If you’re planning on moving to Costa Rica and you want to bring your pets along it is important that you have all the correct paperwork in order. The following is the basics on what you need to do to bring your pets to Costa Rica. Before you come, however, it is best to check with the Association of Residents of Costa Rica to make sure that the rules haven’t change. (Get in touch with them no later than 3 weeks before you are set to arrive!)

Cats and dogs coming into Costa Rica do not need to be quarantined upon arrival. You do, however, need to make sure that you get a certificate from your vet that Read more

I recently received an e-mail asking for more information about relocation to sustainable communities in Costa Rica. Since I don’t live in a sustainable community, and I have only ever briefly discussed the topic, I decided to do a little bit of research.

One of sustainable communities that kept coming up for Costa Rica was Finca Las Brisas. The Finca isn’t the cover for some social, political, or philosophical movement; it was simply designed for people who want to develop Costa Rican land in a way that is beneficial to the earth, the wildlife, and the community.

Finca Las Brisas deems themselves an EcoCommunity. The small development contains 25 lots, and everyone works together to strengthen the community, and give back Read more

Not everyone can make it work in Costa Rica. Any foreigner that has spent a number of years will attest to that fact. Hundreds of people dream of retiring to this lovely country, but not all manage to make that dream a reality.

Here are some tips for success in Costa Rica:

As a foreigner living abroad who loves hockey (the Detroit Red Wings in particular) one of the most important things for me in getting my residence set us was picking a Cable provider that would get me my fill of the hockey season, and basketball, football, and if they have baseball too, great.

Well, you may have guessed it… even with Cable TV hockey just isn’t popular enough to make the cut, most of the time. The two major Cable providers, CableTica (TeleTica) and Amnet, get you English programming, but not what I was looking for. (CableTica has more English speaking programs and has a much better staff. You can actually find people who Read more

Paying bills due to Costa Rican companies for the electricity, telephone, water and more can be quite a task. Since the mail delivery service is spotty, most companies employ a man who delivers bills via motorbike. His job is not to ensure you receive the bill, rather to make sure he at least sticks it in your gate.

Problem: most houses have a large gate, prohibiting the bill delivery man from actually getting the bill near your residence. What happens next? Usually the bill is stuck in your large entry door for the outside gate just waiting to be found.

Once you have your bill in hand you can pay it at the local bank, most pharmacies Read more

One of the first dilemmas facing retirees and other expats in Costa Rica is how to handle paying bills from back home.

The easiest way to handle paying bills from back home such as a mortgage or insurance is by learning how to bank on the Internet.

Many banks offer a service where they will create and mail a check to whomever you owe, or directly transfer the funds to those accounts. Paying bills and dealing with your bank online is easy and safe, however I recommend getting comfortable with it before coming to Costa Rica. Also, be careful when using Internet banking; never log on from an Internet café or public place on a public computer. Read more