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Hello all,
This is my first time posting. We are planning to live in Ojochal upon our retirement in a year or two.Does anyone have the skinny on the ins and outs of making the 90 day border run to Panama from the southern area?
I am assuming there is a costanera bus that goes to/past the border (at La Cuesta?) any advice would be very much appreciated. Still doing my due diligence.
Thank you. Ps- I speak fluent Spanish so no language barrier.
The crossing into Panama will require showing that each of you have $500 cash in your pocket or a bank print out of your account and a return ticket to your [u]home[/u] country. Returning to the CR side, they are requesting to see $300 and a ticket out of CR. If you do not stay out the ‘required 72 hours’, your visa stamp may only be for 30 days instead of the hoped for 90 days.
BTW at first ‘perpetual tourists’ were showing ‘copies’ of printed itineraries of tickets they hadn’t really purchased, but the border officials are aware of this and are contacting the airlines.
[u]It has been reported,[/u] there is a new facility at Paso Canoas open 24/7 that is now confiscating all liquor and food purchases that have not had duty paid on them or if you haven’t stayed out the 72 hours to have duty free privileges. This has been commonly done by both legal residents and Costa Rican citizens, alike, who go shopping for much less expensive food items.
It is now much more involved that a quick trip across for lunch.
Until you have a [i]cedula[/i] in hand you must continue to do this if you wish to continue driving using your home driving license, even though you may have the [i]comprobante[/i] saying that you are not required to leave Costa Rica, so expect to have to do this trip many times…:cry:
Doing this by the public bus, will only add many more hours to the trip.Thank you! Yikes! That was quite a bit more convoluted than I had imagined, I certainly appreciate that info.
This site teaches me something new every day!Why do long-term residents (retirees etc.) decide to make those border crossings every 90 days rather than becoming permanent residents? What are the advantages/disadvantages of those 2 options?
Since it is now mandatory to join CAJA, when applying for residency, some object or simply can’t afford the new higher monthly fees if the are under 55….especially when they have no intention of using CAJA, preferring to use the much better private sector.
Many are not of retirement age so don’t have a ‘guaranteed for life’ pension nor the required funds for [i]Rentista[/i] status.
And, [i]I would presume[/i], there are those who do not want to divulge their personal information…
Lastly, some don’t intend to stay for the long term.Personally, it is my impression that during this [i]’in limbo'[/i] time that ‘potential residents’ may have to do this for, possibly 18+ months, while waiting for their resolution/cedula and to re-set their drivers license, they change their mind and either return home or go ‘elsewhere’.
Would we apply for Rentista residency, now, with these changes now in place? No.
[quote=”costaricafinca”]Since it is now mandatory to join CAJA, when applying for residency, some object or simply can’t afford the new higher monthly fees if the are under 55….especially when they have no intention of using CAJA, preferring to use the much better private sector.
Many are not of retirement age so don’t have a ‘guaranteed for life’ pension nor the required funds for [i]Rentista[/i] status.
And, [i]I would presume[/i], there are those who do not want to divulge their personal information…
Lastly, some don’t intend to stay for the long term.Personally, it is my impression that during this [i]’in limbo'[/i] time that ‘potential residents’ may have to do this for, possibly 18+ months, while waiting for their resolution/cedula and to re-set their drivers license, they change their mind and either return home or go ‘elsewhere’.
Would we apply for Rentista residency, now, with these changes now in place? No.
[/quote]
Thx. Makes sense. If you’re 60+ what is the cost for CAJA now? I thought I read somewhere $100+ but not certain. If so seems like a waste especially if no intention of using it. Maybe I’m wrong but seems like Panama is looking more and more like a better option to settle down in vs. CR.
[quote=”bogino”][quote=”costaricafinca”]Since it is now mandatory to join CAJA, when applying for residency, some object or simply can’t afford the new higher monthly fees if the are under 55….especially when they have no intention of using CAJA, preferring to use the much better private sector.
Many are not of retirement age so don’t have a ‘guaranteed for life’ pension nor the required funds for [i]Rentista[/i] status.
And, [i]I would presume[/i], there are those who do not want to divulge their personal information…
Lastly, some don’t intend to stay for the long term.Personally, it is my impression that during this [i]’in limbo'[/i] time that ‘potential residents’ may have to do this for, possibly 18+ months, while waiting for their resolution/cedula and to re-set their drivers license, they change their mind and either return home or go ‘elsewhere’.
Would we apply for Rentista residency, now, with these changes now in place? No.
[/quote]
Thx. Makes sense. If you’re 60+ what is the cost for CAJA now? I thought I read somewhere $100+ but not certain. If so seems like a waste especially if no intention of using it. Maybe I’m wrong but seems like Panama is looking more and more like a better option to settle down in vs. CR.[/quote]
The problem with residency now is mandatory CAJA enrollment… because as we ALL know… once government gets their hand in your pocket…. it only goes deeper and that which they remove becomes more painful! Like all governments the folks in CR are looking for added revenue streams to pay for promises made… “rich” expats that can’t vote and will get very little sympathy from the local population when they get milked are easy targets!
All these moves are the tiny steps we look at without seeing the endgame. When they changed the rules (required CAJA enrollment) a few years back most people didn’t flowchart it out and foresee the large CAJA increases that Expats would get hit with. But now they do… and next (in my opinion) you will see a required declaration of TOTAL income for residency (current CAJA members and future applicants)… not just (the minimum) that which you declared to be eligible to process your residency application under your desired status. The FATCA/OECD agreements will be a two way street… so when CR needs to TAX your total income for your CAJA payments…. it will be an easy process since Uncle Sam will be required to provide them (CR) with your financial information. And with FATCA even your assets (bank account balances)… not just your current income now come into play and are on the radar! It’s getting scary folks!
I already have 4 governments picking my pocket why add another. Staying off the radar and avoiding giving up too much personal information works for me! I don’t intend to go the PT route but will limit my stays in Costa Rica to that of a tourist and then jump elsewhere for a month or two before returning. I’ll happily play tourist in my loud flowered shirt for the several months I stay in CR per year enjoying my home.
Those contemplating or going the PT route will see that method slowly closed. What then?
Bogino, at [u]this present time[/u] it is under $100 for a Pensionado over 55, who declares a pension of $1000 PM for Residency purposes but if over that amount, they [i]will[/i] pay more.
An Investor who uses either a business or even worse, a house valued at $200K+, is required to pay approx. $680!!!!
These rates are the ones in effect right now, so for a new or future applicant that may have to wait 18-24 months for their [i]cedula[/i], who knows what will their fee will be.
What confuses the issue is when a Residents blog or website promote what [u]they[/u] personally pay for their affiliation with CAJA and it could be $30-50 PM, so the reader may expect their payment to be the same.
It is possible that if you apply direct with CAJA you [u]may[/u] be able to initiate a lower rate.
CAJA is good to have in an emergency situation…and to cover the cost of most prescriptions.
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