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October 3, 2013 at 7:43 pm in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #537339
JASON HOLLAND
ParticipantHi Brian,
No need to request a tourist visa in advance. They give you one at the airport at immigration. And not a special document or anything. Just a stamp in your passport.
As far as areas most popular with expats, check out this list from the Costa Rica Insider site to get a good idea: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/costa-rica/where-to-live/
Jason
ParticipantHi Lynn,
Let me know if you were able to get in touch with Jessica. If not, I can be of further assistance.
October 1, 2013 at 9:21 am in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #537084ParticipantRenewing a tourist visa is technically possible indefinitely. There are many expats who never sought residency who’ve been making border runs for years, even decades. There is a risk however with this practice. Policies could change. And, of course, as a tourist you don’t qualify to join the universal healthcare plan, Caja.
As far as the plan for purchasing plane and bus tickets, that should be okay as long as you have a plane ticket out within 90 days on your first arrival at the airport.
There is no set time you have to be out of the country on border runs. Some people walk out of Costa Rica, get stamped in Nicaragua or Panama, and walk straight back in Costa Rica. Some officials don’t like this and might make you wait a couple of hours. But most allow this practice. The most important thing is to have that ticket out of Costa Rica.
ParticipantHi Brian,
December is the dry season, so the weather should be really nice for your visit. Of course, if you want to check out the rainy season prior to a move, you’ll want to come back another time from May to October.
As far as M.A. as a destination, it’s a very nice area and home to a good number of expats. It’s also a popular tourist spot. And from there, if you rent a car you can also visit places like Jaco, about 40 minutes north, and towns like Dominical and Uvita in the Southern Zone, 40 minutes south, to get an idea of this beach and jungle area of Costa Rica’s central and southern Pacific coasts.
Whether or not there is a better spot to visit is up to you and the type of place you’re looking to live in Costa Rica. The Central Valley and Arenal are inland areas, mountainous and with very mild climates. Totally different from the Pacific coast. Check out the main page of the CR Insider site for more info on these regions. If they appeal to you, you might want to adjust your trip accordingly to check them out.
September 28, 2013 at 10:02 am in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #536981ParticipantI should also add that your ticket out of the country should be within 90 days of your arrival.
If you plan to stay 6 to 9 months as you do, you don’t have to fly back to your home country. You can renew your tourist visa by crossing the land border into Nicaragua or Panama. There are top quality bus companies like Tica Bus that have stations in San Jose and also stop in other parts of Costa Rica and then head into those countries and you can get off in places like Granada or San Juan del Sur (both in Nica) for a little vacation. The company handles all the paperwork at the border for you.
Now when you go on this “border run” and re-enter Costa Rica you’ll have to have a ticket showing you’re leaving 90 days from your new arrival date. So what you can do is change your original plane ticket or, because you’re coming in through a land border, you can also buy a bus ticket showing you’re leaving Costa Rica within 90 days.
Of course, when you file for residency and your application is in you do not have to go through this process.
If all this sounds complicated…it is a bit at first. But it gets easier. If you have any further questions about this, feel free to ask.
September 28, 2013 at 1:53 am in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #536979ParticipantHi Kathleen,
Unless you are a legal resident or all your residency paperwork is in and immigration has given you a “comprobante” (basically a receipt showing your application is in process), you should not travel to Costa Rica on a one-way ticket. Even if you intend to apply once you arrive in Costa Rica the first time you will still be on a tourist visa and that requires a ticket out of Costa Rica to enter the country.
As far as cell phone, unfortunately your Verizon phone won’t work at all in Costa Rica. Verizon, Sprint and some other American carriers are on a system called CDMA that is not compatible with most cell networks outside the U.S. Costa Rica uses the GSM cell phone network (AT&T and T-Mobile use this standard). So what you can do is either buy a GSM phone in the U.S. or buy one in Costa Rica. If you bring a GSM phone from the U.S. you have to make sure it is “unlocked,” which means it is not tied to a particular carrier. Or you can buy a phone in Costa Rica. The cheapest models start at about $30. Then you buy a SIM card and buy minutes as part of prepaid plan. No need to sign a contract.
Once you have a home established in CR, even a rental, you will go to the nearest post office and either arrange for delivery to your home or sign up for a post office box. There are not street addresses in CR as in the U.S. So you really will have to go to see your postman and tell him your name and where exactly you live. Often a PO box is the best way to go. You can receive mail from overseas no problem. As far as mail going to your old U.S. address, you can get it sent to a mail forwarding service based in the U.S. like Earth Class Mail which will send it on to you in Costa Rica.
ParticipantHi Morris,
All those you mentioned fit the bill. You might also check out Heredia, which is north of San Jose, Ciudad Colon and Puriscal to the west, and San Ramon, which is pretty far west but still about an hour from San Jose. Remember the higher your altitude the cooler your temps for pretty much any area, so there can be a lot of variation in climate even in the same town.
GoDutchRealty.com exhibited for many years at IL events and are good contacts. You’ll also find that each town has a real estate agent or two that specialize. Another good resource is the local expat community – they often know of great homes and great deals before they get online. To take advantage of these you just have to be there and meet people.
ParticipantHi Don,
I’m assuming you mean San Isidro de El General, which is in the Southern Zone. There are two routes. One is a high mountain road that’s a four to five hour drive there from San Jose and it’s a two lane windy road in good shape. But I wouldn’t recommend making it at night. The other is the coastal highway that’ll take about three to four hours. The road is in good condition. But again I wouldn’t make the drive at night after a flight. You best bet is to stay in San Jose for the night. There’s a Holiday Inn Express across the street from the airport that I’ve stayed at. There’s also a Courtyard Marriott and some others right around the airport. The city will be called Alajuela.
Try not to stay in downtown San Jose because then you’ll have to backtrack to get on the road to the beach and you have to deal with San Jose traffic.
With five days, I’d concentrate on checking out Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal. If possible stay in one of those towns, San Isidro is about a 45 minute drive from those coastal towns.
As far as getting to Liberia from the Southern Zone, you’ll first have to get back to San Jose to catch a flight to Liberia. This is a good regional airline: NatureAir.com
You might try just driving from the south to Liberia. It’ll be an eight hour+ drive but if you have a rental car, it might be worth it. Plus you can check out the country. Liberia is the capital of the Guanacaste province. It’s about an hour inland and not many expats live around Liberia. They’re on the beach in communities like Playas del Coco, Flamingo, and Tamarindo. I would suggest staying in one of those places to get a flavor for the region.
Atenas is about a five hour drive from Guanacaste, so not practical for a day trip. But you might try visiting Atenas on your way back to San Jose or out of San Jose when you first arrive. Atenas is about 30 minutes from the airport and is actually on the way to the Southern Zone if you take the coastal highway route.
ParticipantHi Ken,
As far as an escape from heat and humidity, the Central Valley and Arenal regions would fit the bill. Both have temperate climates year-round, no need for AC.
The folks at Pathfinder International, IL’s preferred real estate advertiser, often organize trips to this area, as well as the southern Pacific. You can get more info here: http://pathfinderinternational.net
You should also check out the Costa Rica Insider members’-only itineraries we’ve put together:
https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/costa-rica/travel-itineraries/
Check these out and let me know if you have any further questions. I’m happy to help.
ParticipantHi Laura,
Congrats on the home in Tambor. And great plan to buy your appliances in Golfito.
In answer to your questions:
1. I’m not aware of any boats going from Tambor to Golfito. There are no ferries or scheduled routes as far as I know. From the Nicoya Peninsula you can take the ferry at Paquera over to Puntarenas. But I don’t know how much time it would save you. I think your best bet would be to take the bus from San Jose to Golfito or if you’d rather break up the trip, stop in Dominical or Uvita and spend the night, check out the beach there, etc. before heading to Golfito.
2. I don’t know any specific transport companies who ship from Golfito to Liberia or Tambor. But I’m sure there are several in Golfito, probably affiliated with the duty free stores there. I’d ask around when you’re there and see who’s giving the best deal. And then feel free to negotiate – it’s expected. I can tell you when I moved goods (about 10 boxes and some furniture) from Tamarindo to San Jose – about a five hour trip, I paid my movers $120. But I was given estimates up to $500. So it definitely pays to shop around and negotiate.
3. As far as insurance for your goods in storage, you’ll need to contact a broker for INS, the national insurance company in Costa Rica.
ParticipantHi Patrick,
Costa Rica has a good medical system, both public and private, that rivals care in the U.S. for many conditions. But I’d say as far as cancer treatment it’s not on the level of the U.S. or Canada.
There are cancer treatment centers, and I’m sure there are many hospitals and clinics that can screen as well. They’re centered in and around San Jose, the capital. My advice would be to contact some facilities in Costa Rica to ask questions about your wife’s particular case. They’ll be able to tell you exactly what they offer. All these places have English speaking reps, and they’re experienced in dealing with international/expat patients.
CIMA Hospital: http://www.hospitalsanjose.net
Clinica Biblica: http://www.clinicabiblica.com/eng/index.php
You might also check out this article from a local paper (in English) that mentions a new cancer center down here and some of the other treatment options.
ParticipantHi David,
No worries. A lot of folks have this same question.
In Costa Rica only permanent residents and citizens are allowed to possess firearms. To become a permanent resident you have to be a temporary resident for at least three years. Temporary residency categories include pensionado, or retiree, residency, which requires $1000 per month in income per couple from Social Security or pension.
Once you’re a permanent resident you can apply for a permit, which requires you to go through a background check and take a psychological test. Then you can buy a firearm in the country or apply to import your own from home.
ParticipantThe limit is $500 worth of items duty free every six months for legal residents, including those on pensionado status.
ParticipantHi Margaret,
Welcome!
I’m happy to help.
First off, be sure to check out the Costa Rica Insider member website for info on residency, health care, and all that stuff: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/costa-rica/
As far as your specific questions. The most temperate climate is the Central Valley, which is an area on the interior of the country. But you’re still only an hour to an hour a half from the Pacific coast. So beach day trips are possible. The Caribbean is also a beautiful area but definitely more tropical climate – not unbearably hot and humid though.
I think you would do well with your expertise starting a business in Costa Rica. A lot of expats are into alternative health and spirituality. And locals are too.
Furnished rentals start at around $400 for a furnished two-bedroom. That’s for a nice simple place in a good area. But prices range widely – you’ll pay more to be near the beach or to have North American amenities like dishwasher, granite counters, etc.
ParticipantHi Duva,
The Caribbean side is beautiful and there are a lot of nice areas on the beach. Some of the towns to consider are Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Cahuita, Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, and Manzanillo. You might consider staying in a hostel or hotel for a few days so you can check out all the long-term rental options.
A good real estate contact is: http://www.caribesur-realestate.com/
Jason
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