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Hi there, David & Alicia again… We have scheduled our visit for September. Once that trip is completed we expect to begin the process of retiring there and I am interested in the opinions of those who have successfully applied for Pensionado status. Of all the papers, processes, etc. that will be required of me, what would you recommend getting an early start on? Say six months to a year ahead of actually moving to CR.
I realize that no two applications are identical and there will be various delays, misunderstandings etc. but there are probably a few universal things I can do to avoid some of these by starting well in advance of the move.
Your thoughts on this are greatly appreciated!
D&A
Olympia, WADavid and Alicia…..good luck with the move. I am sure that you can find more than you can possibly use on this web site if you do a search. This topic has been covered many many times…although new ideas are good ALL of the basics and more are already here for you viewing….good luck again
Terry From TexasDavid, each of you will need a birth certificate issued by the state in which you were born. Assuming you get married, you will need a marriage certificate issued by the state in which you were married. Those documents must be authenticated by the Office of the Great Seal (typically housed in the Secretary of State Department) IN THE STATE WHICH ISSUED THEM. That is, if you were born in (say) Michigan, you must have the Michigan Office of the Great Seal authenticate your Michigan birth certificate. It doesn’t matter where you live now.
You must also provide authentic proof of your retirement income which must be guaranteed for life. If this is a military pension, then you’ll probably have to get the Veterans’ Administration to issue and authenticate it. If you’re not married, then the lady will have to provide her own proof of a guaranteed lifelong income or qualify on some other basis.
Once the Offices of the Great Seal have done their stuff, your documents must be additionally authenticated by the Costa Rican Consulate which serves the state which issued them. Again, if you have a Michigan birth certificate, the Consulate in Chicago must authenticate it. If you’re married in (say) New York, then the New York Consulate must authenticate the marriage certificate. Etc.
Birth certificates, marriage certificates and proofs of guaranteed income, once fully authenticated, will not expire, so you might as well start pulling them together now. It’ll take a while.
You will also have to provide a CURRENT law enforcement agency record check. That requirement seems to change from time to time, so it’s enough for now to know it’ll be needed.
You will also have to be fingerprinted in Costa Rica to facilitate an Interpol record check. And you will have to provide exactly the right size, type and number of photographs.
Some have gone this alone, but I would suggest that you’ll do yourselves a favor if you engage a knowledgeable, experienced residency attorney to guide you through the process. It’s worth the money. If you want a reference, just ask.
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