Temporary Residency for a Retiree process

@gmmcwhirter Welcome to the forum! Good for you for doing your ”DD” - get as many questions answered before you come.

A few suggestions follow …. do an exploratory trip (maybe 1-3 months). Use AirBnB’s to scope out different potential areas to live - move around a bit. One thing I see is that often people want to completely change their way of life and often that doesn’t work. For example, someone living in NYC and wants to come to CR to live in the jungle with spiders, snakes and scorpions and eat nuts & berries and sleep in a hammock probably ain’t gonna work out (but it could, I guess). I see most people that come here and are successful in the transition try to keep the transition as small as possible. If you like trendy places where you live and want that kind of live-style here then it is certainly available. The ”nuts and berries” option is also available.

Residency - it can be a daunting task but it is do-able and really not that difficult - just a bit time consuming! My suggestion (and some may disagree - and that’s fine) is to get as much info from ARCR (Association of Residents of CR). Their website is - arcr.net and there is a wealth of information there. There is an attorney on staff to take care of residency if you decide to use them. I used them 14 years ago and was very happy. I heard that there was a period of time when they were not very responsive and that upset many folks - totally understandable. It’s my understanding from friends that have recently used them that they have corrected that and they are again doing good work for folks. However you do it, I’d definitely use an attorney or residency service. I’m sure others will have suggestions of companies/attorneys to use.

During your exploratory trip (or before) find out what documents are needed for your residency and get those taken care of prior to actually moving here. It will make the waiting period shorter.

Hope this is helpful but let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll try to answer you.

Cheers ….

Hello everyone,

Please note that this new thread was created from your post on the Costa Rica forum for better interaction.

Let us keep the New Members thread for introductions only.

All the best

Bhavna

To what jwboozerii wrote above, let me add that when the time comes to actually submit your application for legal temporary residency, all your documents must be less than six months old. It doesn't matter if you have your original birth certificate. You'll still have to get a newly issued one.

Now, because you have the luxury of time, find out from ARCR (arcr.net) what documents will be needed and search the Internet for how to obtain them. Note, too, that all those documents will have to be "apostiled". It's not difficult, but it is mandatory.

@gmmcwhirter

Can't tell you how to 'navigate' the Forum... the threads tend to take unexpected turns... so perhaps, spend some time reading.  Like.. maybe a few weeks???

As for residency questions.... what booz and 'dave' said goes for me...  it may help if you ask/look at a few Residency services on line; some of them list the types of documents that you'll need.  Just doing your homework to know, ahead of time, how and where to procure such documents will help you to be 'ready' when the time comes to collect them... As 'dave' said.. the documents can't be old; so don't order birth certificates, or get finger prints until you are ready.  And... perhaps this is something that a good residency service can handle for you or guide you through.. Eventually all of your documents from 'Up There' will need to be translated into Spanish; and sent to a consulate for Apostille.   After that... they get added to your application 'package' and turned in to Migracion... hopefully by your Residency Service.   The 'services' generally do one thing only... and are less expensive than using a Law Firm that is busy doing other crap.

Be prepared to wait.   Just getting that application accepted for Processing ONLY... can take 4-5 months; and then up to another Year for being officially Accepted.  Once you have the document (called Expediente) that says it has been accepted into the Processing part... you won't be required to leave CR regardless of your passport stamp.  The final notice saying that you are Accepted... is called Resolucion... and with that you'll be instructed to go and join the national healthcare system (Caja)... and then to get your very own Costa Rican ID card... or cedula.

Come on down and look around.  'Booz' hit the nail on the head when it comes to 'change'.   He was so right... I pictured myself barefoot, in a hammock, living in a tiki hut with a pet monkey just 'feet' from the beach... boy was I wrong!!!   I visited some beaches and it was to hot for me.  Yes... things will change... but don't expect to make a full 180...  i went from big city USA (philadelphia) to a village here that has 150 people... but I can catch a bus to go to 3 nearby bigger towns/small cities where I can get what I need, for the most part.  I still live on a paved road, have municipal water service (cheap!!! less than $10/month) electricity, wifi, access to taxis, a tiny grocer, etc.   The biggest changes will be the climate, the culture, and for me... bugs and food.   I miss ethnic foods and they are hard to find here unless you are in San Jose or live near a tourist area... and of course... insects.   You need to be prepared to accept them as your equals.  LOL!   Not really...  just keeping your house/floors really clean can keep the bugs at bay.   But the ants are my enemy.

Work on your Spanish starting now.... if you don't already know it or have started.  I can't tell you how different my life is now, after having worked on my language skills for over 5 years... than it was during my first 6 months.   The difference is night and day...  and it can actually affect your health because of the 'stress' from issues with communication and isolation.   Learn Spanish.   (Duolingo is a Free on-line tutorial)    I do know that at this age.. it won't be possible to learn it all...  but just the basics is going to help you acclimate into your new Tropical Life.  It's literally the difference between having and not having Tico friends.  I didn't come here to only be friends with expats...   I know almost none.

Pura Vida

@Bhavna  I'm very sorry but I'm not understanding. Did I use the proper thread to introduce myself, and is this thread.the intro thrread, and how do I navigate to a different one? I'd like to do the right thing so...

Thanks for any help

@gmmcwhirter

Hello, it's ok, you can now continue to converse on this one. This new one has already been created... as questions should be addressed to members on a new thread on the main forum instead of the new members thread.

Have a nice day

Bhavna

@rainagain thank you, and boozer, and dave for that great input. I'm keeping all that in mind. I learned early not to try and take all this on at once. Right now it's finding a partner to help us get our residency. I think we have the requirements down now and it's about doing the right thing at the right time in the right place.

Right now our thoughts are to continue the residency while spending up to a year bouncing from one abnb to another to find the spot where we feel most comfortable. The language is still a stress as I am old and not as sharp as I once was. The sixties and seventies, what you gonna do. I'll depend on my sharp as a tack wife to help with that. We're taking classes now.

I fear I ramble so my thanks again to y'all.

Peace and light

Oh, and I  lived in a commune in Paraguay in my youth so I'm way over coconuts and berries.

@gmmcwhirter

Your good attitude, alone, will guide you well.   Compared to 'some' that come onto these forums... you are light years ahead when it comes to being capable and realistic.  I had to 'explain' to a commentor a few years ago, that CR wasn't an Island.   

A Note About Documents: In the U.S., essential records (birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, death, etc) are kept by the Office of Vital Records which is typically housed in the state health department, so you'd think that that's where you'd look for a new copy of your birth certificate. Makes sense, eh? No!

It appears that the Offices of Vital Records have partnered with private companies to provide those documents. It ain't cheap and it ain't immediate, but there is a good side. Online, those companies will not only obtain the new documents that you'll need but they will also get those documents apostiled which might otherwise be a pain in the tail feathers if you try to do it yourself. The easy way to get those new documents is to Google "Missouri birth certificate" (or whatever state you were born in) and order what you need. And when you do, be sure to order the document apostiled for Costa Rican residency.

Note, too, that you must obtain those documents from the State where the event took place. If you were born in Maryland but were married in Oklahoma, you must order your birth certificate from Maryland and your marriege certificate from Oklahoma.

@gmmcwhirter and sppeaking of retirees,  can anyone clue me in on the cell phone plans in CR? Kolbi seems to be the carrier of choice but I find nothing (in English) that lets me know much about the plan like cost for instance.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Have a look at this link https://costaricatelephones.com/ it gives some basic information.  We have been here ten years and my wife and I both have Kolbi sim cards, both of us use the prepaid option and we do not have a land line in our house.  It works for us!

@TerrynViv thanks Terry,  just what i was searching for.

@gmmcwhirter

As for cellphone... maybe I'm living on Earth Two???   

... in 2019,  I bought a Samsung phone here... around $80.  I bought it in an appliance store (normal here) where they also sell some furniture and bikes, and motorcycles... again, normal.  At the store, when you bought the phone, they offered the 'service' of signing you up with a carrier.  The store had a 'deal' with Kolbi... so I signed up; paying a 'One Time' fee of around ????   (I can't remember if it was $45 or $85 ... but it wasn't much.)  They told me that i would have to pay for 'usage' if I made calls using 'cell tower' signals... like any regular phone... either to other cell phones, or to land lines... like to a store or a doctor's office. But other than that... there is no monthly fee.  ???    So... (confused) I told them to put 20,000 colones (less than $40 back then) on my new  phone and they all laughed.  My Spanish speaking Tico friend (with me) said that most people only put between 1,000 to 5,000 on their phones... because almost nobody uses 'cell tower' activated phone calls... EVERYBODY uses WhatsApp. 

WhatsApp is activated via Wi-fi... which is 'floating' around almost everywhere here and the rest of the world... so you don't have to pay for it.  Of course I pay for wifi in my house, and that makes my WhatsApp and computer, work well.  But when you are moving about the 'world'... your phone can pick up Wi-Fi signals almost anywhere... and thus, your WhatsApp works almost everywhere... and costs nothing.  You don't have to pay the service provider (Kolbi... or others here include Claro, Movistar, and Liberty) to use WhatsApp because they don't own the Wi-Fi system... my electric company provides me with Wi-Fi.

So here's the kicker....  I put 2,000 colones (less than $3.50 at the time) on my phone, that day, in Jan of 2019....but I make almost ZERO calls that aren't WhatsApp.  You can add 'time' almost anywhere... there are tiny kiosks for it, or you can do it in most grocers, etc.  All of my Family and Friends, both in the states, Europe, and elsewhere, have/use WhatsApp.  All Ticos have/use WhatsApp... for calls, videos, audio messages, photos, etc.  Even 'group' calls and other various things that the 'kids' like.  Very common in CR for a 'business' to list both a land-line phone number, as well as a WhatsApp phone number... because many people live where ONLY WhatsApp functions because of few cell towers and of course... the mountains.  But even if they don't have Wi-fi in their homes... they can walk 'near' somebody's house that does have it, or in front of a store or school, etc., and get 'service' for free.  I frequently have cars and pedestrians and motos 'parked' in front of my place because they know I have Wi-Fi.   

I used up the original 2,000 colones over the course of 10 months because I had to make calls to some businesses in the states... which of course, do not use Whatsapp.   So... my 10-month phone bill was $3.50; Total.   Not bad; my phone was costing me 35 cents a month.   Not a typo.

I then went to a kiosk, and put 10,000 colones (around $17 at the time)  on my phone (Nov. 2019)... so it would last and I wouldn't need to keep visiting kiosks and such.   You can 'check' your available, remaining, usage 'colones' by calling *888# and answer the prompts.

Since Nov. 2019... I have made, maybe, 3-4 calls to 'land-lines' ... like my bank in the states, or the SS administration; but EVERYTHING else is done via Whatsapp.  And you get, for free, notifications on your phones here from the Water or Elec. companies regarding service interruptions; billing, emergency weather alerts, etc.  Also some junk mail... but who cares.

I haven't put any more $$ on the phone since Nov. 2019... and I use it A LOT!!  I still have a little 'time' left... but I'm calculating that my phone bill, for 4 years and 7 months has cost me around 30 cents a month (using '600' as the colon to 1 dollar conversion rate... it has been a roller coaster though) ... or a little less than One Penny/day.   Yes... you are not drunk nor high; but even if you are... my phone costs me around one cent each day.  Even with the banking Apps and such...

1 penny.

Because of the drunk/high thing... I'm always a little paranoid that I'm supposed to be paying some sort of monthly plan... but wouldn't they have 'cancelled' me long ago for not paying????  I even went to Kolbi once to get a new chip because the other one stopped working... it was free.   I was nervous, but she was nice and I didn't have to pay anything.

Is Costa Rica less expensive???????

Pura friggin Vida it is!!!

We first came down in 2010 and were clueless.  We came back for four years and purchased a temporary sim card.  We had Kolbi, Morning Star, and Claro.  By our fourth trip we had chosen our location and knew Kolbi was the best in the area.  We wanted a landline, but circumstances dictated that it was not a good move at the time (different reasons).  We decided to use Kolbi's prepaid plan and then wait and figure out the phone situation.  We do not talk a lot on the phone, and calls overseas are looked after by Skype. We have found Costa Rica to be very good monetary wise.  It costs my wife a years worth of Kolbi time when she goes to Canada for a month.

We use a Kolbi postpaid plan that includes their lowest (slowest) data rate which is adequate for our needs. It costs c10.84 per month for unlimited connectivity. I access the Internet from home a lot, so this is likely a little cheaper than prepaid service plus, we are never required to find a place to recharge our accounts when they run low.

@rainagain Wow! Everything I needed to know and fun to read. Thanks as always.

I would like to learn more about the Internet situation. My husband will be retired but I am too young so I'm going to be coming down with a job that I work remotely. I am required to have good Internet. It's a huge struggle even in the United States because I live in a very rural area with very bad Internet. Is there reasonably good fiber optic Internet in Costa Rica? We plan to move to Atenas.

Not only does it vary from town to town, it can vary from house to house.  We have been here for ten years and the first eight years we went through 4 different internet providers and none of them were stellar.  Two years ago, ICE installed fiber optic internet into our community and it has been SUPER.  You will need to be boots on the ground and check what is available where you plan to live.  Just because your neighbor has good internet, it does not mean that you will.  As an example we have four nodes on the east side of our community.  Once the nodes are all utilized it will require the addition of one or more nodes and it is not a given that this will happen in the immediate future.

dappleswhat04, please, please re-read what TerrynViv wrote above. With respect to all utilities, not just Internet, it is essential that you contact the service provider and get an ironclad guarantee that their service will be available to you. Your real estate agent, the landlord and your neighbors-to-be are NOT reliable sources.

Having been alerted to the utility situation, when we bought the property we planned to build on, we immediately signed up for three landline telephone accounts in order to lock them up before we even broke ground. (One was to serve our guest house, one for the main house, and one for the dial-up Internet access which was all that was available in 2005.) We also checked the availability of water hook-ups and cellular service which, we learned, was non-existent at that time.

@dappleswhat04

What the others 'wrote' is true.   

Perhaps, stick to a bigger 'town' or small city...  chances are that up-to-date technology exists in places like that because there are generally, businesses and other institutions there that need what you want.  Rural is a gamble for your needs.  Perhaps, when you find a place or area where you 'want' to be... find a Spanish Speaker who can go with you to the utility to ask your specific questions. 

Like the others wrote... don't 'depend' on the landlord or nice taxi driver or neighbor or hotel employee for things outside of their expertise.  Go to the source.