All Entries in the "Expat Living" Category
Dealing with Immigration Department
Dealing with immigration is not for the faint of heart. Hours long waits are typical and it is necessary to move quickly when a number is called. Improvements in recent years have greatly reduced the lines and better organized the facility, however patience is required and those that do not speak Spanish fluently are encouraged [...]
Costa Rica Police Background Check for Residency
All residency applicants are required to present themselves to the Ministry of Public Security for fingerprinting and a criminal background check. The procedure is available weekdays in the morning at the Criminal Records Office of the Fuerza Publica in San Jose, which is in the old police academy building just across the street from the [...]
Police Clearance Letter for Residency
Perhaps the most enigmatic requirement for obtaining residency is the “police letter”. This is because the United States is actually a collection of 50 states, and each state has its own special form of bureaucracy. The basic requirement is that the records check should be based on both legal name and fingerprints. When checking government services [...]
Costa Rica Marriage Certificate
The national registry is located in downtown San Jose in Barrio Amon and has the responsibility to record birth, marriage, death in Costa Rica. It’s a part of the electoral court and is also where Costa Rican citizens receive their cedula or national identity card.
State Certification of Residency Documents
Prior to taking your documents to the Costa Rica Embassy you will need to obtain certification from the Secretary of State where they were issued. The certification is a signed and sealed cover letter (see example document) from one party in each U.S. state that the Costa Rica embassy can recognize.
Costa Rica Ministry of Exterior Relations: Translation and Authentication
A visit to the Ministry of Exterior Relations or Casa Amarilla is the last step in the process to authenticate documents for Residency Application. Attorneys or other professionals that handle applications in Costa Rica typically handle this step, however those handling their application personally need to come here. Fortunately the process is simple, costs very [...]
Visit to the Costa Rica Embassy in Washington D.C.
I have to admit that I was pretty worried about my trip to the Costa Rican Embassy in Washington D.C. I had read some discouraging things on the Internet, and had been calling for two days with no answer. I also know from personal experience that Costa Ricans take the Christmas holiday seriously and the [...]
Gringo Tries to Skip Out on $8 Bill
Officer Martin Jimenez is responsible for this video captured at night on the pedestrian Boulevar or Avenida Central of San Jose just in front of the Hotels Balmoral and Presidente. The real action doesn’t start until 3 minutes into the video clip where we learn that the municipal police are responding to a call for [...]
Costa Rica Needs to “Fix Broken Windows”
Downtown San Jose was recently the scene of an all out gun battle, and while the report of shoot out in broad daylight in the heart of a Latin American capital city may not seem surprising the fact is that such a scene is uncommon in Costa Rica. Of course there is gang violence and [...]
Where Do Perpetual Tourists Go?
Perpetual Tourists in particular from the United States have enjoyed a presence in Costa Rica for many years. The truth is being a perpetual tourist is not the easiest existence as the work opportunities are not really good, and the culture can be difficult to adapt. Most people who start as perpetual tourists eventually move [...]
