The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) considers the call of labor unions an “irrational and irresponsible position”, considering the need that the country has on making decisions to recover the fiscal stability. “The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce condemns this action and asks the Government to take all the administrative and legal measures against people that...

Every year many American Citizens choose Costa Rica as their new home, and even though the country is known for being very welcoming, moving to a different country is never easy, this is why the United States Embassy in Costa Rica decided to offer expats some tips on life in Costa Rica and what their role is in helping American citizens in the country. American Citizen Services (ACS) Chief Ben ...

Costa Rica has grown in the past decades in many areas, foreign investment being one of them, tourism being another; it has strong human development indicators which makes it one of the most stable countries in the region, it is also considered one of the happiest countries in the world. Yet, in addition to the complicated fiscal crisis it is currently facing, inequality is also one of the most...

The School of Economics of the University of Costa Rica published the County Competitiveness Index (ICC), which, as the report states, is the result of an investigation of seven indicators, economic activity, government, infrastructure, business climate, work climate, innovation as well as the quality of life of the 81 counties of Costa Rica during 11 consecutive years (2006-2016); this index allo...

International Living is an online magazine that has the mission of helping readers discover different places around the world that are great options for retirement. In the recent article “5 Great Places for Golfing Retirement”, the publication gives Costa Rica a well-deserved spot. Earlier this year, the country was also listed as the best place to retire in the Global Retirement Index 2018 . “...

In the United States, the latest trend in retirement communities is undergoing development in Florida. Not far from the raucous Daytona Beach, home of rowdy spring break celebrations and biker gatherings, Canadian developer Minot is building a massive managed retirement community branded under the Margaritaville imprint created by the legendary singer Jimmy Buffett. The Margaritaville community...

International Living magazine has the mission of helping readers discover places around the world were it is cheaper, healthier and in general better to live, this year for instance Costa Rica was named by the magazine as the Best Place to Retire Abroad in its Annual Global Retirement Index and it was also included in the list of “5 Best Places to Retire on $30,000.00  a Year”. The magazine has li...

The Costa Rican Central Bank is implementing a new directive that establishes that on purchases of 15,000 colones (approx. $26.50) or less when paying with debit or credit cards with chip or contactless technology presenting the ID and/or signing the voucher will no longer be necessary. According to Carlos Melegatti, director of the Payment’s Systems Division of the Central Bank, currently clo...

In the beginning of the year online magazine International Living named Costa Rica the Best place to retire abroad in its Annual Global Retirement Index; now, the country is included in their list of “5 Best Places to Retire on $30,000 a Year”. When the time comes to consider where to live the years of retirement, many consider Costa Rica because of the weather, closeness to North America, frie...

Roadside fruit stands are a delightful culinary experience not to be missed while traveling through Costa Rica. The country's tropical climate and fertile volcanic soil create excellent conditions for a wide range of fruits to flourish. Although travelers may be familiar with fruits such as mango, papaya, pineapple, bananas, and coconut, Costa Rica offers a wide variety of nutritious and tasty tro...

Playas del Coco in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is one of the oldest beach communities in the country, many expats live here and many more are considering making this location their permanent home. Every year many foreigners choose Costa Rica to start a new life, the country’s closeness to the United States and Canada, its weather, political, social and economic stability, and many natural attraction...

Blue Zones are geographic areas with high concentrations of individuals over 100 years of age and were people generally get to an advance age without experiencing health problems like obesity, heart disease, cancer or diabetes; one of the few blue zones around the world is found in Costa Rica, more specifically in the Nicoya Peninsula. According to recent data by the Ministry of Health, there a...

An imposing figure, known for its activity, the Poás Volcano is a perfect example of how a “living mountain” can bring about diverse, exciting tourist attractions in the neighboring areas. In this case, this area includes the communities of Poás, Vara Blanca, Fraijanes, Poasito, Sarchí and Bajos del Toro. Just a few days away from the country's mid-term vacation, between July 2-13, this region ...

Former top model, entrepreneur and environmentalist Gisele Bundchen, spoke about her love for Costa Rica during her participation at the Omina 2018 sustainable fashion and lifestyle summit which was held at Texas Tech University in Avenida Escazu. Bundchen was one of the guests at the Omina Summit and presented the book Drawdown along with author Paul Hawken; Drawdown a comprehensive plan to r...

The twelfth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks 163 countries according to their level of peacefulness, shows that Costa Rica is one of the countries that have presented a fall in peacefulness, dropping from the 34th position in 2017 to position 40 this year. The Global Peace Index is elaborated by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). “This report presents the most ...

Costa Rica is known for many different reasons, most of them positive, but when it comes to having to deal with government institutions anyone will tell you bureaucracy is crazy and they will make you jump through 100 hoops, 90% of them unnecessary. Costa Rica is the country with the worse average in Latin America when It comes to the number of processes that are required to start a constructio...

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the population in the American continent has won 16 years of life in average in the last 45 years; today, life expectancy in this region is of 75 years. BBC launched a calculator that shows a person’s life expectancy based on the country you were born in, and using this tool and analyzing the results for Latin America, Costa Rica is in the firs...

Costa Rica has experienced an ample growth during the last two decades. Much of that growth is uncontrolled and can create confusion among land owners. The country has laws to protect property rights, some of which are unknown and usually go unused here. Easement laws protect property owners, so they can control what is built around them. Certain easements rights can be acquired over time, like th...

A lot has been said about the cost of living in Costa Rica, and for the most part we can safely say that you can save money on  services such as medical and dental care as well as real estate for example, but you will spend a lot more on other commodities such as clothes, cars and electronics. In Costa Rica your lifestyle has a big influence in how much you spend on a month to month basis. A da...

Costa Rica has certainly become a multi-cultural country. Many foreigners decide to come as tourists, investors or to become permanent residents. Those living in CR usually try to achieve a good relationship with neighbors, employees, friends and everyone in general. However, some of them have found that the worst thing they could have done was being too good to other people. This might sound stra...

Costa Rica once again holds a privileged position in the InterNations’ Expat Insider Report, as the second best place for expats thanks to its “warm welcome and pura vida vibe”. “If you’re looking to make friends, Costa Rica is the place to go. It ranks first in the Finding Friends subcategory, taking the top spot for every question. Expats say it’s easy to make local friends, with almost one i...

Once again, Mexico and Costa Rica are listed as the countries whose citizens work the longest hours according to the  “Employment Outlook” study carried out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The analysis of the OECD includes 38 member countries, from North and South America to Europe and Asia-Pacific, the hours worked is calculated as follows: “Average annual ...

Costa Rica is a small country. However, the number of rules and regulations are certainly overwhelming. There are some legal topics that would not make up an article exclusively but still have a lot of importance. Knowing about their existence can be helpful to Expats residing in the country permanently or temporarily, so here is a mix of legal advice to helping in Costa Rica. Hopefully, it will b...

Costa Rica took first place this year in the International Living Magazine Annual Global Retirement Index, as the best place for expats to retire and now, based on this same report, editors of International Living have chosen some of the most affordable beach towns to live abroad, among them Tamarindo in Guanacaste. The article describes this popular beach town as follows: “The Pacific-coast...

Article 33 of the Migration Law in Costa Rica states that: “…Foreigners have the obligation to exit the country when their term as authorized by the migration authority expires, unless otherwise authorized through a request in the change of category or an extension granted by said migration authority” This same article establishes that if the foreign person does not leave the country in the ...

Costa Rica is the “happiest” country in Latin America, according to the World Happiness Report 2018, which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants, the report is elaborated by experts of the United Nations. “The main focus of this year’s report, in addition to its usual ranking of the levels and changes in happiness around the world,...

Although the real estate industry of Costa Rica is not regulated at the government level in terms of licensing, the substantial number of home buyers and homeowners from the United States and Canada has resulted in an adoption of some of the North American customs and procedures in terms of buying and selling properties. The mortgage lending and closing processes may be different, but the property...

From April 9th to 27th, Costa Rica will have three weeks ofinnovation, design and digital technologies, taught by professionals who are known for their contributions in such areas. For the first time, Costa Rica will have the privilege to be the host country of the Summer School of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID). It is recognized as one of the main references of design in...

On most Real Estate transactions there are two initial items to be checked by any interested buyer: the existence of a Plot Map or "Plano Catastro" duly recorded at the National Cadastre Office as well as proceed getting a title certification from the Property Records Department or "Registro Inmobiliario". This information is of major importance as the plot map represents the physical description ...

During a press conference today, Bayer announced the inauguration today of their new shared service center in Costa Rica, which will be providing 350 new jobs in the country. The shared service center will provide accounting, business support and finance services to all Latin-America. Erika Bernal, President of Bayer Central America and Caribbean, stated “We are celebrating 40 years of being...

If you have your mind made up and have decided to build or buy a house or apartment in Costa Rica, the Construction Expo (ExpoConstrucción) 2018 is a great place to start looking for options . This event will take place February 21-25 at the Pedregal Event Center in San Antonio de Belen, Heredia. Lots, houses, apartments, condominiums, over 217 stands offering construction materials, decorat...

The US Embassy in San Jose announced two upcoming Consular events – in Limon City, a visa session, and in Puerto Viejo, routine services for U.S. citizens. The Consular staff will be on hand to provide the below services and answer any questions. To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate preference by writing to [email protected]. A...

The date for the fourth edition of Le Diner en Blanc – San Jose, Costa Rica will be March 10, 2018, announced the organization of the event this Wednesday, and of course, as it is the style in this type of event, the location will remain a secret. This invitation-only event has now become one of the most expected events by a sector of the population, usually geared towards upper-middle to upper...

Making the decision to buy real estate is always exciting, especially if you are doing so in a foreign country for the first time. There are many aspects to take into consideration before you decide to invest in real estate, this applies for any country in the world, but if you are buying real estate in Costa Rica there are some particular pitfalls you should be aware of before you take the first ...

If you have had the fun experience of driving in Costa Rica you’ve probably already had your share of encounters with one or many dangerous potholes. It’s actually difficult to find a road in Costa Rica in perfect conditions, and if you find one it probably will not last long, potholes are responsible for at least 20% of car failures according to AutoPits; from flat tires to damaged rims, suspe...

Costa Rica claimed a spot in the 2018 list of The World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations, a ranking created by Ethical Travel, an all-volunteer non-profit organization and project of the Earth Island Institute. “Every year, Ethical Traveler reviews the policies and practices of hundreds of nations in the developing world. We then select the ten that are doing the most impressive job of promoti...

Costa Rica is this year’s best destination to retire according to International Living, the country’s many advantages continue to charm foreigners who choose to retire or relocate abroad. The great weather, the political and economic stability, its beautiful beaches and natural attractions as well as the friendliness of its people are just some of the reasons that make the country an attractive...

The Costa Rica Star and Luxe Marketing Boutique is looking for an experienced social media manager to join our growing team. You will help us engage with our clients audiences on social media, identify our online community’s developing needs, and look for opportunities to grow our social reach and brand awareness. If you’re a social-savvy trendsetter whose morning routine wouldn’t be complete w...

This Monday, January 15 is the deadline for owners of luxury houses in Costa Rica to pay the “Impuesto Solidario” (Solidarity Tax) without fines. Best known as the luxury home tax, this tax is to be paid by people who own residential properties in Costa Rica with a total value of ¢129 million colones (approximately $229,600.00 USD) or higher. The value of a property is determined by consider...

When you vacation or live in a foreign country part of the experience is about really immersing yourself in the cultural life and traditions of the same. If you are currently in Costa Rica you can enjoy an event that is highly anticipated by Costa Ricans, the “Fiestas de Palmares” or “Palmares Festivities”. Palmares is the name of a community in Alajuela, it is known by the slogan “un pueblo pa...