Videos

On November 14th a Costa Rica Administrative Law Court issued a preliminary injunction suspending the application of the Vaccine passport QR Code mandate.

The government passed Health Resolution MS-DM-8119-2021 published on October 14, 2021 a Health Directive laying out all the Covid restrictions going forward and in Section 5 it indicated as follows:

Starting December 1, 2021 all persons that want to enter into any of the following places that are under the jurisdiction of the Health Department must be fully vaccinated to prove it must present the QR certification code in order to enter. The list included: Restaurants, Bars, Casinos, Hotels, Cabins, Lodging Establishments, Events, and adventure tourism, museums

In the meantime, four companies involved in the tourism business in Costa Rica filed a petition for an injunction with the Administrative Court in San Jose. This type of procedure is available in the administrative code to allow a court as a precautionary measure to avoid further harm to order the suspension of an administrative act while the matter is litigated.
That injunction was aimed specifically against the Health Directive that we discussed at the beginning which established the Vaccine Card QR Code requirement.

On November 18 on their Facebook page which indicates that commercial businesses will be allowed more capacity limits if they VOLUNTARILY ask for a Vaccine QR Code to their customers. If they don’t want to ask for it then they must adhere to a limited capacity.

For those of you travelling to Costa Rica be sure to visit the website of the Ministry of Tourism so that you get the latest update on the entry requirements. https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements

For more information about Costa Rica visit: https://costaricalaw.com/

Costa Rica has implemented a Vaccine Passport requirement. It requires anybody entering Costa Rica after January 8, 2022 to provide proof of vaccination. The vaccination information must be uploaded to the Health Pass app which all travelers must complete prior to entering the country.
The Tourism Institute has provided a manual of information related to the new entry requirements and you can download it here: https://www.ict.go.cr/es/documentos-institucionales/material-de-apoyo-coronavirus/pruebas-covid-para-usa/1970-costa-rica-entry-requirements-faq-fully-vaccinated-tourists-and-minors/file.html

For more information about entry requirements the official site of the tourism department is https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements

For more information about Costa Rica visit my website: https://costaricalaw.com/

Costa Rica has a long been recognized for democratic stability, with a multiparty political system and a strong elections oversight system. In this video I will explore the Costa Rican political system in preparation for the 2022 Presidential and Congressional elections. For this election Costa Rica is breaking historic record with 27 presidential candidates on the presidential ballot. Does too much democracy result in political gridlock ? Join me as we explore the intricacies of the Costa Rican political system.
For more information about Costa Rica visit my website: https://costaricalaw.com/

If you are considering purchasing real estate in Costa Rica you will need to understand the costs of the transaction. In this video I review the closing costs for real estate transactions in Costa Rica. Those consist of:

(1) Real Estate Transfer Tax. The government collects a property transfer tax (Impuesto de Traspaso) which is equal to 1.5% of the registered value of the property. The National Registry will not record a transfer deed unless the transfer taxes and documentary stamps have been paid.

(2) National Registry Recording Fee. The National Registry imposes its own recording tax of .05% on documents presented for recording to the National Registry. (Derechos de Registro)

(3) Documentary Stamps -The government also charges for documentary stamps. These stamp taxes amount to approximately .037% of the registered value of the property and include the following: The Costa Rican Legal Bar Association Stamp (Timbre del Colegio de Abogados); Municipal Stamp: (Timbre Municipal); Fiscal Stamp: ¢ (Timbre Hospitalario); Agricultural Stamp (Timbre Agrario) and the National Archives Stamp (Timbre del Archivo Nacional)

(4) Notary Fees. The Notary that drafts and records the contract for sale and carries out the closing is entitled by law to a Notary Transaction Fee. The Notary Fee is established by law and compliance with the minimum fee schedule is mandatory for all Costa Rican Attorney’s / Notaries. For real estate transactions the current minimum fee schedule is:

First 10 Million Colones 2%
Excess of 10 to 15 Million Colones 1.5%
Excess of 15-30 Million Colones 1.3%
Excess of 30 Million Colones 1.0%

Bear in mind that this fee is for drafting and filing the property transfer deed. Any additional services including the drafting of purchase agreements, escrow and the like may carry additional fees

If you need to do a quick estimate of closing costs for a Costa Rica real estate transaction then use my Closing Costs Calculator: https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/real-estate-and-property-law/real-estate-calculator/

For more information about Costa Rican legal issues about living, retiring, moving or investing in Costa Rica visit: https://costaricalaw.com/

Roger Petersen is the author of The Legal Guide to Costa Rica.

The Central Valley of Costa Rica is an appealing lifestyle destination for many ex-pats that want to move to Costa Rica. The town of Grecia in the Central Valley is becoming a popular destination due to its' great climate and reasonable prices. The fact that you have a pleasant country living lifestyle yet close enough to the major cities of Alajuela and San Jose allows you to have everything you would need within a short drive. The International airport is only 40 minutes from Grecia.

In this video, I visit the town of Grecia and meet with ex-pat Brooke Bishop who has lived in the area for 22 years. She will give us her perspective on life in Grecia including the climate, cost of housing, medical care, community activities, and more. For those of you interested in living in Grecia or the surrounding towns of Naranjo and Sarchi in the Central Valley you can contact Brooke at: brooke@godutchrealty.com

Also check out the official video of the local government at the Municipality of Grecia. https://youtu.be/oJRwwdi5kfY The Municipality of Grecia website is https://www.grecia.go.cr/

For more information on Costa Rica be sure to visit the most comprehensive Legal Information Site at https://costaricalaw.com/

Be sure to stay out of trouble and ensure a smooth transition to Costa Rica with your copy of The Legal Guide to Costa Rica https://costaricalaw.com/crbooks/

A recent poll conducted by CID Gallup showed that 2 out of 5 Costa Ricans wanted to leave the country. 41% of those aged 18-29 year old indicated that they would leave the country if the had the ability to do so. What is causing this ?

In this video I look at some of the economic and employment date that could explain the poll finding.

For more information about Costa Rica be sure to check out our website at: https://costaricalaw.com/

If you are considering moving, investing or retiring in Costa Rica be sure you pick up a copy of The Legal Guide to Costa Rica to keep you out of trouble: https://costaricalaw.com/crbooks/

For economic analysis about Costa Rica check out the website of Economia Hoy at: https://www.economiahoycr.com/

On July 14, 2021 the Costa Rican President signed the approval of the Law to Attract Investors, Rentistas and Pensioners known now as Law # 9996.

The Law will provide the following incentive:
ARTICLE 5- Incentives

The persons covered by this law shall enjoy the following incentives:
a) Tariff exemption and all present import taxes for one time only, for the importation of their household goods. In the applications they will be able to cover their dependents, for migratory effects. Household goods shall be understood as all new or used articles of a reasonable nature and quantity and proportionally sufficient for the needs of the beneficiary person of the present law and the members of his immediate family nucleus, including, among others, household furniture, electrical appliances, articles of home decoration, kitchen and bath utensils, bed linen……………

b) The beneficiaries may import up to two vehicles for land, air and/or sea transportation, for personal or family use, free of all import, customs and value added taxes. In case of loss of the vehicle due to theft, total destruction by fire, flood, collision or accident, occurred during the term of validity of the benefits granted according to the provisions of the second paragraph of article 12 of the present law, the owner may import another vehicle free of the indicated taxes……………………..

c) The amounts declared as income to qualify for the benefits of this law shall be exempt from income tax.
However, the income obtained in the national territory, resulting from investments made in the country, shall be subject to income tax, according to the provisions of Law 7092, Income Tax Law, of April 21, 1988.

d) Exoneration of twenty percent (20%) of the total transfer tax, in those real estate properties acquired during the term of effectiveness of this law, as long as the beneficiary person is the registered owner of the property. If the beneficiary person transfers these properties during the term of effectiveness of this law, he/she must cancel the taxes from which he/she was exempted.

e) Exemption of import taxes for instruments or materials for the professional or scientific exercise, carried out by the person with the migratory category of investor, resident pensioner or resident annuitant. The person must demonstrate, before the Ministry of Finance, that what is imported corresponds to his economic activity and meets the criteria of proportionality and reasonableness.

For more information visit https://costaricalaw.com/

For the most comprehensive guide on Costa Rica legal matters pick up a copy of The Legal Guide to Costa Rica. https://costaricalaw.com/crbooks/

What is the current status of the Law to Attract Investors, Rentistas and Pensionados and the Digital Nomad Law ? In this video I provide the latest update on the status of these proposed laws and their content.

For more information about Costa Rican legal issues go to https://costaricalaw.com/

Also pick up a copy of the best selling The Legal Guide to Costa Rica. https://costaricalaw.com/crbooks/

Purchasing real estate in Costa Rica requires the buyer to do ample research and get competent legal advice to ensure that you will not have any problems with your real estate transaction in Costa Rica. This video is designed to introduce you to the real estate purchase process from contract to recording title to the property.

You can view my blog articles about the real estate purchase process in Costa Rica at:


The Real Estate Closing Process:

https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/real-estate-and-property-law/the-real-estate-closing-process/

Buying ? Building ? Here is What you need to know

https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/real-estate-and-property-law/buying-building-here-is-what-you-need-to-know/

For more detailed legal information be sure to pick up a copy of The Legal Guide to Costa Rica

https://costaricalaw.com/crbooks/

In this video I will review the current procedures to apply for Rentista or Investor Residency at the Department of Immigration in Costa Rica.
To apply for residency under the Rentista category (Article 82), the applicant must show that they will receive at least US$2,500 per month of income in a permanent, stable and irrevocable manner for at least 2 years. This category includes the applicant, their spouse and all their children which are under the age of 25.

The Investor Category (Article 79 (4) ) requires an applicant to demonstrate that they have made an investment in Costa Rica. To qualify for investment status the applicant must show that they have invested at least US$200,000 in Costa Rica.

Due to Covid regulations the Department of Immigration is working by appointment only so it is important that you understand how this impacts your residency application process.

For more details read my blog post on How to Apply for Residency in Costa Rica – a Step by Step Guide. https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/immigration-and-residency/how-to-apply-for-residency-in-costa-rica-a-step-by-step-guide/

Go to CostaRicaLaw.com and get your Free Costa Rica Immigration Guide for 2021: https://costaricalaw.com/

Department of Immigration Contact Page: https://www.migracion.go.cr/SitePages/Directorio.aspx

The Department of Immigration Appointment site: https://servicios.migracion.go.cr/Citas/Account

The Department of Immigration online Portal: https://tramiteya.go.cr/dgme/
For information on getting health insurance from the Costa Rican Caja : https://www.ccss.sa.cr/tramites/?cat=113

For my blog article on the mandatory health insurance read here: https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/immigration-and-residency/costa-rica-caja-health-insurance-payment-scale/