One of the first questions every serious Act 60 candidate asks me is some version of this: “How long does this actually take?” And the honest answer — the one you will not find in a government brochure or a glossy relocation guide — is that it depends. But there are very specific reasons why it depends, and understanding those reasons will set your expectations correctly from day one.

I have guided hundreds of high-net-worth entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners through the Act 60 decree process. What I am sharing in this post is not theoretical. It is what I see on the ground in Puerto Rico every single day — the real timeline, the real costs, and the insider truth about how this process actually works.

First, the Good News: Virtually Everyone Gets Approved

Before we talk about timelines and costs, I want to address the anxiety that most people quietly carry into this process. They wonder: will I actually get approved? The answer for the overwhelming majority of applicants is yes — and here is why.

Any qualified Act 60 attorney worth their fee will not file your application unless they believe you are going to be approved. This is not a process where you throw an application at the wall and hope. A good attorney evaluates your financial profile, your background, and your situation before they ever submit a single piece of paperwork. If they do not think you qualify or will be approved, they will tell you before you spend the money.

The only circumstances that typically result in denial are:

• A significant criminal background or ongoing legal issues

• Active IRS investigations, tax fraud issues, or being on an IRS watch list

• Failure to meet the basic eligibility requirements under Act 60

For the vast majority of entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners evaluating this move — people who have built legitimate companies, paid their taxes, and built their wealth the right way — it is not a question of if you get approved. It is a question of when.

The Honest Timeline: 6 to 12 Months

Here is the truth that most online resources gloss over: the Act 60 decree process typically takes anywhere from six months to a full year from application to approved decree in hand. Some clients have been pleasantly surprised with approvals closer to four or five months. Others have waited longer than twelve months. Both outcomes are possible, and neither is a reflection of your eligibility or your attorney’s competence.

Why such a wide range? To understand the answer you need to understand how the Puerto Rico government actually processes these applications — and this is where I share something that most people do not know until they are already in the middle of the process.

The Grocery Store Lane: Understanding Why Timelines Vary

Picture a grocery store with ten checkout lanes open. Each lane has its own cashier, its own line of customers, and its own pace. When you arrive at the store, you pick a lane and you wait your turn. If the cashier in your lane calls in sick, your lane stops moving. You cannot pick up your groceries and move to Lane 2 just because things are flowing faster over there. You are in Lane 7. You wait in Lane 7.

This is almost exactly how the Act 60 decree process works in Puerto Rico.

There are currently only ten government attorneys assigned to process Act 60 applications. When your attorney submits your application, it is assigned to one of those ten government processors. That processor becomes your “lane.” Your decree moves at whatever pace that individual moves. If they take a few days off — sick leave, vacation, a personal matter — your application sits. It does not get reassigned. It does not get picked up by another processor. It waits.

This is not a criticism of the Puerto Rico government. It is simply the reality of how the system is structured right now. The technology supporting the process is a decade old. The workflow is linear. There is no automation, no real-time tracking, and no mechanism to redistribute workloads when a processor falls behind.

The bottom line: your timeline is partly a function of which government attorney your application lands with, and partly a function of what else is happening in that person’s professional and personal life during the months your application is being processed. A great attorney on your side cannot control which lane you land in — but they can make sure your application is bulletproof before it ever enters the queue.

The Step-by-Step Act 60 Decree Process

Here is what the process actually looks like from start to finish:

Step 1: Choose a Qualified Act 60 Attorney

This is the single most important decision in the entire process. Your attorney will evaluate your eligibility, structure your application for maximum strength, compile the required documentation, and navigate the government process on your behalf. Do not cut corners here. This is not the place to find the cheapest option. A highly experienced Act 60 attorney who has processed dozens or hundreds of decrees is worth every dollar of their fee.

Step 2: Eligibility Review and Application Preparation

Your attorney conducts a thorough review of your financial background, tax history, business structure, and personal circumstances. They will identify any potential issues before submitting anything to the government. If they find something that could complicate approval, they address it at this stage. This process typically takes two to eight weeks depending on the complexity of your financial situation.

Step 3: Document Compilation

You will need to provide a comprehensive set of documents. Commonly required items include:

• Proof of Puerto Rico residency (lease agreement or property ownership documentation)

• Puerto Rico bank account documentation

• Federal and state tax returns for the past two to three years

• Proof of Puerto Rico driver’s license

• Voter registration in Puerto Rico (if applicable)

• Passport and government-issued identification

• Background check documentation

• Business formation documents if applying under the business export services component of Act 60

Step 4: Application Submission

Your attorney submits the completed application through Puerto Rico’s Incentives Portal along with the required government filing fee. This is when your application enters the queue and gets assigned to one of the ten government processors. The clock starts here — and this is also where patience becomes your most important virtue.

Step 5: Government Review and Processing

This is the longest phase and the least controllable. Your assigned government processor reviews your application, may request additional documentation, and ultimately prepares your decree for approval. This phase is where the six-to-twelve-month timeline primarily lives. Your attorney follows up regularly and responds to any government requests for additional information as quickly as possible.

Step 6: Decree Approval and Execution

Once approved, your Act 60 decree is a legally binding contract between you and the Puerto Rico government. It guarantees your tax benefits for a period of fifteen years, with the option to extend for an additional fifteen years. Your decree is specific to you — it outlines your exact tax obligations and the compliance requirements you must maintain to keep your benefits active.

What Does the Act 60 Decree Process Actually Cost?

Here is a realistic breakdown of what to budget:

• Government filing fee: Approximately $5,000 for the Individual Resident Investor component of Act 60. Additional fees may apply depending on the specific incentives you are applying for.

• Attorney fees: Typically range from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the complexity of your application, the attorney’s experience level, and the scope of services included. This is one area where I strongly advise against choosing the cheapest option.

• Annual charitable contribution: Act 60 requires decree holders to make an annual charitable contribution of $10,000 to approved Puerto Rico nonprofits. This is not optional — it is a compliance requirement built into the decree.

• Annual compliance costs: Ongoing annual fees for maintaining your decree, filing required reports, and keeping your documentation current typically run $2,000 to $5,000 per year depending on your attorney and accountant.

In total, expect to invest approximately $20,000 to $35,000 in the first year between filing fees, attorney costs, and the charitable contribution. For someone whose tax savings under Act 60 run into the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars annually, this is an extraordinary return on a relatively modest upfront investment.

Four Things That Will Make Your Process Smoother

1. Hire an experienced Act 60 attorney before you do anything else. Not a generalist. Not a mainland attorney who “knows someone in Puerto Rico.” A Puerto Rico-based attorney who has personally processed multiple Act 60 decrees and has established relationships within the government process.

2. Get your documentation organized immediately. The faster you can provide your attorney with clean, complete documentation, the faster they can submit. Do not let your side of the process be the bottleneck.

3. Establish your Puerto Rico residency markers as early as possible. Open a Puerto Rico bank account. Get your Puerto Rico driver’s license. Register to vote in Puerto Rico. The stronger your footprint on the island from day one, the cleaner your application.

4. Be patient and trust the process. Once your application is in the queue, the timeline is largely out of your hands. This is not a reason to panic — it is simply the reality of how the system works. Your attorney will monitor the progress and follow up with the government regularly on your behalf.

One More Thing: Start Earlier Than You Think You Need To

Here is the advice I give every client who asks me when they should start the decree process: earlier than you think. If you are planning to move to Puerto Rico in the next twelve to eighteen months, the time to engage an attorney and begin the application process is now — not when you have already relocated.

Your Act 60 tax benefits are tied to your bona fide residency in Puerto Rico. The sooner your decree is in place, the sooner your tax advantages begin. Every month you delay the application is a month you are potentially leaving tax savings on the table.

And remember — virtually everyone who applies gets approved. The question is not whether you will get your decree. The question is how quickly you want to start benefiting from it.

Ready to Start Your Act 60 Journey?

I work with entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners at every stage of the Act 60 relocation process — from the first conversation about whether Puerto Rico makes sense for your situation, all the way through finding and purchasing your Dorado Beach home. I am happy to connect you with the most experienced Act 60 attorneys I know and guide you through what the process looks like for your specific situation.

→  Download my free Act 60 Tax Advantage ebook — The complete guide for high-net-worth individuals evaluating Puerto Rico

→  Schedule a private consultation — Let’s talk about your specific situation, your timeline, and what Dorado Beach could look like for you

About Christian Kleiner

Christian Kleiner is the Founder & CEO of Christian Kleiner Luxury Real Estate, Puerto Rico’s premier luxury real estate brokerage specializing in Act 60 relocation and Dorado Beach luxury properties. He has been featured in Mansion Global, The New York Post, and Yahoo Finance as a leading authority on Puerto Rico’s luxury real estate market and Act 60 tax incentives. He is a featured speaker at the 2026 Uncorrelated Alts Conference in Puerto Rico.