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My husband (american) and I (Canadian) are planning to move to Costa Rica under the Rentista status. We understand that there is an August deadline to get in with only $60,000 for the two of us. We would like this to go as quickly and smoothly as possible considering we don’t have much time left. Does anyone have someone who is extremely firmilier with this process who can help us?? I am also in the middle of applying for my US green card as I am a Canadian Citizen. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.
Angela and Keith.
Yes, ARCR is affiliated with lawyers who do residency processing for a living. One of them, Romulo Pacheco, handled our pensionado application and it went very smoothly.
It is critical that you understand the process and that you obtain your documents,with all authentications, approvals, notarizations, etc as early as possible. Go to the Costa Rican Embassy website (Google search it), look under Tourism, and click on Immigration.
Thanks David, appreciate the referral. With all the talk that attorneys are a little shady there, we didn’t want to just pick one out of a hat you know?
I wish we knew for sure about this August deadline. Does anyone know if it is a sure thing? I keep reading conflicting stories.
I’m not so sure that it’s fair to characterize all or a lot of the attorneys in Costa Rica as shady, Angela. What is true, however, is that like attorneys everywhere they tend to specialize, and not all are as painstaking as they should be. I have full faith in the attorney who did our residency and have brought other work to him. By the same token, we have accepted the recommendation of another attorney closer to home from friends and feel good about her service, too.
Hello,
I have been in Costa Rica for 4 years and the laws never change the conditions change. They can announce on the TV and in the newspaper one thing then turn around and do another. This is the only country that we have been in that disrespect their own laws. Im Not talking about the general population, the ones who do not maintain the laws are the people that make the laws. If the new immigration law cost them money then they bend it a little.
Our local newspaper the TICO times make money selling papers and the lawyers at ARCR make money every time they publish that changes are coming. Then every one rushes around with money in their hand trying to hurry up and get their residency or pensionado paper work processed.
You have to remember TICO Times does sell newspapers, it is a business, just as ARCR is a business. Almost all businesses here profit from what they know and what you do not know. Get all of your papers and clear up everything that needs to be cleared up prior to your leaving your country.
Follow the guide lines in your Countries information that is reported on the web or by calling the main Embassy in your country. Some of the smaller Embassy offices do not have the updated information. If you get a lawyer prior to coming to Costa Rica you can have your papers sent to him already prepared for submission and all you will have to do when you get to Costa Rica is take pictures and finger prints. If you have one paper missing or need to get your police report, or you do not have papers regarding your divorce, that will hold the process up.
Those requirements have not changed, the lawyers for ARCR are great but you need a lawyer for other legal assistance while living in Costa Rica. Almost everything is done through a lawyer here. If you are going to be driving a vehicle you need to have someone you can call that knows you and will represent you. So having a legal team with ARCR in San Jose is not really what you need. You will need a lawyer that will be available to assist you. Some people have been successful by using ARCR but then they use another lawyer for purchasing a house and another lawyer for other problems. It is good to know the people in the area you will be living in and build a relationship with qualified, honest legal and medical professionals.
Stop reading all the information others have published get the correct information from the Costa Rican Embassy in the US or contact a lawyer who comes recommended here in Costa Rica.
My husband and I three years ago read an article in the TICO Times we rushed down to San Jose to get our papers submitted for residency, the office was packed full of people who had read the same article. There were so many people until we almost hade to take a number. We came to our senses and contacted the Embassy in Texas, they told us what papers we needed, we went to Houston took all of our papers to the Embassy they prepared them for processing and sent them to our lawyer. We know our papers have been handled correctly and feel secure with the fact we have a personal lawyer. He has helped us with many other things. He keeps us informed on all the new laws, plus if we have difficulty he is just a telephone call away.
Immigration and the proper paper work is very important but setting up a legal relationship is more important in Costa Rica then anywhere we have ever lived.
Just follow the general rules they have established. Costa Rica is not trying to keep people with money out of Costa Rica. The immigration laws that are published apply to everyone.
Read this information for the “Rentista” imigration law change:
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