residence status

Once you have applied and have your application number you do not have to leave every ninety days as far as your application goes, however just recently a law was introduce saying you had to have your cedula (permanent residency)in order to get a Costa Rica driver's license.  In order to drive under your current state's  drivers license you have to have a valid stamped passport.  In effect it is a catch 22, if you wish to drive under your current license you have to leave and re-enter Costa Rica as per your passport stamp.  Keep in mind that not every stamp gives you 90 days!

Hi,thanks for the info. Only a government could come up a concoction like that! Jerry

Has anyone here gone through the residency process yet? Was it a nightmare and cost a fortune?

It's only a nightmare if you have a shitty attorney and good attorneys are not cheap. Expect to pay $3000-$5000 per application. That includes EVERYTHING: attorney fees, permits, fingerprints, paperwork, cedula, bond, etc. I see so many people smugly say, "I am only paying $1000!" and then the attorney nickel and dimes them to death until, guess what, it ends up costing $3000+. Sure it was a shock when my lawyer gave me the quote, but the whole process was painless (as much as it can be here) and he did do not go a penny over. Plus, I found him to be a really nice guy! [Moderated: No website] Good luck!

We are using A.R.C.R., they have been very useful to date.

Jerry,

Once you have applied for temporary residence, the Immigration Department provides you with an application receipt. This receipt indicates that you have an application pending. While the application is pending, you are not required to leave the country every 90 days. However, if you leave the country, you will be required to produce a return ticket to your home country when entering Costa Rica.

CGB Perkins,

I am an immigration attorney. However, it is not my intention to get your business as it is contrary to the forum regulations. However, I would like to answer your question from a professional perspective.
First of all, please note that there are several categories available for residing in Costa Rica legally. Some of them will allow you to become a permanent resident and subsequently a citizen, some other categories will not allow you to follow that path.

The application process is not necessarily difficult, but it not easy either. If you are a careful reader and have a little bit of patience, you will be able to prepare your application yourself. This is the website for the Immigration Department if you would like to check it. Here, you will find all of the information you will need. http://www.migracion.go.cr/

If it is too complicated for you or you are too busy, it is then recommended for you to hire an attorney. Make sure that it is an attorney. Only attorneys are allowed to assist individuals with the application process. So, you either do it yourself or hire an attorney. There are agencies and people out there that provide immigration services and are not registered attorneys. This is an issue, because if something goes wrong, you will have no recourse against them. If you hire an attorney and he or she is negligent, you can then file a complaint with the Bar Association.

As far as the costs are concerned, the attorney's fees cannot be less than $1000 USD. This is indicated in the law. No attorney can charge less than that. Otherwise, they will be breaking the law. You can expect an attorney to charge  somewhere between $1000 and $2000 for preparing and filing the application. Regarding the expenses, it will cost you an additional $1000 USD in related costs for the application, depending on the country that you are from, as you will be required to pay a security deposit once the application is approved. On average a temporary residence application for a US citizen will cost $3000 USD (approx).

The processing time can take up to 18 months from the moment you start obtaining the required documents until the moment that you obtain  your DIMEX. Whether it is a nightmare, it will depend on whether you do it yourself, or whether you hire an attorney and how good that attorney will be. Remember, in the legal business as in any business, you get what you pay for.

I hope this information is useful.