The long-awaited Digital Nomad visa option: Last year, the government announced the Digital Nomad visa option for legally staying past the traditional 90-day visa in Costa Rica. While, in principle, a viable option for those seeking to live and work virtually in Costa Rica for 1 or 2 years without having to do onerous border runs, the program, as initially announced, had flaws. It was left to thi...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica How to choose where to live in Costa Rica. So, you are contemplating a move to Costa Rica after being intrigued by the promise of its unique beauty and livability. Going back to 1500, Christopher Columbus gave it the name which translates into "Rich Coast." It had nothing to do with gold, despite that being a major preoccupation. Without drif...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica DIMEX Renewals: This information is a bit dated, but since many of you are still emailing me about renewals of your DIMEX (residency) cards, I thought it timely to post this review. Due to urgent needs to be outside of Costa Rica during COVID, some of you had/have not been able to renew your DIMEX (residency) cards. Or you just let it slip...

This article is based on a personal experience. In Costa Rica there is an Expropriation Law, designed for when the Government needs to use all or part of private property for public purposes. As examples we have when a new highway or road is built or expanded, when it is necessary to install high power lines structures and when bridges are built. In these cases, it is usual to require the taking o...

Former tourists and foreign residents have chosen to live in Costa Rica for many good reasons, not the least of which is the breathtaking beauty, fantastic weather, and an idyllic lifestyle measurably better than those left behind. Most experience significant improvements to their health after living in Costa Rica only a year. Fewer pills, or none at all, tremendous stress and weight reductions. T...

During the next weeks, all those Expats who have a corporation in Costa Rica will have to fulfill some obligations that are relatively recent, making important to take them into account in order to avoid problems and headaches. Certainly, having a corporation is no longer as simple as it was a few years ago, but it still offers advantages, and it is a matter of organizing yourself with the fulfill...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica In my March 14th article about the validity of foreign drivers’ licenses used by tourists, I also mentioned that it was pending an official resolution. At long last, we finally have that resolution, and it will be published in the official newspaper La Gaceta in the next few days, according to the MOPT website. The resolution covers two categ...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica While unofficial at this writing, MOPT (Costa Rica Ministry of Public Works and Transportation) has issued a recent communication. The validity of foreign drivers’ licenses for TOURISTS with valid visas has been extended to June 1, 2021. This is in keeping with the recent TOURIST visa extensions from March 2, 2021, to June 1, 2021. The offici...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Tensions are running high as we continue to endure COVID and its impact on tourists and those seeking legal residency in Costa Rica. Readers under stress are least capable of absorbing reams of information, so I will be as concise as possible in addressing or re-addressing some key issues. March 2 visa expiry date: Out of compassion for tour...

It has been a common practice for expatriates to buy real estate property and vehicles in Costa Rica and proceed by placing the title on a corporation created with the sole purpose of protecting said assets from possible liabilities, liens by creditors and other contingencies. Then these corporations do not generate any type of income and therefore maintain the status of inactive for tax purposes....

Many expats coming to live or invest in Costa Rica decide or receive advice that creating a corporation is the best way to operate and protect their investment here. There are numerous reasons why they decide to proceed with that, but establishing a business, opening a bank account, or obtaining asset protection seem to be the most common ones. The initial process of a creating a new corporation i...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Happy New Years Everyone Costa Rica Entry Requirements… For entry requirements and recently announced new restrictions within Costa Rica, please click on the links below and also read part one "How COVID-19 Changed Costa Rica Immigration in the Eyes of Residency Expert Laura Gutierrez" a recently published article on December 29th. You ...

The Ministry of Health of Costa Rica informed the Social Security Service (CCSS) that the “Protocol of clinical attention for the medical procedure related to article 121 of the Criminal Code: therapeutic interruption of pregnancy”, has been approved. The protocol, as stated in the Executive Decree, standardizes the actions in the health services network of the different professionals (OBGYNs...

On January 8, 2010, the Red Cross received an emergency call for a dead American in Florida de Baru. The ambulance driver who was first on the scene described walking into John Bender’s bedroom and seeing “a blanket of jewels”, both cut and uncut, strewn about the bedroom and stuffed loosely into backpacks – over 3,000 jewels in total. What has happened to them all? When the police arrived at t...

All owners of real estate property with a size greater than 900 square meters (almost 10,000 square feet) who want to segregate lots, could find themselves with an unpleasant surprise as of  September 13th 2020. This is because the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism or INVU made an amendment to the Regulation of Fractions and Urbanizations, with which to carry out said segregations of lots...

United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that the internet sports betting company, 5D Holdings Ltd. (operating under the unincorporated brand name, “5Dimes”) and Costa Rican Laura Varela, have agreed to forfeit more than $46.8 million in gambling proceeds as part of a settlement agreement in a criminal investigation into 5Dimes’ sports betting operation based in Costa Rica that allowed ...

Coronavirus has created a true health crisis around the world. Most governments do not seem to be clear about the best way to tackle this problem; and the imposition of different types of restrictions on free transit, commerce, and tourism,  has been the general rule adopted. These restrictions have a negative effect on the economy, causing the loss of jobs, the disappearance of companies, the clo...

Three American citizens with Costa Rican residency filed a Habeas Corpus recourse (through which a person reports unlawful detention) against the Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of Migration after they were denied entry to the country on August 6th when they flew back to the country from Houston, Texas aboard a repatriation flight. A US national with Permanent Residency, who is m...

The current health crisis has brought many changes in the life, economy, and routine of people, both in Costa Rica and around the world. It has also brought legal changes ranging from driving restrictions on certain days and hours of the week to the banning/limiting operation for bars, hotels, theaters and event centers, among many others. The Government and Congress have taken actions, some where...

Back on 2018 the Constitution Court in Costa Rica had pronounced itself on same sex marriage in the country and domestic partnership between same sex couples declaring unconstitutional the articles that forbidden same sex marriage, the Court also adhered to the advisory opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights which stated that same sex couples should be recognized and guaranteed. Th...

In Costa Rica, the main asset for most people is still real estate (Property). Productive farms, raw land suitable for development, lots, houses, buildings, tourist buildings and similar are negotiated, developed, transferred, mortgaged, and given in trust on a daily basis. This in turn generates legal conflicts of all kinds: claims for breach of contracts, boundaries, access, unmatching cadaster ...

In August 2018, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court voted to legalize gay marriage, making Costa Rica the first country in Central America to recognize the right of same sex couples to marry. The ruling is supposed to take effect in ten days on May 26th, a deadline which brought members of the National Liberation Party (PLN) into a brief fist fight on Tuesday. Enrique Sanchez, Costa Rica’s first ...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Based on many recent communications from clients stuck outside or inside Costa Rica, it seems that the most common ailment out there is Cabin Fever. The #1 request is about the lifting of travel restrictions in or out of Costa Rica. It is interesting and very telling that those “stuck” in Costa Rica seem more comfortable with that situation than...

All corporations and limited liability companies in Costa Rica are required to have legal books. Corporations or SAs are required to have three books as follows: 1. General Assembly to keep the minutes of shareholder meetings, including all decisions to amend the original articles of incorporation by changing the corporate structure, legal address, raising capital stock, granting powers of attorne...

The infamous COVID-19 has caused not only a global health emergency but has also had a severe and negative impact on the economy. To mitigate the impact on the finances of employers, two regulations were approved over the recent days that are unprecedented in our country. The first regulation is called Temporary Suspension of the Employment Contract and is issued by the Ministry of Labor. The seco...

You’ve chosen to live in Costa Rica for many good reasons, not the least of which being the breathtaking beauty, amazing weather and an idyllic life measurably better than the one you left behind. By now, you have also heard a common refrain from your realtor or other engaged professionals, neighbors, or experienced ex-pats here in Costa Rica: Get your residency! Why? There simply is no othe...

In 2012 law #9024 named 'Impuesto a las Personas Juridicas" or "Tax on Corporations" came into effect. It was an annual tax on all corporations registered at National Registry based on the Code of Commerce such as SAs and LLCs plus all of those branches of foreigner corporations that obtained a corporate ID number for their Costa Rican divisions. It was in effect until 2015. It contained provision...

This is the fifth installment of The Costa Rica Star’s exclusives six part original series of the upcoming book, “Drug Diva”, by Carol Vaughn the story of one of Central America’s fiercest female narco-traffickers, Cristel Gomez Espinoza. You can read our previous published first installment here , the second installment here third installment here and fourth here. Cristel Yariella Gomez Espino...

In a previous article we published on July 5th, 2019 we explained about the creation of a "Registry of Transparency and Final Beneficiaries", which made becoming necessary to report to the Central Bank of Costa Rica who the stockholders on every corporation existing in Costa Rica are. A calendar was established depending on the last number of Corporate ID number, between September 2019 and January...

When a person acquires property in Costa Rica, he or she usually performs due diligence through different advisors such as lawyers, engineers, surveyors or a home inspector. The goal is to discover the existence of possible problems related to the plot map, the title, the adjacent properties or the house itself. However, problems can always arise despite this due diligence and the possibility of e...

Since 1996 in Costa Rica there has been a Law Against Domestic Violence (Law #7586), which has many aspects that are important to understand in detail. When writing this article we had the collaboration of Melissa Salazar, an attorney specializing in Family Law. According to Mrs Salazar, there are various types of violence: physical, psychological, sexual and also over the assets of a person, comm...

On Thanksgiving, two American citizens were detained at Juan Santamaria Airport under suspicion of money laundering. Their names are Collin Andrew Skees (25) and Benjamin Edward Howze (41). They were traveling to the United States with $644,344 in clean bills, wrapped like drugs are often smuggled, in layers of plastic, all tucked among clean changes of underwear for Skees and Howze, in their carr...

In a previous article we wrote about a new regulation that took effect during September 2019. Basically, every type of corporation in Costa Rica is enforced to disclose who are the stockholders to Central Bank of Costa Rica. This will take place between September 2019 and January 2020, depending on the last ID number on the “cedula juridica”. If the owner of the stock on a corporation are other co...

A reform to the Immigration Control Regulation, promoted by the Costa Rican Promotion Investment Agency (CINDE), the Ministry of Foreign Trade (Comex),together with the General Direction of Immigration, will allow foreigners, who are in the process of approval of residence procedures, the opportunity to work while the application is being resolved. Decree No. 41890-MGP represents a huge advance...

“What bloody business has the USA to do with the Costa Rican immigration policies on border crossings?” - Posted reaction to a recent article published in TCRS (The Costa Rica Star) The answer: Plenty. The Bigger Picture: The issue is not just about border runners seeking to stay under the radar as Perpetual Tourists, or those needing to keep their foreign driver's licenses valid. Those con...

A significant number of ex-pats have lived in Costa Rica for many years. But for various reasons, they have put off getting their residency. Others have just arrived or will be very soon. For some, here is the big, save-a-buck question: Can I apply for Costa Rica Residency on my own? The short answer is yes. But likely not a very good idea. It is similar to filling out your tax returns. Most...

President Carlos Alvarado has officially signed the work-from-home bill into law, which allows telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement for employees in the public and private sector. The new law sets the standards for the work from home policy, strengthening Costa Rica’s competitiveness to develop business and Foreign Direct Investment. The Congress passed the 21.141 bill on August ...

Authorities of the Ministry of Public Security filed a report to the prosecutors of the Association of Professional Psychologists requesting them to investigate a group of psychologists that are in charge of applying suitability evaluations to those requesting a license to own a gun. According to the Ministry of Security, several psychologists are issuing a significant number of tests in the sy...

We will assume that the readers of this article are conscientious individuals who have come to the realization that life in Costa Rica is best lived as a legal resident. You have also read previous articles about the folly of perpetual tourism. (Border runs as a way of living under the radar.) It also assumes 95% of you will be from the U.S., Canada, or the E.U. This article covers the four mos...

In a previous article which can be read here, we spoke about the new coming regulations taking effect starting September 1st, 2019. Basically, every type of corporation in Costa Rica must proceed informing to Central Bank of Costa Rica who their stockholders are, in order to report who the final Beneficiaries are of the said business. This obligation is to be fulfilled by the President on SA co...