I am planning to move to Costa Rica and have a few questions about the process:
-Is it reasonably safe to make the trip by car if one desired to do so?
-What costs/taxes would be involved when crossing boarders and finally residing in Costa Rica?
-Will I run into trouble crossing boarders if I have a pet (American Staffordshire Terrier) I have his health certificate.
-Are there any GPS systems that have detailed maps of Central America? Garmin does not.
-Does Costa Rica have prepaid cell phones or mobile internet cards and if so how/where are they purchased?
-Is being able to speak Spanish necessary? I am attempting to learn the language, but it's a lengthy process.
Thanks for the guidance,
Matt
gatekeeprr
1
ticotim
Have you done a search?
Have you been to the region before?
Garmin will do you no good...its one highway, the Pan Am 1.
Do you have any idea how you will stay here longer than the tourist Visa allows? Have you applied for residency? You do know the expense of registering a vehicle in Costa Rica, the tax in almost 30% of the Blue Book Value...
You do know that there are few American cars here, mainly imports, Toyota, Nissan, Hyuandai.
Basic spanish is all the needed to get to CR, but mastering it once living here will be important.
2
dkt2u
Tim makes a good point. You might want to rethink your move if you think you are going to be able to move down here and get a job. Even with basic residency, you are not allowed to work in most jobs in Costa Rica. I personally would not make the drive, especially with a lot of my personal items I would be moving down here with. As Tim said the import tax on your vehicle makes it financially foolish to drive it all the way down here.
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