Spanish newspaper El Mundo published an article n which they listed San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica as one of the 10 ugliest destinations in the world. Costa Rica continues to attract millions of tourists every year, but it is no secret that the capital city has little to do with the attractions the country has to offer, the beaches and the volcanoes as well as the rain forests take a...

Between October 7 and November 7, 2019, Costa Rica has recorded 63 violent deaths – a murder every 12 hours – according to the OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion Judicial). They report a total of 476 homicides to date, an increase from the 413 homicides reported last year, despite an expanded police force and repeated pledges by the Minister of Security that homicide rates were going to drop. What...

Perez Zeledon (also known as San Isidro de El General) is the agricultural epicenter of the southern zone: coffee, pineapples, sugar cane, bananas, and every imaginable vegetable abounds in this fertile valley of El General. No one, however, associates Perez with art – until the emergence of Melissa Matamoros, owner, curator and director of the newest art gallery in Costa Rica, La Terraza del Arti...

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...

Between displeased sectors, threats of more protests, a difficult economy, Costa Rica celebrates this September 15, 198 years of independent life. “We are capable of doing great things working with discipline and strength. It won’t be something external what leads us to development, it won’t be a gift from anyone, and it certainly won’t be the laziness and the privileges what will make us a de...

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...

Costa Rica Residency for Expats 101: Most Costa Rica residency applicants start off surfing the net for any articles they can find on the subject, particularly on Google where most of the results stem from sites with paid ads. Once devouring that information, some, unfortunately, think it safe to go it alone. If they speak Spanish, they currently have a 20% chance of success accompanied by off ...

This past spring, there was a lot of anxiety swirling about the ex-pat community in Costa Rica over vaccines in relation to residency in Costa Rica. It all started with an article in a major Spanish national news outlet and echoed into other minor publications and blogs. The Costa Rica Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud) and Ministry of Immigration (General de Migración y Extranjería – DGMIE)...

In December 2016, a law called the "Law to Improve the Fight against Tax Fraud" was published, which in turn created a Registry of Transparency and Final Beneficiaries, under the responsibility of the Central Bank of Costa Rica. The concept of "anonymous" corporations disappeared, because although the Registry is not publicly accessible, it will be accessible tax, judicial, public security and oth...

Transport services, fishermen, students all took the streets this week in Costa Rica to protest against the government. Driving slow enough to cause congestion (tortuguismo) and blocking different key roads, drivers, specifically truckers, representing different transport services were the first to manifest their anger earlier this week against the implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT) wh...

According to the last report on air quality in Costa Rica, the area close to the National University in Heredia shows an annual average of 34 µg/m3 (micrograms per Cubic Meter of Air) of particulate matter (the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air many of which are hazardous), value that despite being under the maximum limit of 40 µg/m3 established in the + Air Quality Criteria f...

After recent warnings to foreigners visiting Costa Rica about an increase in both petty and serious crime, comes an announcement to be applauded. On Tuesday Michael Soto, Minister of Public Security (Public Police Force), announced that between May 2018 and May 2019, his security forces have succeeded in the following arrests and seizures of goods: ~ 2,160 people arrested, up 16% ~ 233 firear...

Here’s something brilliant that Costa Rica has achieved in the last thirty years: They have doubled their forest cover. Half of Costa Rica’s land surface is now covered with trees. Those trees can absorb a massive amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – and we can all breathe easier for it. Bravo! No one would have predicted this outcome back in 1983 when a meager 26% of Costa Rica had f...

The Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica are working on the requirements to begin implementing a regulation for foreigners requesting their residence in the country to comply with the national vaccination program starting July 2019. According to Rodrigo Marín, director of Health Surveillance, every year the Migration office in Costa Rica receives anywhere be...

Jaco is still reeling from the apparent suicide of one of their favorite local residents and businessmen, Marc Pontbriant. Marc radiated energy and a love for life, and his girlfriend and friends are having difficulty accepting the tragic fact that he is gone. He died on May 3, in his bed in Esterillios, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He left his passport, wallet and contact list a...

All expats living in Costa Rica part or full time that have investments in the country should take in consideration what will happen in case they die. Making plans regarding this difficult topic could avoid leaving legal swamps fo your loved ones. People always expect to live as long as possible, but certainly an accident or unexpected disease could suddenly change everything. The legal document t...

Marc Pontbriant, a pillar of the Jaco nightclub, entertainment and real estate scene has passed away, much to the surprise of the many friends and family members who knew and loved him. His death is being considered a suicide unofficially; the American Embassy and the OIJ are withholding confirmation until his family has been notified. Pontbriant’s business associates and close friends are stunned...

In Costa Rica there is a law governing the relationships between the Landlord and Tenant for two specific situations: 1) When renting houses, apartments or condos 2) When renting a property for commercial, industrial or professional purposes. This Rental Law has been in effect since 1995, with only a few amendments since then. It has a number of different rules for similar situations, so kno...

When dining out in Costa Rica knowing where to go is important. Let me take the guess work out for you. Nestled on the main strip in Manuel Antonio (Waze) with a menu fueled from inspiration culled from the coasts of Thailand - Samui Thai Restaurant is one you most definitely want to visit. The indoor/outdoor venue features a retro-chic aesthetic, decked out with wooden accents, industrial ceiling...

Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica (April 5, 2019)                                            Crazy Jungle Love, the shocking tale of love and despair based on the true story of American millionaire John Felix Bender’s exploits in the jungles of Costa Rica, is now available on Amazon and Kindle. Written by journalist Carol Blair Vaughn, Crazy Jungle Love makes use of Vaughn’s intimate knowledge of La...

A notary at your home: For years the National Registry has offered to the public information from all Public Registries such as Property, Vehicles, Boats, Corporations and Lot Plans on the website www.rnpdigital.com . This information is exclusively for consultation purposes since only certifications obtained from Registry offices or issued by a Notary can be used as valid documents to submit t...

By law #8683 was a created to implement a Luxury Home Tax for all houses in Costa Rica where the construction has a value higher than one hundred million colons (approximate USD $200,000.00). All owners with a luxury home were enforced to submit a value statement in 2010 that would be valid for three years. The tax Ministry created a value database with the parameters to calculate the proper value...

When foreigners consider moving to Costa Rica or buying a vacation home in this paradise, they many times choose a beach community to enjoy everything that living in a warm tropical country has to offer. Costa Rica has coasts on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with miles and miles of beautiful beaches to explore, however, there are a few that have become favourites among expats, one of th...

Costa Rica ranks every year among the top destinations to retire to, and hundreds of foreigners choose to relocate to this country for many reasons other than retirement, some are looking to escape the cold winter that affects their home country, others simply come to visit and fall in love with the Pura Vida of the country. The fact that many choose Costa Rica as their new home is not a fluke,...

Validation of a Foreign Driver’s License in Costa Rica.  Those foreigners staying in the country for more than 3 months and wanting to drive a car are required by law to obtain a Costa Rican driver’s license. They can validate the license of their country of origin by fulfilling the following requirements: Must be over the age of 18. Proof of legal residency, through residency card, work p...

The city of Curridabat to the east of San José, is one of the 16 finalists in the first edition of the Wellbeing City Award, in the category of Sustainable Development. The Wellbeing City Award is an initiative of NewCities and its partners Novartis Foundation, Novartis US Foundation, and the City of Montréal, and it recognizes cities placing wellbeing at the center of urban design, planning an...

Costa Rica was included among the 5 Easiest, Most Welcoming Retirement Havens in the World by International Living Magazine. "A new report from International Living points to the top 5 retirement destinations across the globe where it’s easiest to fit in. The Fitting-in category of the 2019 Annual Global Retirement Index studies the character of the expat community, how easy it is for a single...

After five days of intense kayak fishing Jaco Beach resident Lance Clinton claimed 3rd place out of a field of 12 finalists selected worldwide to compete in the annual “winner-take-all” Los Buzos Panama International Kayak Fishing World Championship 2019. The 1st place winner – James McBeath of Canada -- took home $10,000. “The tournament was great. Caught some great fish and finished in third,...

InterNations, the network for expats with local communities worldwide, carried out its annual survey at the end of 2018 to come up with the list of  the "Top 10 Most Welcoming Countries in the world". This is the fifth edition of the survey and included a total of 18,135 expats across the globe. Portugal took the first spot as the country with the friendliest attitude towards foreign residen...

International Living published their 2019 Global Retirement Index, which scores the world´s top 25 retirement destinations across 13 categories, including, including cost of living, governance, retiree benefits, climate and healthcare, among many other aspects that are important for those looking for a place to retire. ¨This yearly Index examines safe, good-value destinations beyond the U.S. or...

The last few days of 2018 are here and Costa Rica begins the celebration with the famous horse parade “tope” this Wednesday, December 26. The tope takes the streets of downtown San José, so if you use the bus service take this into consideration as the bus stops change this day, and, if you don’t want to get stuck in traffic or rerouted avoid going to San José. The tope begins at noon, but the ...

The US Embassy in Costa Rica informs it will remain closed this Wednesday, December 5, this as a mark of respect for the passing of former President George H.W. Bush "As a mark of respect for the passing of the forty-first President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, Wednesday, December 5, has been designated as a National Day of Mourning by Executive Order of the President. Emba...

The Doing Business 2019 report from the World Bank takes into consideration reforms made across the governments which benefit small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs, enabling job creation and stimulating private investment. “These reforms are tracked – and inspired – by the World Bank Group’s Doing Business Index ranking 190 countries on the ease of doing business within their borders”. ...

U.S. Embassy San Jose announced the upcoming Consular outreach for U.S. citizens in Tamarindo. "To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate your preference by writing to [email protected]. Any applicable fees must be paid in cash in Costa Rican colones. We are unfortunately unable to accept U.S. dollars or other forms of payment during ...

This question should have a very simple answer, but as the days go by and the “strike” continues, the answer changes depending on who you ask. In short, the labor unions (sindicatos) are protesting the fiscal plan, formally known as the Law to Strengthen Public Finances, which is currently being discussed at the Legislative Assembly and has undergone some changes since it was originally present...

Construction developers all over the country have changed the legal structure of their projects, migrating from the traditional individual property to a condominium system based on the regulations contained in Law # 7933 named "Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio" or Law to Regulate Condominium Property, which applies to both residential and commercial developments. This tendency started ...

The Minister of Public Security mentioned yesterday that officers of the public police force had been working additional shifts and had been the target of insults, violence and more during these last few days of general labor strike, he made the comment after people criticized the actions of a group of officers during a road block in San Pedro that concluded with the arrest of four university stud...

The US Embassy San Jose announces three upcoming Consular events – routine Consular services for U.S. citizens in Golfito and Uvita and a Town Hall event in Perez Zeledon. Consular staff will be on hand to provide the below services in Golfito and Uvita and to answer any questions. "To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate your preference b...

At around 10:25 a.m. this morning the Independence Torch arrived in Costa Rica from Nicaragua through Peñas Blancas. The Independence Torch represents the liberty and independence of Costa Rica and the rest of the Central American countries. The tradition of the torch traveling through the different Central American countries began in 1964, the torch begins its journey in Guatemala and concl...