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LEAVE YOUR BAGGAGE AT HOME. Everything in there is only a version of your frustrations from whence you came.
In total agreement here. Remember, WHEREVER you go, you take your baggage with you, as I suspect Mr. Negative has. I have been here some 14 years now, and my best advise… toss ALL your old baggage, buy yourself a couple of t-shirts, some lightweight shorts and a pair of good sandals THEN come on down to change and enjoy your life. If where you are is better than here, STAY THERE.
Thanks for your response. I would think the main advantage to returning with the CR passport would be a quicker passage (shorterline) through immigration. Actually, I can not think of another reason to need a CR passport. Is there any other reason to justify the hassel of obtaining one?
Yes, I understand all the rules to apply, etc. but what I am looking for is pros or cons about remaining a resident verses becoming a citizen.
All said, have you checked on container homes? You can buy several and combine them many ways, then roof over the assembly. Three 8×20 containers male a nice sq footage. Cost about $3,000 each, plus delivery (cost depends on location).Finish it out to your tastes.
Now, correct me if I am wrong (as I am sure someone will), but the US passport is NOT for entry to any foreign country. Any country can allow or disallow entry to anyone for whatever reason, passport or not. Except that a passport (valid of course) bearing US citizen cannot be refused reentry. The passports purpose is to validate your right to enter as a US citizen. The older passports even had a statement saying it was not for ID, but for US entry only. My answer to this post is to obtain CR citizenship, which I initiated some time ago… before the “crisis” OR any banking BS.
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”guru”]It would not bother me to be called a Tico but I doubt that I could live long enough to pass for a native Costa Rican.[/quote]
Could not haver been said better.[/quote]
Deep inside we are all somebody and it doesn’t matter who you wanna be.
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”costaricabill”] Unfortunately, under the current traffic law you must have residency to apply for and receive a CR drivers license.[/quote]
They change the laws more frequently than they do their underwear.[/quote]
Underwear??? who wears UNDERWEAR???
[quote=”jmartinson3730″]My tica wife and I are hoping to move to Costa Rica in 2014 (Probably to Perez Zeledon).
Please share your experiences, difficulties, suggestions on moving bank accounts from the U. S. to C.R.
I don’t know if our bank here could send the money directly to a bank in Costa Rica. Thanks for your help.[/quote]
I let SS put my $$$ in the bank, then use my Visa debit card to get money needed from the ATM here. Minimal transfer fee, but it works for me. I can onlt get $1000 on any given day, but can go every day if I like until I am saturated. The daily limit varies by bank, nboth in the States and here
[quote=”imxploring”][quote=”sweikert925″]It seems to me that even at 13% of your retirement check, the ability to join CAJA is a fantastic bargain. The care by all accounts is excellent and it covers everything. The availability of joining the Costa Rican healthcare system is one of the major reasons I have decided to move to CR. My only fear is that they will remove the ability for expats to join it entirely in the coming years.
For those who paid into Medicare for 40 or 50 years and then leave the US just as you reach the age when you can start benefiting from it is certainly a bit galling, but remember that Medicare doesn’t cover all your costs – which is why the healthcare insurance company I work for makes a tidy profit selling Medicare Advantage policies to the over 65 market.
It needs to be pointed out that for Costa Ricans the cost of participating in CAJA is nearly 36% – 9% deducted from their paychecks and another 27% paid by their employers. I wonder what they would feel about gringos griping about paying only about 1/3 of that on their much larger incomes and still have full benefits almost as soon as they take up residence in CR.
Imagine what Americans would say if the US government offered Costa Rican retirees taking up residence in the US full benefits from Medicare for less than what they were required to pay into it their whole lives.[/quote]
Good points but there are a few issues you need to consider. First off many retirees with sizable retirement income will be forced into a public healthcare program in CR that will cost more and provide less than if they took that same monthly charge and purchased private coverage or went on a pay as you go basis for medical care. The argument that insurance is for the “just in case” major expense of catastrophic illness really doesn’t fit here since, as good as the medical in CR CAN be… it’s not always nor is it anywhere near that provided in the US. Most US expats when confronted with a serious condition such as cancer will return to the US for care.
If you recall recent history we’ve had some of the wealthiest and important people in the world (none US citizens) come to the US for treatment of serious conditions.
So what CR has in effect is a “stop loss” when it comes to the medical care provided to expats forced into CAJA. Sure they’ll be providing basic medical care and maintenance, they’re quite good at that and the cost is minimal as anyone that has needed such care and paid cash can confirm. However, when more serious treatment is required where the availabilty and cost become a concern, expats will return to the US thus relieving CR of the obligation or cost of such care. Not a bad deal for CR…. not so much for those forced into CAJA and made to pay more in a short period than many Ticos have in a lifetime.
The cost and level of care for a retiree getting a sizable pension is therefore not very reasonable when being FORCED into a plan as a requirement of obtaining residency in CR. The issue of also being forced into a plan in the US should one not meet the exemptions for remaining outside the US make it a double edged sword.
I’m still awaiting a clear confirmed answer on how the other two methods of obtaining residency are billed for their participation in CAJA.[/quote]
I have a matrimonial residencia, and CAJA charges me an “Estranjero”s fine” of 18.000 colons a month, out side of my 15.000 colon fee
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”costaricabill”]
Now that is truly an interesting statement! “I have regularly been insulted by posters……”
Honestly, why do you feel that people are insulting you?
[/quote]I’ve already expounded at length on that topic – in fact, in a reply addressed to you. So I don’t think I need to repeat myself.
However there were 2 recent examples of that committed by you. On the topic of the canal being proposed for Nicaragua, I suggested that the Sandinistas may lose power again someday. That’s all. Imxploring and you both disagreed with that, but he could do so without suggesting I was ignorant about Central America and Nicaragua but you, apparently, couldn’t.
[On a side note, it’s never a good idea to argue that something can never happen. Never is a very long time. If the theoretical physicists are correct, the universe has an infinite number of possibilities, all of which will happen eventually. As a Chicago Cubs fan I find that idea more than usually appealing.]
On the topic of this thread, we were having a perfectly polite conversation about all kinds of subjects and none of my earlier comments were even addressed to you and yet you felt an overwhelming urge to point out how nice it was that I hadn’t posted anything for 9 days. Not only an insult but a totally gratuitous one. So in light of those facts you are much better qualified to answer your own question than I am.
[quote=”costaricabill”]
And even more interesting, are they really insulting you or do you simple perceive their comments to be insults simply because they may disagree with you? [/quote]You can’t dispute that imxploring and I get into some pretty strong disagreements but even he has conceded that he no longer feels the need to insult me when he does so. Even sprite manages to be civil even though he and I are VERY far apart politically.
What was particularly disappointing was that we had a pretty civil exchange recently about where I was planning to settle in CR so your insult earlier in this thread was particularly jarring.[/quote]
Just what WAS the topic here, anyhow???
As crhomebuilder says, Tico’s are some of the happiest people on earth…. Back “home”, the folks say “ignorance is bliss”. Hmmmmmm
I have been here 12 years, and have no thoughts what-so-ever as to moving back to the “world”.
After all, when was the last time someone took a rifle or pistol and started murdering passersby in Costa Rica???
When was the FIRST time?
I can remember at least half a dozen cases as such in the States. Too much frustration Me thinks
I have a Nucleo phone I paid 18000 colons for, and use prepaid. Not a good enough phone for internet(though the paperwork says it can… not a strong enough processor says ICE) Works fine for photos, recording, phone calls. Expandable memory up to 16G. More expensive model gets processor that is internet friendly. Get em at a local electronics store easily.
