Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Perpetual Tourists Can Stay 1 year
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March 2, 2010 at 12:00 am #159328grb1063Member
Tourists can stay for one year without leaving, Zamora says
Under the new immigration law, tourists will be able to stay in Costa Rica for a full year without having to leave the country. Instead, they will be able to renew their tourist visa three times here for additional 90-day stays, according to Mario Zamora, the immigration director.
Each renewal will cost $100, he noted. After three renewals, the tourist will have to leave Costa Rica, although they could quickly return with a new tourism visa, he said.
Zamora also said that he was in error when he told a reporter that rules would be changing for the so-called perpetual tourists. A.M. Costa Rica reported the incorrect information Feb. 19 and attributed it to Zamora.
Friday Zamora blamed himself for saying that tourists would not be able to go to the same country twice to renew
their visa and that after two trips to renew a visa a tourist
will have to stay out of Costa Rica for a minimum of 15 days. He gave no explanation for why he made the error, but suggested that he may not be totally familiar with the new immigration law.The news report generates some concern among Costa Rica’s perpetual tourist population.
Zamora also said in an interview Friday that the regulations for the new immigration law should be ready to publish in 15 days. However, he said the law, which went into effect Monday, was written in detail and that the regulations are not extensive.
He noted that the prior immigration law operated for nearly four years without regulations being published. The new immigration law only says that tourists can renew their visas by paying $100. Not in the law is the limit on renewing the visa just three times. Presumably that will be contained in the regulations, but Zamora did not say this.
March 3, 2010 at 4:12 pm #159329pranaspakeywestMemberWhat do you think will be the best way to find out where we can renew our tourist visa for the additional 90 day periods for the $100?
Does this need to be done in San Jose? Or is there a way to do this without going into the city?
Thanks.March 3, 2010 at 4:34 pm #159330jdocopMemberpost removed due to risk of offending forum members.
March 3, 2010 at 7:55 pm #159331pranaspakeywestMemberAnybody know where I might find “the folks at immigration”
Thanks.March 3, 2010 at 8:23 pm #159332jdocopMemberpost removed due to risk of offending forum members.
March 3, 2010 at 11:24 pm #159333pranaspakeywestMemberNo , I’m sorry. I wasn’t kidding.
I was just hoping to get a bit of info.
I won’t trouble you again.March 3, 2010 at 11:38 pm #159334tpbMember[quote=”jdocop”]you’re kidding, right? How about starting with Google, then look for something like this:
http://www.migracion.go.cr/
or, maybe: blog.therealcostarica.com/…/the-new-costa-rica-immigration-law/[/quote]Hey jd, why don’t lighten up with your constant criticism. You really are not being much of a help to anyone.
March 5, 2010 at 8:30 pm #159335costaricafincaParticipantI have copied this from a post on the [url=http://www.arcr.net/]ARCR[/url] website:
[b]”Please be aware that we are now 99% certain that the extension DOES NOT APPLY to those who by citizenship receive a 90 day visa. The Tourism extension is only available to those with LESS than 90 day visas. This can also now be independently collaborated in the Tico Times (March 5th) who discovered this week that the previous information they had received was incorrect.”[/b]This makes more sense…in a weird way.
March 5, 2010 at 9:49 pm #159336AndrewKeymasterThank you CostaRicaFinca
As usual the initial official story was as clear as mud – Ha!
“Claro como lodo!“
March 5, 2010 at 10:17 pm #159337VmcMember[quote=”Scott”]Thank you CostaRicaFinca
As usual the initial official story was as clear as mud – Ha!
“Claro como lodo!“[/quote]
Same thing…..Only different.
March 6, 2010 at 1:23 am #159338DavidCMurrayParticipant[quote=”costaricafinca”]I have copied this from a post on the [url=http://www.arcr.net/]ARCR[/url] website:
[b]”Please be aware that we are now 99% certain that the extension DOES NOT APPLY to those who by citizenship receive a 90 day visa. The Tourism extension is only available to those with LESS than 90 day visas. This can also now be independently collaborated in the Tico Times (March 5th) who discovered this week that the previous information they had received was incorrect.”[/b]This makes more sense…in a weird way.[/quote]
Does anybody think they understand what this quote from ARCR actually means — in English?
“…the extension DOES NOT APPLY to those who by citizenship receive a 90 day visa” sounds like it means that, if you are visiting CR from a country whose citizens are typically granted 90 day visas, then you are not eligible for “the extension”. So the extension would not be available to (among others) Americans because they get ninety day visas automatically upon entry.
Likewise, “The Tourism extension is only available to those with LESS than 90 day visas.” sounds like it means that you can get an extension [u]only[/u] if your original visa was for less than ninety days which is not the typical visa granted to Americans.
Am I reading this correctly? Are American, Canadian, and other citizens who are automatically granted ninety day visas are not eligible for the extension?
March 6, 2010 at 1:16 pm #159339jreevesMemberDavid,
From what I have read in multiple posts on the ARCR forum from Ryan Piercy, you are correct in your reading. ARCR’s interpretation right now is that the 90-day extension WILL NOT apply to anyone who already receives a 90-day visa. If this ends up being true, I am not sure anyone knows what the protocol will be for perpetual tourists with a 90-day visa already in hand.
Jessica (thankfully a rentista & not having to worry about this mess!)
March 6, 2010 at 1:33 pm #159340costaricafincaParticipantThis was why [i]I said it made sense …in a weird way![/i]
[b]If[/b][i][/i] a [i]$100 renewal fee[/i] was made available to the ’90 day visa holders’ why [i]bother[/i] to apply for residency? One could stay for a year, go back ‘home for a visit’ then start it all over again and this will totally defeat the objective for getting people to apply for residency and not be a perpetual tourist.
Jessica, I am definitely [i]’with you'[/i] in being glad [i]not to be part of this.[/i]March 6, 2010 at 2:54 pm #159341kimballMemberWho gets less than 90 day visa ?
March 6, 2010 at 2:59 pm #159342jreevesMemberhttp://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/visa/country-selection.htm
Many can only stay a maximum of 30 days, depending on the country of origin. The link above will let you choose a country to see the maximum length of stay.
Jessica
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