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Can some american give me some insight about living there. i know I need a passport to get there but can I establish residence there and is it expensive or hard??
Just looking for a friend to give me some good info about the place. I am a disabled veteran and meet the income requirements.
Hope someone can help me here..
Thank youFloyd Smith
Floyd
There are different ways to become a resident in Costa Rica, and I assume as you are a vet, then you would probably become a “pensionado” ie, a person with a retirement income. Currently this amount is $600, however in 6 months time it will be $1000 per month. This has to be guarateed and certified. There are lots of other things that need to be done other than getting a passport, but I would say that you need to visit Costa Rica first to see if you can adjust to the lifestyle, heat, rain, food and general way of life.
There are many different areas of Costa Rica, suitable for different things dependant on needs… How hard it will be will depend on what you want from it and whether it can fulfill those needs.So,to sum up, read lots of info available here and lots of other places, travel to Costa Rica and discover it yourself, find an area you like and then look for your options…
Hope this helps a little, Pura Vida
Brian
Well I draw like $998 a month now so will that be a huge issue? I draw Social Security Disability now and am in process of getting VA pension. i would want to live in the city and would it be possible for me to get a little job to make up the $2..lol
Are you american bro?? By city I mean San Jose as I am a sports betting enthusiast..lol.Actually no I’m a British born naturalized Canadian…who’s going to retire in Costa Rica… Once you have your VA Pension, you’ll qualify under the new rules…and no you can’t work not even for $2…
Floyd,
Like yourself, I am also a disabled vet and plan on retiring to Costa Rica. I’m not sure if I can indicate a great book, I have purchased about retirement in Costa Rica, on this site. Well here goes, Christopher Howard, “The new golden door to retirement and living in Costa Rica. The information in this book is priceless. It also contains information on disabled vets and VA reimbursed medical care in Costa Rica.
Floyd, I strongly suggest that you set the “Display Settings” under “Control Panel” at the top right of this page to “Headings Only”. Then go through them and read everything under each heading that might relate to the move you envision. There are a number of books available about moving or living in Costa Rica but I’ve not been satisfied with any of them.
Join the Association of Residents of Costa Rica and attend their two-day seminar which is held each month, I believe.
If you have not been to Costa Rica before, then take the advice above to heart. Come spend some time here. If you’re convinced that you want to live in an urban area, then the San Jose area is where you’ll want to concentrate. Like many (most) other metropoli, it’s a mess. Be sure that this is what you really want.
To legally stay in Costa Rica long term, you really should become a legal resident rather than relying upon renewing a tourist visa every ninety days. Renewing that visa requires a 72 hour absence from the country before you can return, and there has been some talk about limiting tourist visas to two per person per year. The new immigration law provides for a dedicated police force to enforce the immigration law. Those police officers will be looking for something to do to justify their existence. Clamping down on illegitimate tourist visas would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
U.S. citizens who become legal residents of Costa Rica do not lose their U.S. citizenship and they continue to travel on a U.S. passport. Likewise, U.S. citizens living anywhere in the world are liable for U.S. income taxes just as if they lived in the States.
Somebody else can elaborate on Tri-Care in Costa Rica, but Medicare does not pay for any medical care rendered outside the U.S.
If you are to move here, you need to know that it’ll cost more than just planefare. It will be easiest if you retain a knowledgeable attorney to handle getting your residency. You will be required to join the CAJA, the national health system and pay 13% of your income for the privilege. And there will be other expenses.
David,
What have you not been satisfied with in terms of the books about moving and living in Costa Rica? Was the information outdated or nonfactual? I rely on this website and books for my Costa Rica relocation research.
Seems like this is more expensive and involved than what I had thought. Are any of you making under the $1000 threshold and if so what are you going to do or will you just be grandfathered in??
I just have a feeling that Obama is going to ruin america for good, we will never get out of this debt and the Amercia as we know and knew is nit going to exist anymore so that is why I am out here looking.Soldier, some of the information is simply outdated. Other of it reflects only the experiences of a single observer which may or may not be reflective of what everyone else experiences.
For instance, I have read that you cannot find a competent auto mechanic anyplace in Costa Rica. My experience has been just the opposite. I’ve also read extensively that north Americans pay twice what Costa Ricans pay for everything. Again, that’s not been my experience. And I’ve read that Costa Ricans basically hate us and are only interested in our money. My Spanish isn’t good enough to contradict that, but my experience has been that if you accept whomever you’re dealing with (Costa Ricans, Americans, Chinese) as they are and always remain respectful, you’re not likely to suffer very much. Some of the books seem to be overtly zenophobic about the natives of this country.
And then there are legal matters. Even Roger Peterson’s excellent _Legal Guide to Costa Rica_, which everyone should own, is out of date with the signing of the new immigration law and the soon-to-be-effective updated traffic code and perhaps otherwise, as well.
Point is, you need to both experience things for yourself and also consult with folks who are currently playing in the game. That’s why folks who know will tell you that you have to get a feel for this place, feet on the ground, to see if it’s for you and also why you need to have a forum like this one where you can discuss substantive issues.
teaser43, the current income requirement for “pensionado” residency status is that you be able to prove a reliable income of $600US or more each month. Under the new law, just signed, that income requirement will increase to $1,000US but only for new applicants. That is, those who already have their residency and those who apply soon will only be held to the $600US requirement. (And remember that these amounts apply to the residency application of a married couple, not an individual.)
None of this is to suggest that one can live comfortably for the amounts cited unless one is very, very frugal, indeed.
There are other documentation requirements that we’ve not discussed.
The new law also mandates that all residents enroll in the CAJA, the national health care system, regardless of whether they also have coverage under another plan, such as TriCare. The cost to be enrolled in the CAJA is 13% of your income, so that’ll come off the top of whatever your pension is. It will be to your advantage, therefore, to only demonstrate to Immigration the minimum income needed to qualify for residency.
Those who qualify for residency as “pensionados” or “rentistas” may not compete with a Costa Rican for work. After three years in one of these temporary residency statuses, you may apply for permanent residency. When that is granted, you may work legally. But be advised that Costa Rican wages are ridiculously low and the unemployment rate is chronically rather high, so finding work once it’s legal won’t be automatic.
David
So, If I understand you correctly, if my pension is actually, say $2200 per month, I really only want to show proof of $1000 so that I only pay $130 instead of $286 if I declare all of my pension… hmm wonder what I’ll do?
Thanks
BrianDavid,
Can you tell me where you’re getting this 13% of income requirement for CAJA? It would seem that folks with larger pensions and incomes will be hit rather hard. And does this apply to folks that have their residency already that will now have to enroll in CAJA… and how about folks that are living or apply under the rentista status? How are they enrolled in CAJA and how much must they pay? I’m thinking $780 per month is a bit high for medical benefits in Costa Rica… and would the 13% cover both a husband and wife?
Edited on Aug 21, 2009 22:13
Brian, there is no advantage to you demonstrating income of more than $1,000 to Immigration, if you’re applying for pensionado status. The problem, of course, is that your proof of income must be a legitimate document such as a Social Security award letter or somesuch. So if your (say) Social Security benefit is (say) $1,200 per month, you have no way of showing Immigration just $1,000 of that. As I understand it, you’ll be paying 13% of that $1,200 or whatever the amount is. There is no benefit, however, to showing (say) your wife’s Social Security income, your pension, etc.
Imx, I’m getting this information from the staff at the Association of Residents of Costa Rica and also from our attorney who specializes in residency matters and is pretty well informed. He, the attorney, has advised just documenting the lowest income source that will qualify you for residency.
Costa Rican employees (or maybe it’s their employers, I’m not sure) pay a flat rate of 13% of the employees’ incomes to the CAJA. It’s a legal requirement not wholly unlike the Medicare tax that U.S. employers and employees (right??) pay. It is my understanding, again, from ARCR and our attorney, that the requirement to enroll in the CAJA will be imposed upon all legal residents.
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