If you are coming into Costa Rica, you can plan on staying for up to three months. After that, you have to leave for at least 72 hours before you are allowed to legally enter the country again. As a tourist you can own vehicles, property, businesses, and generate income from self-employment. Many spend their winter months here as tourists, owning their own home and everything.

For those who plan on making the move to Costa Rica a permanent one, it is highly recommended that you apply for your residency. As long as you have the correct documents and don’t have any major criminal history your residency is practically guaranteed. The processing of the documents generally takes about four months.

You can find residency requirements at the Costa Rica Embassy website; you can apply once you get there, but you need to bring some documents from home, so make sure you read up before making the move! The Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR) is also a wealth of information not to be missed.

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• How to attain a legal status in Costa Rica
• Dry or Green? When to Visit Costa Rica
• Quick Tip for Discounts on Booking Costa Rican Hotels and Travel Services
• Costa Rica Retirement in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times
• Thinking of Relocating to Costa Rica? What you need to know…