merchandise carried out by Free Zone Companies for the Logistics Services category.” These guidelines regulate the customs procedures that Free Zone Companies must follow within the Logistics Services category (SEL) for their operations of entry, exit, handling,…

COPROCOM announces that the thresholds for reporting economic concentrations will be maintained for 2022

The Competition Comission (COPROCOM) in Costa Rica announced yesterday that the thresholds for filing economic concentrations will be maintained for 2022. Therefore, according to the Law on Strengthening the Competition Authorities of Costa Rica (Law No. 9736) it is mandatory to notify and obtain the approval from COPROCOM for those concentrations that comply with the…