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Move To Costa Rica

Moving to Costa Rica can be fast and easy or long and difficult depending on you having made your due diligence. Here's what to know.

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Moving to Costa Rica

Key Takeaways: Moving To Costa Rica in 2026

Importing cars incurs high taxes; buying locally is often better.
Costa Rica offers diverse nature and a laid-back lifestyle.
Importing goods requires proof of value and recent entry.
High car taxes aim to reduce traffic growth.
Pet import requires endorsed health certificates.

The process of moving to Costa Rica can be fast and easy or long and difficult depending on you having made your due diligence.

The Costa Rica of today doesn’t boast the majority of advantages that made it boom back in the 80’s. Still, It provides many reasons for expats to keep coming every year to live and retire.

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Reviewed By Lief Simon

Lief Simon is the managing editor of Global Property Advisor, Simon Letter, and Offshore Living Letter. He has purchased more than 45 properties, investing in 23 different countries around the world.

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A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 12 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2026

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Why Move To Costa Rica

Costa Rica offers (depending on which part you go) an affordable, beach and city life. It offers pristine eco-adventure, animal diversity, endless national parks with lakes, volcanoes, etc… The beaches are top-notch, and the lifestyle is as laid-back as it gets.

The city life can go from little and tranquil like San Ramón to full city life in San José. The weather in Costa Rica is what people consider picture perfect.

Importing Goods To Costa Rica

Tax rates and requirements vary for cars, appliances, pets and other goods in Costa Rica. Here’s a quick overview of importing taxes in each case:

Importing A Car To Costa Rica

You’ll find that importing your own car from the motherland is maybe not such a great idea. Taxes for importing a vehicle to Costa Rica start at 52.29% of the total value of the vehicle. This rate only applies to cars under three years of age.

If you thought that was prohibitive, take a look at rates for older cars. For cars between 4-5 years, the rate sets for 63.91% of the total value, and this rate goes all the way up to 79.03% for cars older than 5 years.

This may leave anyone perplexed, but the reason why these taxes are so exorbitant are divided in two:

Importing Household Goods And Appliances To Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Customs Law has three articles that cover importations of used goods.

This means that the items will receive exoneration under one article and taxation under another article of the Customs Law.

You should understand each article to take advantage of them and avoid high import fees.

Moving Goods Not Considered Luggage To Costa Rica

Every person entering Costa Rica has the right to import free of import duties up to $500 worth of articles/goods not considered luggage every 6 months.

Note that these should be for personal use only. There are some simple conditions to follow:

The importer must be an adult (18 years or older)
The importer must have entered the country within the last 90 days
Proof of value (i.e.: invoice) must be presented for new items
You’ll get your passport stamped for an 180 day period. Until then, you won’t be able to receive this right again
Even if you import goods below 500$, you have to wait the 180 day period to import tax-free again.

Importing Pets To Costa Rica

According to the U.S. embassy in Costa Rica, your dog or cat must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian… and be endorsed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) veterinarian.

Additional information must include:

Certification Statement

This will abide for the pet to be healthy and free of any clinical signs of infectious disease. You should conduct this examination 2 weeks prior to departure date.

Vaccination Requirements

The pet must be over 3 months of age for vaccination.

Reviewed By Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen is the Live and Invest Overseas Founding Publisher. She has more than 30 years of hands-on experience traveling, living, and buying property around the world.

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Move To Costa Rica- FAQs

Can I Collect Social Security If I Move To Costa Rica?

As a U.S. citizen, you can receive your Social Security payments even if you’re living outside the country, provided you meet the eligibility requirements.