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Was that Nokia a 3G or a 2G phone? Did you have to have residency or a corporation to get it? If you got a 3G phone for $110, that would be amazing.
It’s not as simple as that. You can also get a simm card if you have a corporation – then you would get the phone service in the name of the corporation.
You can’t use just any unlocked phone. It depends on where in Costa Rica you will be using the phone. If you will be outside a major town or city, you are likely to need a 3G phone.
It must be compatible with the ICE wavelength which is 850. US unlocked phones with this wavelength are also compatible with AT&T and Sprint.
Verizon unlocked phones will not work. Global 3G phones also will not work because they operate on a 2100 wavelength. An unlocked 3G phone with 850 wavelength from the US could cost as much as the same phone from Costa Rica.
However, the 3G phone purchased in Costa Rica may not be unlocked and therefore may possibly only be used in Costa Rica. We had a Nokia E71 3G unlocked phone(US version) for several years and we used it both when we were in Costa Rica with the simm from ICE and in the US as a prepaid GoPhone with a simm from AT&T.
We just swaped out the correct simm depending on where we were. That is until my husband laid it down and left it at the bank in Costa Rica and someone stole it. I miss it.
Now the price for the same unlocked phone is over $200 on Amazon which is too costly for us to replace.
Once the money has been deposited in the BCR account, the money is available immediately. There is no wait time for wire transfers as there is if you deposit a check or travelers checks.
That sounds like a great situation for both you and him. I am glad that he will qualify for residency as your dependent. So then the proof that he is your dependent will come from Social Security and that is what you will need.
You can leave and return the same day. You don’t have to be out of the country for 3 days as long as your visa has not expired. Many people go to Panama by bus, maybe do a little shopping and then return by bus. You can drive a car but cannot take the car into Panama unless you have proper paperwork (not worth the hassle. Maravilla is right in that you must be in Costa Rica at least 4 months (I think more specifically 120 days) out of the year to keep temporary residency active. But that is only after you have received your cedula (residency ID card). After 3 years, you can apply for permanent residency which might take another year or so to complete. Once you are a permanent resident, I don’t know if you are still required to be in the country for 4 months out of the year; maybe permanent residents could clarify that. I do know that you must be in Costa Rica for some amount of time every year and you must renew your permanent residency periodically (is that 5 years?).
Technically, you still have to leave every 90 days because you could theoretically be rejected for any number of reasons. However, immigration has not been enforcing that requirement after you have gotten your paperwork and number. Many people do not go out of the country every 90 days once their residency applications have been submitted and they have been given a number. So in essence, both answers are correct.
I think he would have to be considered your dependant. If you have some court or legal papers proving this, you could use those when you apply for residency. Otherwise, he would have to qualify under his own steam which would not be possible since a pension of $1000 per month is now required.
I think we would all be interested in knowing what this turned out to be when you find out what it is. You said before that mosquito born diseases were somehow ruled out – or did I read that wrong.
If I were you, I would definately be seen by a doctor. Your husband should have gotten over a virus in 3 weeks. Chances are it is something going around and the doctor has seen enough cases of it to know what it is. He is likely to have a cure or at least something to help relieve the symptoms until you both recover. No sense in suffering in silence when a doctor visit doesn’t cost that much. It doesn’t sound like anything real serious but then you never know unless you have it checked out.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]Can I come too? Never been here in October, but if you say it is nasty……[/quote]
Some people like the rain. It replenishes the lakes, rivers and underground aquifers so that everyone has water to last throught the dry season. “Nasty” is a matter of opinion. Most people call it the “green season”. And so it is – the trees are green and flowers bloom everywhere you look. Along with that, dirt gets muddy and sometimes there are landslides. October is a favorite month for whitewater rafting. It is the month when the rivers are the highest and the wildest. These diehard rafting enthusiasts deal with the rain.I don’t know of any specific places. However, I have been to Cahuita. If I should ever go again, I would go to Puerto Viejo. I have heard it is much nicer there including the beaches. But that has been about 6 years ago. There are plenty of ads online but I am sure there are many places for rent that you won’t see on the internet that might be less expensive and more flexible. Finding a place that will allow the dogs could present a problem. Ticos are not so pet friendly as we gringos are but if the dogs are well behaved, not too big and leashed, you might be able to convince some owners to accept them. After all, October would be considered the “off-season” and they might be happy for a rental. I think I would gather some info online and make some phone calls to see just what is available.
When we went to the Carribian coast 6 years ago, the road from Limon to Cahuita was in horrible shape. It had so many potholes that we couldn’t drive around them but had to go through most of them. I don’t know if that situation has changed or not but it is worth asking about. It was still doable, just slow.
Have you considered the Carribian coast? I think it rains less there because the rains are more spaced out over the whole year.
It would certainly be easy to spend much more than that amount per month but you should be able to live quite comfortably on $3000 per month. $1000 per month should get you a very nice furnished condo with lots of amenities in a wide choice of areas to live in. We live on much less than $1000 per month but then we have a farm and grow some of our own food. Lucky you to have such a generous income!
As costaricafinca pointed out, October is the height of the rainy season. It will be very difficult to get a good feel for any place if it is pouring rain all day long and that happens a lot in October. In 10 days, you will be very lucky to have even one dry day. If you like white water rafting, Costa Rica is a hoot at that time of the year.
