Pensionado

[Ronny]

Thanks Maravilla. My next question is regarding one way tickets for flights. I understand that my next visit to Costa Rica will require proof of onward or return flight because my application for pensionado will not be complete.
Once I have submitted all the required information in Costa Rica, and am waiting for approval, will I then be able to fly with a one way ticket the following year, or do I have to wait till my residency is accepted and finalized?
I know these questions might seem a bit lame, but I’ve heard that it can take quite some time for approval.

[DavidCMurray]

You are correct that approval of your application for residency can take a long time. Once it has been accepted by Immigration (found to be complete and approv[u]able[/u]), you’ll be issued a folio number and you will no longer be in the status of a tourist on a ninety-day visa. You won’t have to leave the country every ninety days.

Now, as to outbound tickets . . . Before you buy one, check the cost of a round-trip ticket. For reasons I have never been able to grasp, [b]one-way[/b] tickets are almost always [b]significantly more expensive[/b].

When we made our final move to Costa Rica in 2005, having priced one-way tickets, we bought round-trip tickets and threw away the return tickets. I actually called a couple of airlines and asked about doing so. One guy said I might be “blacklisted” (his word) for not making the return flight. I replied that if I were, I’d just fly with their competitor.

Think about it. What can the airline do? Come and get you?

[Ronny]

Interesting. Maybe a refundable round-trip ticket would be the way to go if they aren’t significantly more expensive. I wonder if it’s possible to get a refund for the return portion of the flight or if you can only get a refund for the entire round-trip ticket.

[OTTFOG]

Ronny,
I would highly recommend that you employ the folks at ResidencyinCostaRica.com. Here is their contact info:

Javier Zavaleta
jzava@pacbell.net
Tel: 323.255.6116 – Fax 323.344.1620
On the Web at http://www.residencyincostarica.com
Tel in Costa Rica: 506.2226.0755 (En espanol)

They charge a nominal fee, will make sure your paperwork is complete and they will walk the paperwork and you through all the immigration processes.

Of all the things that I did in moving here, hiring them was one of the best for saving time and hassle.

Good luck and Pura Vida,
Jerry

[Ronny]

Thanks for the link Jerry. I was thinking about using CasaCanada as it’s specifically geared for Canucksters.

[DavidCMurray]

As compared to the cost of a refundable round trip ticket, I think a non-refundable ticket will end up being cheaper. And for $100 or so, you can reschedule your return trip for some time when you really do want to return. (There may be a limit on how long that privilege lasts. I dunno.)

The attorneys at Casa Canada, affiliated with the Association of Residents of Costa Rica, have vast experience and will treat you well also.

[Author]

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