Bringing your Car to Costa Rica

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<hr>driving it back and forth across the borders every 90 days to renew your visa.<hr></blockquote> As far as I am informed you can only do that once! In Detail: You can enter with your car and stay in Costa Rica for 90 days. After that you can leave the country with your car and return and you will get another 90 days. But after that you are not allowed to bring your car back to Costa Rica after just 4 days out of the country!

Further, it used to be you could take your car out for 6 months (for example store it in David Panama) then you had the 2- 90 day extensions every year. I used to know folks that came for 6 months every year that did this, But I am not sure what Panama required however.

-Chris

Better to consider buying a super cheap car in Costa Rica for the year and selling it when you leave.

Sounds like the hound is the real problem. If you have an older car you might just consider paying the duty and just considering it a tax for having your own wheels.

Maybe you can locate someone down there who wants a car transported, drive it down then buy a piece of crap in Costa Rica and hope it lasts a year and for the trip home.

How about driving down, paying the duty, selling the car just before you leave (prices down there reflect the duty so you should recover most if not all of it) and then you and the pooch signing on as deck hands for someone sailing back to San Fran...

How are you handling your residency? The perpetual tourist thing is a pretty long shot anymore and if they deport you I don't think they'll let you take the dog.

Unfortunately, the laws in CR are geared in favor of the car industry. One suggestion... either board your dog or find a friend to look after him. To be honest, given how dogs are treated and the viciousness of many dogs he may not be happy traveling. You take public transport..buses ... down. Then when settled in and have a house for the dog have the dog flown to you. Buy a car down there. PM genofromcolorado. He has driven down and taken a dog I believe...at least he took kids. He could probably tell you about the cost effectiveness of the various options.

ACTUALLY THE LAWS ARE GEARED TO THE IMPORT TAX COLLECTOR....MAYBE THE POOCH WOULD ENJOY A FLIGHT. SELL YOUR SLED IN THE STATES, FLY TO C.R. BUY A USED CAR AND SELL IT WHEN YOU SPLIT. I MADE THE DRIVE, AND EL PERRO WOULD SEEM TO ADD TO THE HASSEL.....
MY OPINION...CHECK THE "TICO TIMES", ON LINE, TO GET A FEEL FOR THINGS HERE, OR BETTER YET "LA NATION"....

Who needs wheels in CR?

Its the hound causing the problem, or just another american addicted to his car....not to Green a person for someone from San Fran...embarrassing...

on behalf of the human race, i apologise that ticotim is one of us. The only snide responder.

it is better to buy a vehicle here unless you just have to have that particular car here, especially if you are only here a year. If you were planning on taking the vehicle back north as you will put some serious wear and tear on it and it will not be worth to much.

Only snide responder...

Umm.....Goodtimebob normally get that award, but i am trying to out do him...

It would be one thing if the Op wanted to see all the countries on the way down say over 2-3 months, but the only concern the Op has is for a car in CR, where public transport is easy and readily accessible, not to mention the OP has no clue as to the what the program is.

Second, as GTB points out, hounds in CR, and CA are not revered as pets, but more a nuisance, and between the locals kicking the dog or running over it, the local god pack will be sure to chew its tail, ears and fur off....depending what barrio the OP lives in...there are dog gangs here....