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magpie.
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January 13, 2012 at 12:00 am #201657
magpie
MemberI need a little advice regarding the three month rule. My husband and I are travelling around this amazing country trying to decide if we can afford to stay here, and if so where to “settle”.
I had to return to Canada because of my mom’s heath issues and came back to CR in early November. Because of another family issue, I have to leave again in late March, early April.
Should I take a trip out of the country before my three months is up, or can I wait until I leave for Canada? If I wait, it will mean that I will have been in the country about two or three weeks past the three month time frame.
Will I have trouble leaving if I am over just those few weeks? Will they be harder on me when I rejoin my husband in a few months?
I appreciate any advice from those of you that are more experienced and have lived here longer.
January 14, 2012 at 1:28 am #201658alewis
MemberI was 3 days over and nobody said anything. I don’t know what would happen for a longer overstay.
January 14, 2012 at 4:40 am #201659costaricabill
ParticipantI was seven months over, had no problem leaving and returned on a one way ticket – so I was 3 for 3!
Will you beso lucky, I can not say?
I have yet to hear of anyone having a problem after over- staying, especially after only after a few days. If they ask, just tell them you miscounted because of leap year!
Seriously, I have never heard of anyone staying past the 90 days, and I have been here for several years.January 14, 2012 at 4:54 am #201660waggoner41
Member[quote=”costaricabill”]I was seven months over, had no problem leaving and returned on a one way ticket – so I was 3 for 3![/quote]
Ever wonder what the statute of limitations is for overstaying? Big Brother might be watching these forums. 😆
[quote=”costaricabill”]Will you beso lucky, I can not say?
[/quote]
It would have been just my luck to have run into one who wasn’t bleary eyed and actually paying attention to what they were supposed to be doing. 😯January 14, 2012 at 12:09 pm #201661costaricafinca
ParticipantYou will probably not experience and problems leaving CR…but you may when trying to re-enter.
It could also depend on whether you are trying to return to CR on the ‘return’ part of a airline ticket and don’t have a ticket ‘home’.January 16, 2012 at 12:42 am #201662magpie
MemberOkay, thanks for your information.
Here is another twist on the same subject. After taking in everyone’s info, I have decided to take a trip to Nicaragua to renew my Visa.My daughter is coming to visit us and she arrives in Liberia one day after my 90 days is up.
We were thinking of meeting her in Liberia and taking her to Nicaragua with us, but that would mean I would have been in CR for 92 days. I will have proof of my one way ticket to Canada with me, leaving from Liberia on March 30.
Do you think this is pushing it, should I pay it safe and make my trip to Nicaragua before the 90 days, or am I being over cautious?
January 16, 2012 at 2:23 pm #2016632bncr
MemberLook go to Nicragua. Have lunch and reenter Costa Rica. When I used to have to do this I did it all the time.
The 72 hour thing is a customs rule not an immigration rule.
To qualify for a customes exemption of $500 or $600 dollars you hve to stay out of the country for 72 hours.
There hs been a lot of discussion about this and this is Costa Rica so even the immigration officals do not want to take responsibility for something that might actually claify the law.
So you have to go to attorneys who all give different answers! hhahahaha! Bienvenidos a paradisio !!!
Look there are two camps. The Tico way and the good little gringo follower way.
Tico way is you do what you want and if yo are caught you ask forgivness.
The Gringo way, Stress and worry about all the little rules and follw then very cafefully and never do anything to upset the big bad goverment…
Ticos actually most Ticoa dislike this very much because it grows government. However Gringos seem to like to grow goverment. Beats the crap out of me whythey are here – hey they have the hugest goverment in the world there so why not see if they can add to the Guieness book of world records by swelling it with more money to be feliced!
The Ticos know what goverment is all about – Centralized federal goverment is a rip off!!! yes they do a little good but its just a big pot of money with the politicos seeing who can steal it first while giving a little back. Nothing more.
So chose who you will be. Some one who follows the Tico social mores? or the social mores from your country.
In Costa Rica most Ticos feel its better to ask forgivness than ask permision.
Also the alarmist that play by the rules want you to play by the rules and be just as bothered as they were you take that we got less than 90 day heresay crap with a grain of salt.
I just took my friend to paseo canoas panama border and he went to CR imigration paid like 2 dollars to get a stamp. went to Panama immigration and got an enterance stamp. came back to cr immigrationn after he ate lunch and shopped for an hour or so and got an enterance stamp. No restriction on the stamp and he had not been out of the country in TWO years.
January 17, 2012 at 1:02 am #201664magpie
MemberI tend to agree with you about a lot of what you were just going on about; the first time we crossed at Canoas, we drove ourselves crazy with all the little details everyone was telling us before we got there. It really wasn’t such a big deal.
And I am not a person who follows all the rules just because they are there. But because of my inexperience with this whole 90 day thing, I don’t want to take a chance of not being allowed back into Costa Rica when I want to rejoin my husband later this year.
I am waffling again…I am trying to save time and money. It just seems to me that if I am 2 or 3 weeks over, I should not have any problem leaving…that’s what they want me to do anyway, am I right?
I won’t be returning for at least 6 months and I will make sure that I have a `way out` ticket; probably a bus ticket to David.January 17, 2012 at 4:14 am #2016652bncr
MemberI think those that are having problems are most likely those who have a pattern of leaving the country repeatedly every 90 days or less.
Contrary to what i wrote earlier, someone who fits that profile called me today and said they gave him 30 days only at the Nica border crossing.
It appears as if people may be better off staying for a year than showing a pattern of repeated entries every 90 days or less. The computer is probably set to expose such behavior.
Its Costa Rica! What happens today may not happen tomorrow…. its one big inconsistency. So spin the wheel. Where she stops nobody knows!
January 18, 2012 at 5:43 pm #201666camby
Member[quote=”2bncr”]The Gringo way, Stress and worry about all the little rules and follw then very cafefully and never do anything to upset the big bad goverment…
Ticos actually most Ticoa dislike this very much because it grows government. However Gringos seem to like to grow goverment. [/quote]
That is problem, most Gringos set on Govt=savior and tend to stress out, a lot……ruins other cultures if one does not learn to chill…..hence, the “lazy gringo” post….As my tempermant is Phlegmatic, I am more laid back (and no not “racist”, which I guess means anything these days hat angers someone else-there we go, stressin’ :lol:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Temperaments
http://fisheaters.com/quizp.htmlLikely, like our Canadian poster, I would likely stress the first time or tow I enterend CR, then would get used to things and relax. Sounds like she/he is having good time…sory to hear about the family difficulties and challenges, though.
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