New members of the Costa Rica forum, introduce yourself here

crbooks wrote:

Hola Amigos,

My name is Christopher Howard and I have lived in Costa Rica for almost 35 years. I love the country so much that I became a citizen14 years ago.

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Hi Christopher, I read your book. Welcome to the forum. I hope you stick around and give your great advice to forum members in spite of the mods' phobia against links.

LenF wrote:

Hello,
I'm a 50 year old American veteran coming down on Jan 5 because I've been researching it so long if I don't make the move now I may never get the nerve! I know it's the right thing to do considering my income and age. It's always a little nerve wracking going to a new location, a new country when I do not speak the language yet.

Len, I only wish I COULD have moved down at age 50. I wanted to but couldn't afford it.
Without knowing more about you my only advice at this point is:
1) read as much as you can on various forums - do a google as the mods here surely don't want me to link you to other forums
2) start to learn Spanish now and plan to learn it well
3) I assume you have a steady income that will get you legal residence ($1000/month required from a guaranteed pension - something absolutely guaranteed) The ARCR has more info on residency requirements
4) this is the most important advice:
VISIT Costa Rica FIRST for at least a couple months before deciding to move to Costa Rica.
Rent, don't stay in a hotel, and get a real idea of what it's like to bank, pay bills, buy things, and just generally acclimatize yourself to what it's like to live there as opposed to vacationing there. If you can rent for several months before deciding to move, that's all the better.

Living at the beach is more expensive than mountainous areas.

Cars are expensive to buy, maintain and fuel. If you use the bus, they're mostly convenient but be prepared to stand in the rain. If you live very close to a town you can perhaps use taxis instead.

None of this is to discourage you but to open your eyes to realities. If you dream to come here, make it happen! But do be aware of the challenges. Better to wait if necessary than to come and not be truly prepared.

Sabena88 wrote:

What does that mean Len??????????

It means you cannot legally work in Costa Rica except under certain circumstances like if a company vouches for you, because a Tico cannot do the job.

Your chances of teaching in  Costa Rica are very slim unfortunately; or working in any capacity, as it is technically illegal for non-citizens to work in Costa Rica without the above special permissions.

Now: Some DO manage to work - I know people who are construction supervisors, who buy and run hotels and stores, and so on. But technically you are not supposed to WORK at a job you manage or own.

The problem with all this is that if you do manage to create a job for yourself and work at it, technically the Costa Rica government can deport you and not let you back in. It very rarely happens but it can happen.

Sabena88 wrote:

What about all those English teachers. How do they manage to get away with it without being deported?

I'm no expert on this but I think:
a) they are hiring less foreign English teachers than before (I have heard that, anyway), and
b) some English schools might make a case for an American or Canadian having a skill of speaking "Native English" that Ticos don't/can't have, therefore in the case of teaching English they might be able to get you that permission.
Please note they don't pay much though, in any case.

As I said there are always exceptions and ways around the law if you're willing to risk deportation.
I know people who run tour businesses and work at that tour business themselves even though it's illegal. I know people who have run stores and hotels and work there. I know people who run and work at their own construction companies.

Just be aware that there is some risk involved in doing so.

Sabena88 wrote:

Thanks for that advice.  I have heard of people working and every 3 months then they cross the border to Panama for 3 days and return to get their passport stamped for another 3 months.

Yes, people do this. I have a friend who did it for YEARS while -illegally- running a hotel himself with no Tico employees. So yes it can be done. But that was then, this is now.
Can it still be done? Probably, but I'm not sure for how long or if they would deport you or just require you to apply for residency, or ?

In recent years there have been a few stories of people being denied entry at the border after their 3 day excursion, and I know one case on this forum where they were only granted one month, not 3 months.

I am editorializing now:
It seems there is a trend in  Costa Rica over the past few years to discourage gringos from immigrating to Costa Rica or at the very least require them to pay a lot more to do so, in terms of things like increased property taxes and now increased CAJA (medical insurance) payments, and - as mentioned previously - stricter enforcement at the border which seems to be done willy-nilly - it depends on which border agent you get and maybe what mood he's in that day and if he takes a disliking to you or not.

Edward1958 wrote:

Nothing in Costa Rica is set in stone, things are always based on who you are talking to.  If you go into a bank and their are four tellers, they would all have a different answer to your question.  There is a lot of "Willy Nilly" in Costa Rica.  I do not think there is any ill intent by the people in Costa Rica "toward foreigners", it's just a traditional situation that even the Tico's suffer with.  In regards to border crossings, it has been standard procedure to just give well known perpetual tourists another 90 days automatically.  Over the past couple of years border staff unions have been in a battle with government over wages etc., so some of the border staff have been known to get a bit weird at times.  A husband wife perpetual tourist team came back into Costa Rica through Panama after being away a couple of days.  The wife got her standard 90 days, but her husband only got 30 days.  It's just something I was told, I was not there when it happened.  When my wife and I arrived at San Jose airport the agent asked me to produce a flight ticket showing I was leaving within 90 days.  One other passenger was required to go over to the airline counter and buy his departure ticket, before he was allowed to enter the country.  I'd say 95% of the customs staff do  not do this, it's just a few who are hard line union people that feel they're getting even with government by acting in this manner.  As I said, I do not think there is any ill intent by government, they love tourist and retiree money coming into their country.

Thanks for your info on this.