暗网禁区

New member to the forum and I'll look through all the forum topics before asking a bunch of questions that may have been asked and answered. Thanks in advance to all of your input.

We plan to either move to Costa Rica or Panama.聽 We lived together for about four years in Panama.聽 This was several years ago,聽 It will be me. my wife and our 51 year old son.聽 He plans to buy us a home and we will live together.聽 He desires to open a small restuarant.聽 Need聽 to talk to a realtor about property that is available.聽 Alot of questions obviously,

Jim Jolliff

Hi. My partner and I (and our three dogs) are moving March 1 from the DC area to Atenas (specifically, Estanquillos). Counting down the days!

If any dog friendly folks want to share a private charter flight from IAD to SJO on Saturday, March 1, please let me know! Trying to keep the moving costs down as much as possible. Thx!

Hello, new member here. I have been living in Costa Rica half time for the last 2-3 years in different areas primarily renting. My fiance is from Monteverde and we have a little girl on the way. I just bought a small coffee farm as a hobby farm and I'm excited to join the community. I'm hoping to eventually move here permanently once I am able to retire. If anyone takes charter flights from Houston I am interested in joining because I fly in once per month on average.

Hello!! My family and I have started the process of selling our home and getting the paperwork started for Visas!! I am very much looking forward to living in better reciprocity with the Earth and the Pura Vida lifestyle! The Coasta Bellena region is where we are hoping to land. I appreciate the information and community found here. Thank you!!

@Julien

Hello all.

My name is Heidi Vardeman, writing from snowy Minnesota.聽 For the past two years my husband, myself and his service dog Zest have visited CR and stayed at a small family owned hotel just a couple of blocks from Jaco beach. We are not in CR now because we have some medical treatments that have to be completed before we can leave.聽 We can't wait to get out of the cold and snow.

We love Jaco beach.聽 Jaco has a chintzy beach town charm.聽 It is great to be in a hotel (with kitchenette) because we have no responsibilities for housekeeping or anything else.聽 We came to CR because it was one of the few warm countries that my husband's doctors would allow him to travel to. It has very good basic healthcare.聽 聽My husband has a spinal cord injury and is paraplegic. He uses a wheelchair.聽 Originally we had planned to stay in San Jose as I had a volunteer opportunity at the Universidad Biblica de Latinoamerica.聽 It's a great school with a beautiful campus but San Jose does not work for someone in a wheelchair.聽 The streets are narrow and the sidewalks even narrower.聽 Having grown up in the Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, I figured the land聽 would be flatter near the ocean.聽 My husband would be able to get around in his power wheelchair better there than in ;San Jose.聽 So I took the public bus to the closest beach to San Jose (Jaco) with a list of all the hotels that claimed to have "instalationes para discapicitados."聽 聽I walked down the beach to check out 21 hotels on my list, but stopped at #19 because we hit the jackpot:聽 a small, family owned one-level hotel in the Spanish hacienda style with a pool and kitchenettes in some rooms.聽 Hotel compound is fences.聽 There's a glorious fruit/vegetable transfer station around the corner where we buy fresh mangoes, pineapples, papayas, bananas.聽 The hotel is about $50/night.聽 We could not be happier with it.

I am a retired Presbyterian pastor and professor who loves to read, talk, read history, watch Britbox and paint watercolors.聽 Recently I taught theology in Ethiopia.聽 My husband, also a minister, worked mostly as a prison chaplain and later as a denominational executive, sort of like a bishop.聽 We are active in local and national politics.

We will continue to visit CR on simple tourist visas (3 months) and retain our Minnesota residency unless my husband takes a turn for the worse. If he needs extensive nursing care, we will move to C.R.because there we聽 would be able to afford to pay for people to take care of him. The elderly are more highly respected in CR.聽 They are not as shut away as they are in the USA.聽 I have been a nursing home chaplain--and a parish pastor who visited an awful lot of old people in their homes. It's the loneliness that creeped me out.聽 I'm not so worried about the healthcare system because I don't expect miracles.聽 聽We have many medical doctor friends in the US (and my husband teaches medical students at the University of Minnesota) so we have a pretty clear idea of what is and what is not reasonable to expect regarding healthcare in CR.聽

I'm rather put off by the appeals to 暗网禁区s on the web, offering a "Costa Rica paradise."聽 Of course it's not a paradise.聽 But unlike other Latin American countries, it has a lot going for it.聽 A friend who is a retired professor of Latin American studies in Tampa says that it had/has two especially important saving graces:聽 1) the lack of resources that foreign countries want/wanted (like copper in Chile) and 2) flexibility on the part of the elite class.聽 They were and are more willing to negotiate -- and concede -- than the elites in other Latin American countries.聽 I'm not sure that's true, but our friend is pretty knowledgeable and well respected.聽

Looking forward to communicating with y'all.聽

Heidi

@mg2319...What is your plan B if Costa Rica ends up not being the fairyland that you imagined ?...Reciprocation with the earth is definitely not a priority with Ticos...The highest use of pesticides in the world is in Costa Rica.Along with the highest rate of gut cancer and number 2 spot in the world for many years.....All this you can find out very easily....Look it up !

@Julien

As a teacher, county Democratic party official and pollworker, I am increasingly concerned about my liberties and personal safety. In addition, the state of Wyoming has gone done a bat-guano crazy rabbit hole and have placed guns above people among other lunacies. My wife and I are in search of concrete, step-by-step information on how to write and quality for a pensionado visa or other long-term visa. I am also interested in continuing to teach and wondering about the current requirements or other credentials. Thank you in advance.

@dwilhelms1...You are already in trouble,you can't work here.With Costa Rica's insecurity you are jumping out of a frying pan and into the fire....Continue your research for another country..

Thank you for your response. However, according to whom? We already live under a fact-free government. We鈥檙e reluctant聽 to simply take one person鈥檚 word at face value.

@dwilhelms1....Be my guest !..Wait till you find out you have no rights here nor that there is no disclosure laws or consumer protection.....You better know how to speak Spanish because聽 your in for a wild ride that will take you to your financial ruination....

I鈥檓 done with you You show all of the frothings and rudeness of a true -blue MAGAt. Do not contact me again. I ask for proof, I get ravings.

@dwilhelms1...I am not MAGA,I am Costarrican....There is absolutely no crossover nor connection..

@Julien

I am considering moving there but need more info.聽 I would need a very cheap apartment or house or a job that included a place to stay.

@dianeahrendt.....It doesn't work that way and basically you are already in trouble before you get here.....First of all, you have show proof of a return flight back to your origins before you step into Costa Rica....If you think Costa Rica is going to do something for tourists wanting to get a foothold for permanence in the country and are coming in with financial trouble,think again..

@dwilhelms1

I would suggest teaching online or something like a nomadic business...you do have to have sufficient funds or pension amount to qualify to live in CR...like many places such as Panama...There is plenty of info on the internet regarding this and it is not impossible...

Good Luck!!

@Julien

My husband and I are Canadian, retired in Costa Rica in 2014 and recently obtained citizenship.聽 Not being fond of city life, tourits, noise and hot beach life, we opted to live in the mountains of Puriscal, coffee country and famous for chicharrones.聽 I volunteer teach English to my amigas, some of their kids and a few other local residents.

Here follows a lot of material that I gleaned from this site that I found to be useful and constructive.

I hope it helps interested parties:

HOW to APPLY (step-by-step instructions) for a Pensionado Visa in Costa Rica

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区22 February 2025 20:56:18

@dwilhelms1

I highly recommend using a Residency Service unless you are already living in CR and speak fluent Spanish.

Google Residency Services in Costa Rica... there are more than a few.聽

If you ask for recommendations... you'll get some specific names on this forum, and others will tell you not to use 'that' service because of their own bad experience. You are an adult, just read their sites and send some Q's or make some calls. If they are willing to answer simple questions without a fee... then they are likely legitimate.

There is an Application process that includes, primarily,

1 The application itself... it has to be in Spanish. My service sent me the questions in English... and they applied them to the Spanish version ... which is the only version that Migration accepts.

2聽 聽A series of documents such as:

One copy (not photocopy) of your Birth certificate.; I recommend, also, having a few copies HERE in CR with you... you may need them for residency renewals, changes from temporary to Permanent applications; etc.

A copy of your passport's 'info' page,

An up-to-date FBI or Police background check (requires a set of fingerprints); FBI, for many, is easier.

Two passport sized color photos

Proof of SS or other pension GUARANTEED income (minimum of $1,000 USD per month). such as your SS Benefits letter; signed and dated by somebody in a SS office.

Another set of fingerprints for the Gov't here in Costa Rica (you can get that done here) and...

An official CR Lawyer's letter or Notary here that is approved by the government that testifies that you are who you say you are... you have to have that done HERE in CR, in person. that fee is paid directly to the lawyer. My service here arranged that and took me to his office. It took less than 20 minutes.

Everything that is coming from your home country must be Apostilled at a Costa Rican Consulate in your country. That Consulate will provide you with a certified Translation 'service' (not free) that will translate all of the apostilled documents from English into Spanish... of whatever your native tongue is. All of that must be put together, with a set of fingerprints for CR, the Lawyer's document, and your completed application (in spanish) and walked into the Migration office. A service will and can do that for you... but you must give them the $$ for the Gov't fees that are required to get the application turned in.

Very good to have a service... if they are 'good' they will make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row, and will walk your application to Migration for you and most importantly, They will speak Spanish and can let you know if there are any issues.聽 The service will be the official liaison between Migration and You... so they will get news from Migration and thus forward it to you and hopefully explain everything.

After The application is turned in, you may wait up to (timing changes constantly) four months just for the Application to be Accepted for PROCESSING ONLY. During that time/wait, if you are in CR and your passport entry stamp expires, YOU MUST LEAVE and then return to get a renewed entry stamp. Once you hear that it is accepted for Processing, you'll receive a document called "Expediente" (a pdf in an email from your service) .... and with that document (make copies and keep one ALWAYS with your passport) you will now wait again... (9 months or more) BUT!!!聽 That Expediente document means that you DO NOT HAVE TO LEAVE Costa Rica if your passport entry stamp/visa expires. But you will always need that Expediente document with your passport because crap happens. So, you can start living here, buy a house, get a dog, learn Spanish, grow weed, whatever, while you wait.

Eventually, you'll get news from your service that your application has been Officially Accepted... and you'll get a new document to replace the Expediente... which is called a 'Resolucion'. Your service will then instruct you to immediately go to a CCSS office to join the National Healthcare system or 'Caja' (which is mandatory for your Pensionista Residency to exist) ...聽 remember to take any and all documents and Resolucion with you; and you will join the Caja while you are there and pay the first month. With a receipt of that... you can then go to a Correos of Costa Rica or to a BCR (Banco de Costa Rica) .... both have on-line reservation options... you can't just do a walk-in; to apply for and get photographed for, your official Costa Rican ID... called the 'Cedula'...聽 it generally gets sent to your local (closest) Correos of CR office for you to go and retrieve... about 2-4 weeks later... so know where your closest Correos office is. Most big towns have them.

BTW... by that time you should have a phone with an 8-digit Costa Rican phone number, and WhatsAp on that phone (most phones here have the app already) so that you can get messages from Correos.

I did the whole process from down here in CR... where I had purchased a home before even applying for residency... I had things sent to a family member in the states (birth certificate copy; etc.) and she forwarded to my Service who took care of doing the Consulate visits; apostille process, and translations. The service here went with me to the Police station in San Jose for fingerprints (passport photo shop was across the street) and to the lawyer's office for the notarized document.... she then walked my application into the Migration office without me... I never went there. The whole thing took half a day... so I was able to get back up to western San Carlos without having to stay in a hotel.

Not all services have people in both countries... but whomever you select to use will assist you with how to go about doing all of this.

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区23 February 2025 16:22:25

A couple of additional details . . .

First, it will be easier if you deal with an attorney/notary close to where you live in Costa Rica. Post a question in this forum asking for an experienced (it's important) representative near you to handle the process. Among other things, you're going to have to swear before a notary that your documents and applications are valid. Better to do that close to home.

Second, all the documents you'll need MUST have originated within six months of their submission to Immigration. That means new birth certificates from the state where you were born, a new marriage certificate (if applicable) from the state in which you were last married (if applicable), new proof of lifetime guaranteed income (Social Security, military or government pension, and some (but not all) private annuity accounts), and a FBI criminal record check. If you're a couple, both must apply and provide the necessary documents although if you're legally married, only one needs to meet the income requirement.

The easiest way to get these documents is to Google them (i.e., Google "State of <wherever> birth certificate" and "State of <wherever> marriage certificate") and opt to have the online service have the new documents apostilled for you. It's not cheap, but these outfits have the connections to the state鈥檚 Office of Vital Records and Secretary of State and can save you a lot of headaches. Many States won't deal with you directly any longer.

You can Google the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica. On their website (maybe Federal Benefits Unit), there's a place where you can request a Social Security proof of income which will be emailed back to you at no cost. Print it out and that will make Costa Rican Immigration happy.

NOTE: What we're talking about here is legal temporary residency, not a "visa".

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区24 February 2025 03:48:39

@daveandmarcia

All good points from Dave... especially his second point about your documents not being older than 6 months.

I will add to his final Point... All original Residencies will be Temporary, and it will say so on your CR ID card.聽 You will have to renew after the first 2 years as per the expiration date on your ID card.聽 聽However, after you have completed year number three... you can go to Migration and apply to change your Residency status to Permanent.聽 Quite easy.聽 I recommend going immediately after the 3rd year has expired.聽 Getting that change to Permanent doesn't require proof of income or anything like that... just some fees and writing a short letter.聽 But !! it can take more than a year to wait for the change.... thus, your fourth year runs out and your Cedula (ID card) will expire.聽 It happened to me, and I went to Migration and asked what I should do... the woman said that it is 'normal' (??)聽 for that to happen and when you DO get the Permanent Residency 'solution'... you just pay an extra $25 to cover that expired cedula.

I suppose I could have renewed the 2-year temporary residency again... but I didn't want to have TWO applications running into each other at Migration.聽 聽I just had to live with an expired Cedula for a few months... so I laid 'low' and tried not to do anything that required an ID during that period of time.聽 Why??聽 you ask???聽 Because with an expired Cedula and a passport entry stamp that was also expired (because you don't need to update that 'stamp' if you have 鈥淩esidency鈥�). I could have been flagged for being here longer than my stamp allowed, and if my Cedula/Residency card was expired.聽 I didn't worry... I had my copy of my application from Migration that was stamped and signed.聽 But not everybody in CR knows about these things (and why would they??) ... Like people at the bank, or at a car rental service; etc.聽 Some of them love calling the police if they think you are illegal. (it happened to me during my first wait... but I had my Expediente document with me; the car rental guy had no clue what it was and called the Migration police anyway... they arrived and were annoyed that he called... false alarm).

Interesting... my final Resoluci贸n letter even had a paragraph regarding the 4th year of Cedula expiring during the 'wait' to achieve Permanent Residency...and it noted that letting that happen wasn't the END OF THE WORLD and you would simply pay an extra $25 in addition to the final fee.

Permanent Residency must be renewed after the first three years; and after that, every 5 years.聽 Easily done at BCR.

Coladas New member03 March 2025 22:43:01

Better check with the consulate you plan to use. The CR consulate in Miami does not provide Apostille services. The forms need to be sent to DC. Starting my residency journey very soon!

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区04 March 2025 14:03:52

When you order the new documents you'll need (birth and marriage certificates, an FBI criminal record check, income verification, etc.), you're likely to find yourself dealing with a company who has exclusive access to those records -- at a fee. They are likely to offer you the service of having those documents apostilled, too. If they do, bite the bullet and pay the fee. It'll be much faster and much simpler than trying to do it yourself.

Note: The apostilling process is performed by the legal authority who issues the document. It is an authenticating process in which the issuer confirms that the document is genuine. The Costa Rican consulates in the U.S. or elsewhere have no part in apostilling documents from a US state such as Florida or California. That's done by the Secretary of State in each U.S. state, typically in their Office of the Great Seal.

If you were born in Florida, it's Florida's state government which must apostille your newly issued Florida birth certificate. If you were married in California, it's their state government which must apostille your newly issued marriage certificate. It doesn't matter where you're living now.

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区04 March 2025 15:38:51

Interesting...聽 I was born in Wisconsin, and all of my documents were apostilled by the Consulate in Los Angeles... or at least, I thought they were.

Perhaps, because many of my documents were 鈥榚mbossed' with or stamped with official seals and included signatures, dates, stamps, etc. from the departments that issued them, the consulate considered that to be a 'genuine' document.

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区05 March 2025 15:14:03

There is an international treaty that forms the basis and establishes the requirements for the apostilling process. Many, but not all, countries have signed on [e.g., not Canada]. This treaty is a relatively recent development. It came into existence during the twenty years that we have lived in Costa Rica.

Before apostilling, individual states in the U.S. had their own procedures for authenticating the documents that their governments issued. In those days, the Costa Rican consulates authenticated U.S. states' documents, but no more. That explains why rainagain's Wisconsin documents were authenticated (not apostilled) by the Costa Rican consulate in Los Angeles. So, it used to be a three-step process: first, get the newly issued document [within six months]; then. have that state's Office of the Great Seal [in the office of the Secretary of State] authenticate it; and then, have the Costa Rican consulate administer its bureaucratic blessing. Apostilling eliminated that last step.

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区05 March 2025 20:51:23

@daveandmarcia

For those 'in' process or thinking about it...Probably good 'fodder' for hiring a Residency Service or Migration Attorney.

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区07 March 2025 14:06:44

I do not know about a "Residency Service" (see above), but an experienced attorney, one who has done a number of residency applications for others before you, will save you a lot of headaches. One slip-up and your application will expire. (Remember the requirement that your documents be less than six months old when submitted), and you'll have to begin anew.

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区08 March 2025 20:11:06

@daveandmarcia

Folks...聽 聽Tons of Residency Services exist that aren't law firms.

There is only ONE item required for the initial Residency application (Pensionista, Rentista, Digital Nomad) that requires a Lawyer, and that lawyer doesn't have to be a Migration Attorney.聽 聽

My service was excellent and nobody on their team was a lawyer.聽 A retired teacher, or bookkeeper, or insurance agent could do it.

They worked on 'residencies' and residencies only... so I'm guessing, they knew what they were doing and weren't busy with other legal matters.

And...聽 just a stab in the dark, but I'm guessing they didn't charge legal type fees either.

Whether you use a lawyer or a residency service, keep in mind that all they do is compile your documents, make sure that everything is copacetic, and then, hopefully, they will walk your application to Migraci贸n for you, and keep you informed as to the status as things progress.

I suppose that if you 'think' you will have special circumstances that require a lawyer (bad marks on FBI background check [e.g., a felony on one鈥檚 record within the prior three years], issues with passports/past residencies, issues with past marriage and divorce s, etc.)聽 then hiring a migration attorney would be worth it.聽 But for the simple due diligence of filling out an application and compiling your required documents...聽 a 'service' is just fine... or you could even do it yourself... but that would most likely require excellent Spanish skills and already living reasonably close to the/a聽 Migraci贸n office.

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区09 March 2025 15:29:18

@rainagain, above you wrote, ". . . or you could even do it yourself... but that would most likely require excellent Spanish skills . . ." and you're right on all but one detail. The documents submitted to Immigration in support of a residency application must be in Spanish, and they must have been translated into Spanish by an authorized Spanish translator. Not just any bilingual person will do.

Anneski Member10 March 2025 14:05:18

Which part needs to be done by a lawyer? I have a close friend, a Tico, who is also a paralegal. She will get my docs to an accepted translation service. (The process of getting my FBI apostille/ birth certificate is already done, because I live in the state capital where I was also born) ,and I have a state pension. I鈥檒l also get some SS but just applied... She will also go to Migraci贸n with me. What would I need from a lawyer?

I had a misdemeanor DUI in 1993. It鈥檚 on the FBI check. I鈥檝e had about five attorneys tell me that could be a problem, and so I need an attorney. Not one residence service OR my friend or the attorney she works for thought a 32 year old misdemeanor would present a problem, especially since my pension comes from the teachers retirement system- I鈥檝e been teaching high school since 1999 so I鈥檓 clearly not getting into any more trouble, what with having to recertify every few years. [The FBI background check should ONLY be concerned with offenses that accrued within the prior THREE years].

But would appreciate understanding which part requires a lawyer?

daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区10 March 2025 15:59:

I think your paralegal friend could handle all of this without any participation from an attorney. Applying for legal residence is a simple and straightforward process as long as you adhere to the details.

TerrynViv Serial 暗网禁区10 March 2025 20:20:2

I agree wholeheartedly about the use of a lawyer. We had to step in halfway through our initial application and finish it up ourselves.

Permanent Residency, we did it ourselves, and it was a breeze.聽 We even managed to get our initial deposits for temporary residency refunded although it took three years!

Just received citizenship without using a lawyer.聽 No more changes for us!!!!!

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区10 March 2025 20:32:19

@daveandmarcia

What I meant鈥� is that an Individual can be his or her own 'service' and compile his or her own documents, and take them to the consulate and 'deal' with the translations, as instructed by the Consulate, etc....聽 WITHOUT help from anybody. Not a service, and not a lawyer.聽 聽If one of the documents needs to be 'from' a lawyer, here in CR, then they can go to a lawyer for that without paying somebody else to do it.聽 I just recently read a testimonial from someone who did it without a service/attorney... and even though he wrote that he would never do it again... doesn't mean that it is impossible.聽 You don't need to pay anybody to do this 'leg work' for you if you are up for the challenge

rainagain Serial 暗网禁区10 March 2025 20:53:30

@Anneski

I am not sure what the 'document' was... but my service took me to a lawyer here in CR where he looked at all of my identification docs... Passport, Birth Certificate, and any other ID that I have, to verify that I am me.

I didn't ask any questions; I just assumed it was part of the process.聽 The woman from my service told me that it was the final 'thing' needed to complete the package of documents to be turned in with my application.

I didn't ask because I was paying somebody else to do it for me.聽 I paid the lawyer myself... it took about 20 minutes, and he said that he does this regularly for various services.

Suggestion... perhaps go to Migration and pick up a copy of the actual application... that, more than likely, has the LIST or instructions as to what items/documents are required.聽 聽 If it still isn't clear, then perhaps, because I used a Residency 'service' and not a certified Attorney, that the document from that attorney was some sort of verification that everything being done by the Service was legitimate...聽 聽 聽

Or... Maybe go to the source with your question and ask a Migration Attorney or send a question to one of the services.

o聽 聽

$1,000.00 pension requirement

silverlawrence New member13 July 2011 18:37:12

How stiff is this requirement when applying for residence? I make $985.00.

Visas for Costa Rica

SSA benefits letter apostille

HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa

Document Legalization for Reunification Visa Application

How to get a Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa?

Gues1230789 Guest13 July 2011 19:01:19

It is absolute, written as that in the law.聽 However, it is pretty easy and cheap to buy a lifetime annuity to make up the difference.聽 If it is in the same name, it can be combined.

Like

silverlawrence New member13 July 2011 19:26:50

I'm researching the lifetime annuity. Any help to understand the process would be appreciated.

Guest1230789 Guest13 July 2011 19:47:24

If you mean the residency process, it's pretty easy, but not really spelled out :-)

- collect your non-Costa Rica documents: birth certificates, marriage certificate, police letter of good conduct (this is the most confusing, because it varies from state-to-state) [NOW, documents must be within six-months old and the good conduct certification must come from the FBI with Apostilles from the FBI and the Great Seal office of the respective Secretary of State where the birth, marriage, or divorce took place and was registered]

- get all the documents notarized/certified

- get all these authenticated (sealed) by the secretary of state (for that document) [Apostilled]

- get all these authenticated by the CR consulate responsible for that state

- bring all these documents to Costa Rica

- visit the USA embassy to get the SS letter, stating that you currently are receiving [N $USD] pension

- get fingerprinted in San Jose; they will send off for an Interpol report [I believe today this MUST be an FBI apostilled report for USCs]

-----

At this point, our lawyer took over - got all the documents translated (official translator only) and stamped, added a letter requesting immigration, waited for the Interpol report (took about a month), then submitted the entire package to immigration.

Note that all documents have to be less than 6 months old from the time you first get it until it is submitted to immigration.聽 This is plenty of time; just don't count on slowly collecting your documents.

------------

Timing for approval varies widely.聽 Ours was very fast; it took less than 3 months.聽 Others have taken years.聽 Somewhere in this timeframe, immigration will notify your lawyer that they have "accepted" your package.聽 At this time, you can legally stay in the country, as you are awaiting your residency (no need to leave and get a new visa).

---------------

Once immigration has "approved" your residency, they will notify your lawyer (usually there is about a month delay; you can be approved in September, and not find out until October).聽 Your approval date is the beginning of your "residency year" - this is the timeframe that you have to show compliance with the rules.聽 These are currently:

- stay in CR at least 4 months (cumulative)

- convert (@$1000 x 12 months) to Colones

When you renew, you will have to show proof that you have done this - usually via passport stamps and bank receipts or letter.聽 Make sure you understand what is acceptable as proof before the year is up, or you may end up having to convert a whole lotta money at the end.

----------------

After you are approved, you will get an appointment for your Cedula (this is your ID) - this can be several months later, but it always expires on your residency anniversary.

Hope this helps,

Julie

silverlawrence New member13 July 2011 22:45:13

You are most helpful. I鈥檓 looking way out, will most likely be approved for SS by the time I鈥檓 ready.

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daveandmarcia Serial 暗网禁区 Today 14:08:37

The income requirement really is absolute. $999.99 per month won't do the trick.

In the U.S., most life insurance agents and financial counselors can guide your search for a lifetime (that's critical) annuity*. The question is, what annuity offers the best deal for the money you have to invest and on what terms. That may take some research on your part.

It is also the聽 case that Costa Rican Immigration may not accept just any company's annuity plan. That, too, will require some research on your part, which is why you really should engage a knowledgeable attorney here to get you through the process. My understanding is that Immigration has a list of companies whose annuities are acceptable. Let that guide your search.

*Some annuity plans only provide for a limited term of payment like (say) ten years. And some plans state that you must pay into them for a set period before you can begin to withdraw monthly payments. Others may state that you pay in for a stated time and then withdraw a one-time lump sum.