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Hi everyone,
Ok so I am considering moving to costa rica this time next year with my two boys who are 5 and 7 years old. I currently live in southern california. My concerns are the schools and the best place to live in. I will be taking a trip to costa rica in March for about two weeks. Is it a lot easier to rent apartments there?. I do eventually want to buy a house there. But i’m thinking renting is a good idea to begin with first. I have heard or actually read that private schools are high in academics there.Is that true? and isn’t it more expensive for a private school?
Any suggestions or ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated. I dont know anyone there at all so the idea of me being a single parent and moving to a foreign place with kids, is a scary thought for me. I am not afraid to move but concerned for my kids. I love the idea for them to be in a different culture because they are part hispanic,samoan and portuguese. Well my parents didn’t feel the need to teach me how to speak either of the languages so I couldnt teach that to my kids. And my kids father feels that he doesnt need to teach my boys spanish which again is very upsetting to me. So I know they will benefit a lot there.
Well please feel free to give me your opinions. Thank you so much. By the way I love this site.
That is a big step even for a married couple let alone a single mother. I have prop. there and we live visiting, you must consider the citizenship and what it requires to become one. I suggest you visit a couple of diffrent areas to get a feel of what you want for you and your children. The faster they learn spanish the better off they will be but as we know kids are like sponges and learn quickly. You did not mention do you need to work, the laws are diffrent for non citizens as far as jobs. I would not go to San Jose unless you are in love with LA.
LA meaning Latin America or Los Angeles?
Search for “rentista” and “pensionista” on this web site and you will get a good indication of what it takes to live here legally. You cannot work here legally unless you have residency, which comes after you have satisfied “pensionista” or “rentista” requirements. You would need to prove $1,000/month income for yourself + $500/month for each child or deposit $60,000 for yourself and $30,000 for each child in a CR bank Account and withdraw the monthly amount for 5 years to satisfy “rentista”. There is an application process involved with several requirements. It is always best to consult an attorney and Scott has a good list of recommended ones.
Thank you for your suggestions and advice. I do plan on working there. I plan on getting a real estate license there so yeah I will be getting a permanent residence there. I would feel uncomfortable if I didnt. I do plan on as well open up a business there as well so when i do go i will look into what would be a good business to open there..Any suggestions would be great. I have a few ideas but I would have to see when I get there in March.
I love california period i’m not “in love” with Los Angeles. I lived in Manhattan Beach the most part of my life but now live in Hawthorne. Anyways i will be buying that book to get familiar with the laws and what not.
Thank you again.
There’s a little misinformation in the preceding responses.
Rentistas and pensionados are not permitted to work in Costa Rica. The only foreign workers who can work here legally are those who have a skill which is not available in the local labor market. And then they must first obtain a work permit which is a process that can easily take a year or longer.
Once you have a work permit, you will almost certainly be working for Costa Rican minimum wages which are set by occupation. Many, many people here work for less than the equivalent of $3.00US per hour. The cost of living is less, of course, but with three mouths to feed $3.00 won’t go too, too far.
There is no licensure of real estate agents in Costa Rica. Anyone can sell real estate and there is no shortage of Costa Ricans in the market. So getting a work permit to sell real estate seems unlikely.
One option would be to invest in a business, but you could not directly work in it. That is, if you get the necessary licenses and permits, you could open a bed and breakfast, for example, but you could not cook, clean, etc. You could only legally supervise the work of a Costa Rican staff.
Your desire to relocate to Costa Rica is an admirable one but it is not without its pitfalls. Take the time to investigate all the legal ramifications very carefully before you make a commitment.
THE POSITION OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE FOUNDER OF THIS WEBSITE SCOTT OLIVER IS THAT AS GUESTS IN THIS COUNTRY WE SHOULD ABIDE BY ALL COSTA RICA’S LAWS, IMMIGRATION AND EVERY OTHER LAW.
“If” you are working here illegally, all it takes is one telephone call to immigration and you could be escorted by immigration officials to the airport for a flight home.
Jealous competitors have made those telephone calls about me and made an number of other false and outrageous allegations and I have been visited by immigration police as well as other law enforcement officers… Thankfully I am a legal, permanent resident and allowed to work here.
It does happen and it’s going to happen more frequently in the future so for your sake and the sake of your young children – PLEASE do your homework and work here ONLY if you are legally allowed to do so …
And let’s please be realistic here, making a good living as a real estate sales person is NOT easy especially if you also wish to spend quality time with two very young children.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comPS. As a matter of interest, are the same people who are encouraging someone to work in Costa Rica illegally OK with the idea that thousands of people cross the US border to work illegally there?
I never stated that rentista or pensionista status would allow you to work in CR and if I inferred such I profusely aplogize. You MUST be a resident to legally work in CR, which has to be applied for after you serve yout time as a pensionista or rentista. The law is quite clear in that respect.
I think it is very brave of you to make this move on your own with two small children!
I would try to find other parents in the area you want to move to so you have a support network.I don’t know what skills and interests you have, but maybe doing work over the internet for a company in US or elsewhere would be a way of making money for the 2-3 years it takes to get permanent residency. As long as the income comes from abroad it is legal to work. Or start a business down there that you would have to hire Costa Ricans to work in.
Good Luck! Hope the father is on board with the move so you don’t get custody troubles by taking the children out of the country.
Scott, technically you may be correct about obtaining a work permit if you’re married to a Costa Rican citizen, but it’s not a slam dunk. We have friends in exactly that situation who have been wrestling with the combination of residency for him (a Canadian married to a Costa Rican and with a child) and a work permit for at least a couple of years.
What’s more, the author of this thread is a single parent, so while being married to a Costa Rican may facilitate the work permit, she’s not (yet, at least) in that situation.
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