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MICHEAL LEVINE
ParticipantHello Greg,
Yes, I am a resident. The tourist stamp is definitely NOT inconsequential. They look at your entry date as recorded in your US/Canada passport, and you cannot apply for a driver’s license until 91 (93??) days after your entry. If you leave CR before the 91/93 days have passed, the clock starts all over again. [This information was provided by ARCR, and confirmed by the bureaucrats at COSEVI who looked very carefully at the dates in my passport!]
Perhaps if I had entered CR using my cedula things would be different. But I did not, since I only received my cedula after my most recent entry.
ParticipantI have the trackit map on my Garmin Nuvi, and it works well in the Central Valley, which is where you really need help from a GPS.
The bad news is that this product is no longer available.
From the trackit web site:
We don’t longer produce or sale the GPS map for Costa Rica, you could find other Costa Rica map solutions at the following sites/stores:
ParticipantI have it on good authority that only people with a resident visa can open an account in Coopealanzia. Not necessary in other banks but they want evidence that you own property (electric bill, for example).
ParticipantI have been spending one week per month, on average, in the Zone Sur (Pacific coast between Uvita and Palmar) for the last year. My experience is that there is a solid power outage lasting from 20 minutes to several hours about once per week.
But even in adverse weather conditions (heavy downpours), ICE is out fixing problems. I have been impressed with their response to reported outages.
ParticipantI can answer some of your questions.
I have no idea about the marriage certificate. I am married but I applied for residency only for myself; my wife was not interested at the time I started the process. I did not need a marriage certificate.
Costa Rica requires 2 police checks:
- From your state. In New York, this entails getting fingerprinted. The fingerprint service forwards your prints to the Justice Dept, who will send back a police check for NY. This document has to be apostilled by the NY Secretary of State.
- You need to be fingerprinted by an FBI accredited fingerprint agent. The card with your prints is sent to the FBI, who can arrange an apostille for the resulting police check.
You will also need an apostilled birth certificate.
Of course each step in this process requires that you write a check or submit your credit card number 🙂
Yes, the US Embassy will certify your SS income. You need to make an appointment by telephone.
Hope this is helpful.
ParticipantThe mandatory insurance is PLI (personal liability). I always rent using a credit card that covers the rest. This saves lots of $$, but the coverage is limited to a 30 day rental. If you use this option you may have to rent twice…
The down side to this arrangement, according to Alamo, is that in the event of damage or loss, you pay for it with your credit card, and the credit card company reimburses you. This is a giant PITA but it saves a lot of money.
Sorry, no information about Panama.
You do realize that rental vehicles are not allowed to cross the CR-Panama border? Some companies will arrange to swap your CR-registered vehicle for a Panama-registered one at the border, but I don’t know which companies offer this service.
December 22, 2014 at 8:05 pm in reply to: Place to safely store a vehicle while out of the country #598988ParticipantJason,
Does DoubleTree have secure parking, and is it available for several days or more with only a one night stay?
Micheal
ParticipantJason,
Regarding requirements to set up a bank account —
- Is a tramite for the pensionado program sufficient? Or do I need to have the cedula?
- I have submitted documentation to the immigration authority showing my income level in order to qualify for the cedula; do I need to repeat this information for the bank?
- Do I need a postal address in CR to open an account?
ParticipantJason, thanks for the reply. I still have a few questions, however —
I make frequent wire transfers from a US bank to accounts in the Banco de Costa Rica, and they typically clear in 2 business days or less.
Visiting the lawyer — what is the sequence of events? I agree on a price and conditions with the seller, then what? Money changes hands? Or the lawyer handles the money and the transfer of ownership? [I plan to have a corporation set up to become the legal owner of the car.]
Do used car dealers in CR offer a warranty (30 to 90 days) to cover necessary repairs?
How does the VIN check work in CR? I know that in the US a VIN check will turn up things like accidents, fire or flood damage. Does the CR VIN check circumstances like these which occur in CR? Or does the VIN check only uncover unpleasant occurrences in the US history of a vehicle (assuming it started its life in the US)?
ParticipantLeave your coins at home — My experience in nice hotels (but not multinational chains) is that whatever you can stuff in a plastic bag will be washed, dried, and folded and returned at the end of the day for $2.
Participant120K US miles? or 120K CR miles? If you are planning to spend much time on unpaved roads outside of the Central Valley, this punishment will tear up most SUVs. The Infinity is not (to my knowledge) built to withstand this kind of treatment.
Otherwise your arguments make a lot of sense — I have been thinking along the same lines.
ParticipantI have been told by a longtime resident of the Southern Zone that the only feed available for chickens in CR is loaded with antibiotics. Maybe you will have to become a vegetarian…
ParticipantI recently stayed in Adventure Inn. It is a few minutes from the airport, and offers free transport to and from the airport. It is clean and comfortable, breakfast is included, there is an on-site restaurant for dinner, and they give a 10% discount for payment in cash. I will be going back on my next visit.
Holiday Inn Express is also nice. It is a bit more luxurious and more commercial than the Adventure Inn.
Another choice is BrillaSol, in Alajuela. Free transport to and from the airport (10 min ride), very low prices, comfortable rooms, simple restaurant serves dinner, but once there you are more or less stuck. The heavy metal gates suggest that it is not a good idea to go for a walk. If you don’t mind that it is priced very attractively, and breakfast is included. Good place to crash on arrival or before departure.
Hope this is helpful.
Micheal
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