Category: Costa Rica Residency

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Is Resident Registration of home address necessary in Costa Rica?

A participant in Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica Tour asked me if Resident Registration of home address necessary in Costa Rica. Chris and I looked at each other, both thinking the same thing: great question! It’s really something I never thought about because home addresses are so messy here. It’s so bad, that if…

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Is the landlord now responsible for his illegal tenants in Costa Rica?

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The landlord is now responsible for making sure the tenant is in the country legally. I don’t know how the Costa Rican government will be able to make this hard, but here it goes! A new article of the immigration law in Costa Rica obliges hotels, bed & breakfast and…

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Costa Rica customs controls on foreigners overstaying their tourist visa

Living in Costa Rica on your tourist visa? The Costa Rican government has been working hard. Between Costa Rica Immigration Services and the CCSS, the Costa Rican government has been trying to control the flow of illegal Nicaraguans into the country because so many of them work illegally. Many employers who hire them don’t register…

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I have my Michigan real estate license, is it valid for Costa Rica?

I have my real estate license in Michigan, so I know what I’m doing”. I’m sorry but you don’t, at least not in Costa Rica. The US doesn’t have a nationwide real estate license either. Costa Rica is another country with a different language and very different rules than the US. Real estate licensing is…

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Can a non-resident or perpetual tourist renew a driver’s license now?

Is it easy to renew a driver’s license if you don’t have legal residency in Costa Rica? In the past, just about anyone (residents and non-residents alike) could get a driver’s license in Costa Rica. Once it expired, it was easy to get a renewal. But, last year, everything changed. The government announced that new…

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Getting a Canadian Authenticated Marriage Certificate

Ever tried to get an authenticated marriage certificate from your home country? Well, I had to, and here is the story. Last week, I told you about the renovation of my Caja carnet in Costa Rica and the need for delivering an authenticated marriage certificate from my home country, Canada. I have found a way of obtaining…

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Buy a property in Costa Rica and get your Costa Rica residency

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Obtain Costa Rica residency through your real estate purchase. You can buy a property anywhere in Costa Rica, live in it, and use the purchase as an investment to apply for your Costa Rica residency. In January of 2011, the government published the proposed regulation to the Immigration law and…

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Costa Rica Residency Transitory Immigration Measures could benefit you

Are you a perpetual tourist but planning on formal immigration to Costa Rica? Expats in Costa Rica seeking to regularize their migratory condition should take the opportunity the Costa Rican Government is currently offering, for a limited time only. The Costa Rica Immigration Department based on four transitory articles included in the latest Bylaws to the…

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Costa Rica Residency and Mandatory Registration with Social Security

Did you know that resident expats have a mandatory registration with Social Security? When you move to Costa Rica, legal residency should be on the top of your list and this article can be of great help to your immigration due diligence. Any foreign resident in Costa Rica that wants to obtain or renew their…

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