Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Healthcare is a very personal choice. But I can lay out some info on all the options. As a legal resident you would be eligible to join the universal healthcare system, the Caja, for a monthly fee based on income – $50 to $100 per person are the amounts I’ve heard from expats lately. Of course, that only covers you in Costa Rica.
You can supplement that with a U.S. insurance, much of which is also accepted at CR private hospitals and clinics – check with your provider and the insurance company to be sure. There is also INS, which is Costa Rica’s private insurance option. You can get a policy that covers you in CR and anywhere in the world. Premiums are based on age and health, but are usually around $1,200 for folks at retiree age. Unfortunately, pre-existing conditions will disqualify applicants.
Hi Lynn,
If you plan to live full time in Costa Rica, it’s best to get a local bank account. It makes things like buying property or a car, paying local service providers and utility bills, and withdrawing larger amounts of cash much easier. You can do all of that with your U.S. bank account but it’s more of a hassle. Keep in mind you can always keep your U.S. bank account active.
Citibank is one CR bank I know affiliate with a U.S. company.
Hi Rebecca,
Great news on your upcoming visit. I would check out GoDutchRealty.com. They deal in mostly home sales but do have rentals on their site.
Some other sources are Craigslist Costa Rica and vacation rental sites like VRBO.com. As in the U.S. Costa Rica Craigslist is buyer beware and don’t send any deposits without seeing the place. Vacation rental sites usually list stuff by the day or week, but if you contact the owner you can often get good deals if you talk to them about a long term lease. However you find a place you like always negotiate. You can usually get a reduction in rent, have them throw in utilities or cable/Internet, or maid service, that sort of thing.
Hi Denny,
Great to hear you’re coming down for a scouting trip. A great place to stay in Grecia is B&B Grecia (http://bandbgrecia.com/). It’s right in the middle of town, which is a real Tico town no tourists. Very typical of life in the Central Valley.
There are a lot of options in Tamarindo in all price ranges. The top hotel is the Tamarindo Diria. The Best Western Vista Villas is also nice. And in nearby Playa Langosta, just 5 min from Tamarindo center, is the Capitan Suizo boutique hotel.
Hi Constance,
In my experience, you cannot take a rental car across borders. Some companies will meet you at the border and allow you to switch cars but for a three-country trip that will probably require a lot of coordination.
And you’re right, that will be a lot of driving if you plan to drive across all three countries. An alternative might be to take regional airlines and then rent a car when you land.
Since Magic Jack works through your high speed Internet you can’t use it with a standard cell phone. But you can get an app for the iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphone and use Magic Jack with those devices as long as you’re in an area with WiFi.
Getting a new landline for your home can be a challenge, there are long waiting periods.
Magic Jack works essentially as a landline. I do a lot of conference calls with mine and I’ve never had any problems. Not sure if it’s appropriate for leading webinars.
Magic Jack is similar to Skype. But with MJ you use a regular telephone handset and you don’t have to use your computer at all. It will ring just like a normal phone, no need to be logged in or anything.
Hi Carolyn
The mail forwarding works like this. You sign up with a company to get a U.S. address, they’re usually based in Miami because there’s a big cargo airport there. Your U.S. mail goes to that address in Miami and then that company sends it to you in bulk to Costa Rica. There are a lot of services doing this but two to check out are http://www.executivemaildropservices.com and http://www.earthclassmail.com. Earth Class Mail scans the mail you get and sends you an email so you can see what it is and pick what you want sent down.
The U.S. phone number in Costa Rica is really cool. I have one with a Florida area code that rings just like I was back home. I have Magic Jack, which you can buy online or at RadioShack. You set up through your highspeed Internet connection. No monthly or per minute charges – you pay an annual fee of like $80 for unlimited calls anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. And anybody can call you like you were in the States.
Hi Steve,
Only citizens and permanent residents can have firearms.
If you plan to retire in Costa Rica, you’ll most likely get the retiree, or pensionado, form of residency, which is considered a temporary residency because you have to renew it regularly. But after three years as a temporary resident you can apply for permanent residency.
There are restrictions on firearms in CR, including background checks and firearms knowledge and psychological testing.
Once you’re eligible you can bring firearms from the U.S., if they meet local laws, or buy them in CR.
Hi Allen,
That’s a tough one. You might try flying into San Jose instead to see what those flights look like.
Hi Ronn,
Most expats choose to send their kids to private schools in Costa Rica. There are all sorts of schools, from American-style schools on U.S. curriculum to homeschool style places fun by parents to Montessori to small neighborhood private schools with mostly Ticos as students. Some are taught mostly in English, some are completely bilingual. Tuitions range widely, from $4k to $11k tuition per year for the top schools accredited in the U.S. so credits transfer easily to $200 a month for smaller schools accredited only in CR.
If you go to this page and scroll down, you’ll see a detailed breakdown of education and listings for schools around the country:
https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/costa-rica/insider-tips/
Hi Carolyn,
Bringing Murphy to CR will be hassle-free. I brought my own two dogs, Jester (standard poodle) and Shadow (Havanese). No quarantine in CR is the big plus.
No need to get anything translated. But there are some forms you need from your vet and from the USDA. And shots should be up to date. Another big thing to keep in mind is that some airlines don’t fly pets or have certain restrictions. So check before you book.
I wrote an article on the process, with links to sites with all the details. You can check it out here:
https://internationalliving.com/2012/06/how-to-travel-with-pets-to-costa-rica/
Hi Lynn,
If you don’t speak Spanish I would definitely recommend hiring a lawyer to oversee the application for you. Prices vary from about $1,000 to $2,000 per person, depending on the lawyer. Having a lawyer also make the process hassle-free. You just hand them your documents and they take care of everything, usually faster because they have special windows at immigration, know who to call to check on things, etc.
Hi Lynn,
Bringing a car vs buying one in CR. That’s a great question. One that really depends on your personal situation. But I can give you some guidelines.
First, bringing a car. The cost of transportation itself is pretty inexpensive, about $1,000 if you can get it to the boat in Miami. Keep in mind that it’ll be hard to find parts for a vintage car, so that’s probably not a good match for CR. Asian imports do the best in CR, with the most qualified mechanics and available parts throughout the country. American cars do okay in that area as well. For Euro makes and models, you might have issues.
Now what type of car you need in CR depends on where you live. In most areas, a sedan is perfectly fine. But if you are in a remote, rural, jungle, or mountain area where the roads are rough, it’s a good idea to get an SUV, maybe even 4wd.
As far as taxes and fees, they are high and unfortunately foreign residents are on the hook – tax free importation of a vehicle is no longer a perk of residency. Older cars pay a higher rate. If your car is six years or older, you’ll pay up to 79% of its value in taxes. Three years or less, 52%, and between four and five, it’s 63%.
As you can see it can be pricey. The alternative is to buy here. (Keep in mind that depending on where you live you might not even need a car. Cheap buses and taxis are everywhere, with rental cars for longer trips.)
As a luxury item, cars are expensive, even used. Usually close to double of what you’d pay in the U.S. I saw a 96 Rav4 for sale for $8,000 recently, to give you an idea.
Most expats recommending not buying a car that’s been on Costa Rican roads for too long, the bumps can put on a lot of wear and tear. There are many used car dealerships in and around the capital, San Jose. Many of those cars are from auction in the U.S. Check the Carfax history for any damage to the vehicle. You can also find cars online CRAutos.com is a good spot to check. And local expats are a good source of great deals. The good news is that mechanics are cheap.
About your motorcycles, I would recommend bringing them down. You can stick those in a shipping container with your other household goods. They’ll be taxed but nothing like your car.
Hi Lynn,
You can use your U.S. driver’s license no problem in Costa Rica, whether you rent a car or buy one of your own. You should always have your passport with you as well when driving.
Keep in mind that if you plan to be in CR for seven months that a tourist visa only lasts 90 days. So you would have to leave the country three times during your stay, even if it was only a couple of days to nearby Panama or Nicaragua. So you might consider getting residency in CR to avoid that hassle. You can see a rundown of residency options here:
https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/visa/
-
AuthorPosts
