Jaquline W. Says:
Is it true that you can bring your cars and household items to Costa Rica for free when moving there?
IL Costa Rica Correspondent Bekah Bottone Says:
Hi Jaquline,
Thanks for reaching out with your question!
Yes, you can bring your cars and household items with you to Costa Rica for “free.” What free means here is that you won’t be charged import taxes. (You will, of course, still need to pay whatever company you choose to transport the goods for you.)
This is thanks to a Costa Rican law created to attract investors, rentiers, and pensioners. One of its stipulations is that a person with the “migratory status of investor, rentier, or pensioner” can import household items—plus up to two cars— free of import tax, tariffs and VAT.
This law is expected to remain in effect until 2030. However, it’s important to note that it only applies once. After you’ve shipped your stuff in, bringing any more later will incur import taxes.
“Household items” include personal effects (anything you can wear), personal videos, CDs, pictures, books, hand tools for personal use, and portable gym equipment.
Goods that are illegal to bring into Costa Rica include food, spices, seeds, and other edibles; chemicals or any materials that might explode; guns and ammunition; and tires without rims.
Household goods are normally packed in containers and transported by ship. If you are shipping goods to furnish a typical two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo and you are not bringing a car, a 20-foot container will usually be ample space. If you are furnishing a larger home and bringing a car, a 40-foot container would likely work better.
It usually takes four to five weeks from the time movers pick up your containers in the U.S. until the day they’re delivered in Costa Rica.
You can find detailed advice on moving your goods to Costa Rica—including how to choose the right moving company—in Chapter 8 of Escape to Costa Rica, available on the IL Bookstore here.
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