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I read what the requirements are to become a pensionada, but I can’t find the benefit, other than not having to leave every 90 days for 72 hrs. Can someone help me with this?
Cheaper rates at some accommodations, public and private, and no risk of being denied re-entry are two benefits that come to mind.
Pretty much that, years ago there were various “benefits”, but because of “abusing those”, they got eliminated (2003, so not having to leave every 90 days, is the biggest and pretty much only benefit.-
Ya’ll forgot the privilege of signing up for the CAJA, Costa Rica’s medical system, which you cannot do unless you are a legal resident.
There are different types of residencies granted in CR and you must become a legal resident that allows you to work there (it actually said that on my cedula) in order to actually be remunerated for work there. That’s how it was form me not too long ago. It might have been easier for me to obtain full rights of residency since my sister is married to a Tico and a nationalized Tica herself, but it is also granted to others. However, I had friends that had residency status that allowed them to legally live in CR, but they could not legally work there. You can always call the Costa Rican Consulate in your area (if you’re outside of CR) or a lawyer that specializes in immigration if you’re in CR for the legal details.
This residency issue has several ways to look at it. Firts of all if we are talking about Resident “Pensionado”, or Resident “Rentista”, in both cases you cannot get a “free condition” status, meaning that you can work here in Costa Rica and received a “salary”. When you applied for any of this two residencies, one of the requirements is a sworn statement promising to complied with the CR laws, and not to work in anything that will represent a “salary”. Off course this needs to be explain further on the sense that anybody with any of this two Inmmigrations status cannot work for “anybody”, but it does not mean that it can form it`s own Company (or Corporation), and as an owner work on it. So this person will not received a salary, nor will need to complied with all the regulations establish by the CR Labor Code, but it can definetly received “dividends and gains”, from that bussiness. So long story short any of the “Pensionado” status will not allowed who ever enjoys this condition to work for a salary, but there is no impediment to start it`s own company and work on it as the owner.
The rest of residencies contemplated in the law, some of them will authorize the person to have a “free Condition, or in spanish LIBRE DE CONDICION”, but this are very specific cases like:
1- Married a Costa Rican citizen.-
2- Have a previous “residency status” for 5 years, that will alloed the change to Free Condition.-I will not get into the whole spec of posibilities because it will depend on the specifics of each case. But I thought is was important to clarified this issue.
I am in the process of getting all the information of Pensionada status from an Attorney who specializes in getting this done. One other benefit not mentioned but brought to my attention was that if I were involved in an automobile accident with my vehicle, I would probably be treated more positively with a resident status vs. tourist status. To get this Pensionada, it is very time consuming (6 months to 1 year) and costly. About $3500. for myself and wife. Then about $500. per year for both of us. This is with him(attorney) handling for us each year. The $3500 does include his fee to handle the entire process.
I’m interested in how your attorney feels you would be treated better as a resident rather than a tourist? Treated better by whom? The police or the courts? I’d love to hear his reasoning.
What’s the $500 a year for? Your cedula is renewed every two years at a cost of $100 per person I believe. Those fees sound awfully high, so I hope you get your resdiency in record time.
I have friends that have lived in CR for 10 years fulltime. They just take a trip to Nicaragua or Panama every 3 months, when they are not visiting in the US. I really dont see the need for residency.
Edited on Nov 13, 2007 08:19
mmesier2, you might want to check with a CR immigration attorney or even the CR Consulate in your area about that option. When I lived in CR people did this all the time and before I had my residency granted, I went to Panama or to San Andres–so it has been a viable option, but I do believe the CR gov’t is fully aware that some people use that option to actually live in CR and they don’t care for it. I’ve heard that CR is trying to limit this behavior by questioning the amount of times you go in and out of CR a year. Please check before you make a permanent move to CR based on this and then find yourself in a bind and with all your belongings “chunches” in CR.
Maravilla, I wondered about those fees and annual costs, too. Our residency was processed in six months and sure didn’t cost anything like $3,500; nor do we pay any annual fee to our attorney.
One might wonder, too, about how the onetime costs of obtaining residency and being here legitimately versus the ongoing costs of quarterly jaunts outside the country offset. Over time, residency will work out to be cheaper, and there will be no threat of exclusion when you try to return.
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