If you are moving to Costa Rica you will probably notice that some things are highly overpriced. One big example is electronics. One reason I don’t like buying electronics in Costa Rica in they don’t really have any warranties. So, like me, you may want to bring your electronics with you. 
When doing this you need to be very careful. Many people bring electronics into the country with the intention of selling them. This is illegal, unless of course you have an import/export business. The purpose of this article is to help you when bringing your things to Costa Rica to use in your home.
Before leaving your country of origin the first thing you need to do is remove all your electronics from any boxes they came with when you bought them. The reason is most people who sell an item will sell it with the box. By not have your things in their boxes and leaving their boxes in your country of origin you are giving the signal that these items are yours and are not for sale.
When I came to Costa Rica I owned a Wii and a Wii Fit. The Wii was packed in my luggage and I had no problem bringing it into the country. My Wii Fit, on the other hand, was the only thing I forgot to take out of the box and it was in my carry-on luggage. When going through customs they almost confiscated my Wii Fit because they thought it was new and I was going to try and sell it. Fortunately the customs agent was more interested in a girl than my Wii Fit so he permitted me to pass.
The next thing you will want to do is make sure that any item you can’t fit in your carry-on luggage is securely stored in your luggage. For example I brought an LCD television with me to Costa Rica. I obviously had to bring it in my luggage so I wrapped it with bubble wrap and blankets and put pillows on top and under it. Fortunately it arrived without a scratch.
When filling out your customs forms it will ask “Do you have any items to declare?” Normally I put no. The reason is because I am not bringing anything into the country as a gift or to sell. Secondly in most cases you only have to declare things if what you are bringing into the country as a whole is equal to or more than 10 thousand dollars.
The best policy to follow though if you run into any trouble, is always be honest. Remember the Costa Rican government is used to people immigrating so most of the time they are willing to work with you as long as you always tell the truth. This doesn’t mean though that you should talk a lot. Always use brief direct answers if you run into any problems. It is worth the effort to bring those little things from your old home that helps your new house truly feel like your new home.
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Hola costaricagringo, buscando una suerte de paginas en la web me tropecé con la tuya y me gustan tus basados, creo yo en experiencia propia. La política en los puertos (aéreos y marítimos) deberían permitirle al viajante el mínimo de incomodidades a la hora de viajar.
Es totalmente cierto, aqui practicamente no dan garantia, en algunos comercios es muy dificil que te atiendan un reclamo, y en la mayoria de los casos terminas con tu equipo reparado o pagando de mas.
Espero que disfrutes costa rica.
Hi Costaricagringo, looking for a kind of pages on the web, I stumbled upon yours and I like your comments based, I believe in experience. Politics in the ports (air and sea) should enable the traveler to the minimum of inconvenience to the traveling.
It is absolutely true, here are practically no guarantee, in some stores is very difficult for you to meet a claim, and in most cases end up with your equipment repaired or paying more.
I hope you enjoy Costa Rica.