Becoming A Residence, Qualification

[kirk]

I hate to say it but I received a DUI in Feb. 05. Of course this is an arrest on my record. Is this an action which could disqualify my request for residency. I planned on moving to Costa Rica within a year or two as a pensionere.  Any information on this or web site I could go to for guidelines concerning this matter?

[Russ]

Hi Kirk,

Welcome to the forum.  This is an interesting question. In my opinion a DUI on your record wouldn't necessarily stall your application.  If you meet all of the other requirements then immigration would probably consider it a black mark but not something that would rule out your residency.  I base this on the my impression that DUI is not as much of a crime here as it is in the US.  You definitely see more concern about the problem from authorities as compared to 5 or 10 years ago, but not to the level that I remember from the US.  

In other words I don't think they are looking for a spotless record, they just don't want to see multiple arrests, or serious crimes.  Of course you have to consult with an attorney in all cases to guide you through the process.  All of the realtors have attorneys that they work with and recommend to clients buying property here.  Once you decide what area you would like and start looking at specific properties they will put you in touch with one.

Meanwhile, I found some documents on the immigration web site that you may find useful.  The document index is here and the documents are in Word format (some English and some Spanish):

 Costa Rica Immigration documents

Also I am attaching the Costa Rica Residency Brochure, (PDF format) or download it directly from the site here:
Costa Rica Residency brochure - Immigration