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I want to import my 1997 toyota landcruiser from florida; can anyone shed some light on this for me? thanks
Sounds like a great idea to me. If you like the vehicle, you will be miles ahead by bringing it along. I would suggest that you contact Ship Costa Rica. They are very reputable and professional and can arrange to move it here with no surprises. They moved me here with my car and my furnishings and I have nothing but praises to sing about them.
I was a salesman, used car department manager and independent auto dealer for 29 years in Texas.
You may wish to read the following article: “Costa Rica Cars – To bring or not to bring. The first in a series revealing the inside scoop on the question of whether to ship your car or buy one in Costa Rica’ at
We will be publishing a follow up article later this week.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comThis question was brought up previously. You might want to read all the answers.
According to tx500sl, a vehicle over 5 years old will be the most costly.
Correct me if I misunderstood tx500sl, but he said to bring a 2004 if you are
moving this year. Next year, it would be best to bring 2005, but a 4-5 year
old car has the lowest import taxes. Over 5 yrs. is the highest.Just to clarify, cars three years old and newer have the lowest import duties at 50-something percent. Four and five year old cars are next with a duty of 60-something percent and 5 year and older cars are the highest at 70-something percent.
They all have a ‘birthday’ of January 1 to the CR government, so a 2004 model will have the lowest duty from now until December 31, 2007. As of January 1, it will be considered 4 years old and the tax goes up.
This is also something to consider if you are running around on a tourist permit in a car which will have a higher duty on January 1. You’ll be ahead of the game if you nationalize it before the end of the year when the percentage goes up. The Hacienda value (the value used by the CR government to determine the taxable value) is only adjusted about once/year (never predictably), so you will probably be paying your tax based on the same value, but at a higher percentage.
There is no age limit on cars being imported. Every car must pass RTV, which is a safety and emissions test, but you can bring your prized ’55 Chevy if you want. I heard about a 60-something Mustang being imported where the people at RTV required a right-hand outside mirror be installed before they would pass it. With ANY vehicle being imported, you’ll want to make sure that all the lights work, the brakes are good, the tires don’t extend beyond the wheel wells, etc. There may be some special considerations for ‘classics,’ so talk to an expert before shipping to make sure that you don’t have any surprises.
My concept of true luxury is not having to drive a vehicle. But for those of you who have the need to feel the open road in style, I have a few gas guzzling powerful vehicles registered here with CR license plates and 2008 RTV for sale.
1998 DODGE RAM 1500 , 2 WHEEL DRIVE, 4 DOOR, NEW V-8 ENG, 12,000 MILES ON NEW MOTOR, NEW TIRES, NEW SHOCKS, AUTOMATIC,STEREO, CD…$15,000 O.B.O. ENGLISH 239-6789, 896-5436
1999 FORD MARK III CONVERSION VAN, SEATS 8 PEOPLE, TV,VCR,STEREO,CD, 43,000 MILES….$19,000 O.B.O. ENGLISH 239-6789, 896-5436
Photos available from tom@welovecostarica.com
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