What is FOMO? According to the popular website Wikipedia, Fear of missing out is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know or missing out on information, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, which may lead to concerns that one might miss an opportunity for a memorable event, or a profitable investment....

The long-awaited Digital Nomad visa option: Last year, the government announced the Digital Nomad visa option for legally staying past the traditional 90-day visa in Costa Rica. While, in principle, a viable option for those seeking to live and work virtually in Costa Rica for 1 or 2 years without having to do onerous border runs, the program, as initially announced, had flaws. It was left to thi...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica What follows is a much-needed update on situations that stressfully impacted ex-pat migrants at the various stages of the residency process. We are emerging from two mutually exclusive events. The end of covid (sort of) and the installation of a new government handed a solid mandate to fix constipated bureaucracies here in Costa Rica. BUT FIR...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica How to choose where to live in Costa Rica. So, you are contemplating a move to Costa Rica after being intrigued by the promise of its unique beauty and livability. Going back to 1500, Christopher Columbus gave it the name which translates into "Rich Coast." It had nothing to do with gold, despite that being a major preoccupation. Without drif...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica DIMEX Renewals: This information is a bit dated, but since many of you are still emailing me about renewals of your DIMEX (residency) cards, I thought it timely to post this review. Due to urgent needs to be outside of Costa Rica during COVID, some of you had/have not been able to renew your DIMEX (residency) cards. Or you just let it slip...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Until 2018, the immigration (residency) process was relatively straightforward. Even though the DGME (Immigration) mandate was to process correctly prepared and submitted applications in 90 days, they went past that deadline. Still, my application approvals (and that of other competent service providers) averaged 4 to 7 months. Then came the cri...

This article is based on a personal experience. In Costa Rica there is an Expropriation Law, designed for when the Government needs to use all or part of private property for public purposes. As examples we have when a new highway or road is built or expanded, when it is necessary to install high power lines structures and when bridges are built. In these cases, it is usual to require the taking o...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica CAJA sticker shock. For those who don't yet know, one of the requirements for residency here in Costa Rica is that you must enroll in our national healthcare system (CAJA) upon approval of your residency application. You will be means-tested to assess "fairly" what you can afford to pay—the greater your income, the higher your CAJA premium. A...

Former tourists and foreign residents have chosen to live in Costa Rica for many good reasons, not the least of which is the breathtaking beauty, fantastic weather, and an idyllic lifestyle measurably better than those left behind. Most experience significant improvements to their health after living in Costa Rica only a year. Fewer pills, or none at all, tremendous stress and weight reductions. T...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Elections in the home countries of the U.S., Canada, and E.U. (and other countries) have been painfully divisive affairs these past decades as the social engineers behind the curtain pull on the levers of influence. As such, many of us are tempted to avoid the subject. We are either preaching to the choir or engaged in hostile exchanges with tho...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica We all love tax cuts. Therefore, it is understandable that many of you got very excited when you heard about the new laws governing importation and investment incentives designed to stimulate post-COVID investment in Costa Rica. It did not help that many trigger-happy lawyers, and certain media hyped it up as though it would take effect the n...

On December 13th, 2021, Law number 10,071 came into effect, called LAW OF ATTRACTION OF FILM INVESTMENTS IN COSTA RICA. In this way, Congress declares of Public Interest the attraction of investments from the international film industry, its promotion and the generation of productive chains. What is really strange is that there were no advertising campaigns or generalized information on the approv...

She called herself “La Sicaria”, and advertised on social media that she would “kill anyone for c50,000”, or $78.00. This week she was convicted of seducing a man and luring him to his death in San Juan de Dios, Desamparados. Her real name is Carolina del Carmen Requene, a 26-year old single mother of three, originally from Nicaragua, but residing in Costa Rica for most of her adult life. The ter...

Six people were murdered on October 17th on the private property of American Stephen Paul Sandusky of Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The police arrived at 1AM on October 18th, and have consistently told the press that they are investigating this slaughter as a robbery gone wrong. Was it? Neighbors aren’t so sure. Sandusky was a 61-year old former Floridian, divorced father of two sons. H...

North Americans come from squirrel country -- Canada and USA both have all kinds of squirrels, living in trees and parks everywhere. But Costa Rican squirrels are different. Variegated Squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) are tree squirrels and are found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Southern Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. There are some 15 different species of this squirrel, with a...

The body of American Stephen Paul Sandusky (61) was found on Monday, on his farm Llano Bonito de Buenos Aires, in Puntarenas. His head was missing, his torso and lower body were burned beyond recognition, his arms were still whole. Five Costa Rican citizens were also found dead on the property, three had been shot in the head, all had gunshot wounds, and all but one was burned. The fifth had been ...

This article discloses the existence of three very little-used and little-known legal tools, but which can constitute very valuable tools in certain cases, all in order to protect, guarantee rights in favor of third parties and avoid possible garnishments or unwanted transfers, all in relation to real estate property. These tools are called Voluntary Limitations, Limitations in favor of third part...

On Sunday morning, a jolly group of five people from San Isidro de El General (Perez Zeledon), set off to help a gringo friend of theirs in nearby Buenos Aires de Puntarenas. There were apparently several pieces of farm machinery in need of repair, and 44-year old Quesada Cascante was just the mechanic for the job. With him was his wife, their son, and another couple along to help with the repairs...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica The following is the latest update from the Costa Rica Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud CR): Gradual opening will mark the last quarter of the year. 1. From October 16 to October 31, the sanitary vehicle restriction will be from 10 pm to 5 am from Monday to Sunday and the establishments may operate until the same time. 2. If the evol...

According to the Missing Americans Project, a nonprofit organization helping to track Americans and other nationals who vanish in Costa Rica and elsewhere, disappearances of foreigners are under-reported and not closely monitored by any organization. “Families of people who go missing outside their country’s borders frequently find themselves alone and struggling”, according to the organization’s ...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Due to COVID, rules and procedures continue to change and evolve regarding travel and how one remains legally in Costa Rica. For tourists and those of you preparing for or waiting to have your applications for legal residency submitted (by appointment) or for those of you awaiting approval on submitted applications, the dreaded border runs ar...

Health authorities in Costa Rica warn that the worst moment of the pandemic in the country is expected in the upcoming weeks. Early this week the social security service (CCSS) reported they had over 2,246 patients that required hospitalization due to Covid-19, an increase "never seen before". In average, 27 people die every day with conditions related to Covid-19. "We are close to reachi...

Many foreigners who decide to live in Costa Rica, or come to visit seasonally, find that it is necessary for them to acquire a vehicle to get around. In this way, the high costs of renting a vehicle are avoided, since it is not an occasional visit. However, some have encountered bad experiences when acquiring a vehicle that has been salvage, total lost, suffered odometer alterations, and the like....

Costa Rica has 13 athletes representing the country in the Tokyo Olympics 2021: Andrey Amador : Men's Road Cycling  Maria Jose Vargas: Women's Road Cycling Brisa Hennessy: Women's Surf Leilani Mcgonagle: Women's Surf Carlos Muñoz: Men's Surf (last minute slot) Ian Sancho: Judo Neshy Lee: Taekwondo (last minute slot) Luciana Alvarado: Gymnastics Andrea Vargas: Athletics (Women's 100m Hu...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica There is a significant and welcome change to the entry requirements to Costa Rica. Good news for the vaccinated amongst you. The change is effective August 1, 2021. Those of you who can provide proof of complete vaccination with either the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will no longer be required ...

Costa Rican congress approved a new law to attract investors, people with fixed income (rentistas) and retirees; the purpose of this law is to offer temporary benefits for people who wish to come live in the country and apply for the residency under any of the categories mentioned. Although it was already possible to apply for the residency under those categories now there are additional benefi...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica In response to some emails requesting clarification to my previous article, the following is a brief synopsis regarding visa expiries, the validity of foreign drivers' licenses, and border runs. 1. If you have been in Costa Rica on a Tourist Visa extended several times throughout 2020 and 2021, that visa expired on June 1, 2021. You need to d...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica After repeated visa extensions throughout 2020 and 2021, June 2, 2021 (coming up soon) is the last extension date on visa expiries if you are here in Costa Rica on a tourist visa alone. As a reminder, tourists who enter Costa Rica with a passport from the U.S, Canada, and EU, plus several other countries in the approved country groups, automa...

The current pandemic affecting the world generated an unexpected effect on the real estate market in Costa Rica. Despite travel restrictions and new requirements for tourists such as negative Covid-19 test or insurance with sufficient coverage in case of requiring extended stay due to illness; the truth is that the sale of properties has increased in recent months, especially in the areas near the...

When your lover’s old boyfriend shows up unannounced at your front door, it often means big trouble. This was the case for 57-year old American David Baldino Dominic, who died in a hail of bullets on May 14th, in front of his home in Herradura, Puntarenas. The accused killer is a Nicaraguan by the name of Acuna Centero who came looking for his ex at Dominic’s house early Friday morning. The uniden...

BOLO (Be on the Look Out) for the highly destructive Giant African Land Snail, announced the Servicio Fitosanorio del Estado, (SFE) in a press release.  They warned of a new plague of giant snails discovered in Liberia, Guanacaste, that are aggressive, long-lived, crop-destroying, and spread human disease among people who come into contact with them. It is suspected that they arrived as stowaways ...

Costa Rica registered 2,781 new cases of Covid-19 this Thursday, April 29, a new record for the country. Under these circumstances, the Government has announced new restrictions that will go into effect May 3 and will continue through May 9. The new restrictions include:' The closure of “non-essential” commercial businesses that offer attention to the public from May 3 through May 9th. ...

Costa Rica registered this Wednesday, April 28th, a new record on the number of new Covid-19 cases a total of 2,434. With this new number, the total cases reach 245,601 out of which 40,184 are active. 351 people remain in intensive care while another 467 are hospitalized. The health system has expressed its concern with the current rhythm of infection and the possibility of a collapse of pub...

The Costa Rican Government announced new restrictions that will go into effect as of this Tuesday, April 27, and through Sunday, May 16. The main change has to do with transit restrictions, starting today the restriction will be in place starting at 9 p.m. ad through 5 a.m. Commercial establishments will have to also close business by 9 p.m. in accordance with the transit restriction. T...

Image Courtesy of Diario Extra The Costa Rican Red Cross found the body of Nicholas Ray (27), off the Jaco Beach shore, Costa Rica. Ray was reported disappeared last Tuesday, believed to have been swept out to sea by a rip current while he was swimming with friends. His sister Nicole Ray Goldsby, had arrived from the US to help with the search, when the body was discovered. Red Cross and friend...

During the next weeks, all those Expats who have a corporation in Costa Rica will have to fulfill some obligations that are relatively recent, making important to take them into account in order to avoid problems and headaches. Certainly, having a corporation is no longer as simple as it was a few years ago, but it still offers advantages, and it is a matter of organizing yourself with the fulfill...

In the first three months of 2021, Costa Rican authorities have seized 19 tons of illegal drugs which is excellent, but what happens to those drugs? The Minister of Security Michael Soto and individuals involved in drug trafficking seem to disagree on the fate of confiscated drugs in Costa Rica. Soto claims that under Costa Rican law, the storage and destruction of all seized drugs – regardless...

Mountain Bike Event Kivelix Trophy, a sporting event directed exclusively to women will be taking place between May 15 and 16 in Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel in Rincón de la Vieja, Guanacaste. This MTB competition expects to gather at least 150-200 cyclists. Kivelix Trophy consists of two timed stages and general classification, stage 1 scheduled for May 15th starting at 7 a.m. for the first bloc...

Costa Rica is famous for its beautiful women. Finally, a Tica will grace the cover of the April issue of the US men’s magazine Maxim, and later become the first Costa Rican to appear in Playboy Magazine. Her name is Lucy Hislop, and she is originally from Guanacaste. Ms. Hilsop is a model and entrepreneur, currently living in Miami. She was selected in a virtual competition, where she competed wi...

The Costa Rican Fishing Federation (FECOP), expressed their disappointment in the delay of a tuna law reform that would have given better protection to dolphins and other marine life that is captured as bycatch in the process of purse seine tuna fishing in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is one of the few countries that still allow tuna purse seine boats to capture dolphins while fishing for yellowfin ...