Costa Rica Relocation Blog

This is the time of year that many individuals and families start looking toward their move to Costa Rica.  Whether for a job transfer, coming down to experience a different way of life or just to start something new.  There are many reasons to move to Costa Rica but don’t forget your dog when you make the move down.

Some think that there is a quarantine in Costa Rica or their is a waiting period before you can bring your beloved pet.  This is not so.  Pet relocation to Costa Rica is very simple if you have someone or some company that knows the ropes and how to get through the customs process.

If your pet relocation consists of you and your cat in a bag arriving together at Juan Santa Maria, you can do this move alone as there is not an import permit or other documentation from Costa Rica.  The same holds true if you are bringing your pet as checked baggage.  It is by far the least expensive form of pet relocation and the simplest by far.

Another story holds true if you must send your pet as manifest cargo.  This is a very safe way to send your pet and often times the best for families that have much more on their list of to do’s during this busy time.  Your pet relocation can go smooth as silk with the right pet transportation specialist in charge.

Nowadays you can hire someone to take care of the move for you.  Someone that is well-versed in pet transportation can come to your home and pick up your pets.  Travel kennels will be provided and made ready for international travel.  Your pet relocation specialist will make all of the arrangements for the move and can actually provide door-to-door service.  This person or company can get the necessary permits, thwarting any confusion or problems with customs.  Then when the move is complete your pets will be returned to you in fine condition.

It is best, if traveling to Costa Rica with a larger pet, to have a pet relocation specialist to keep everything moving along quickly and smoothly.  This will insure your babies do not spend the night in an empty warehouse waiting on you to bribe their way out the following day.

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Costa Rica is not an island as many think that it is.  It is located in Central America, Costa Rica has coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The tropical coastal plains rise to mountains, active volcanoes, and a temperate central plateau where most people live (San José, the capital, is here). The only country in Central America with no standing army, it enjoys continuing stability after a century of almost uninterrupted democratic government. Tourism,which has overtaken bananas as Costa Rica’s leading foreign exchange earner, bolsters the economy. A quarter of the land has protected status; the beauty of rain forest preserves draws more and more visitors.

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Unfortunately Costa Rica is not without con men even in the face of tragedy.  The national emergency commission is warning unsuspecting people that con men are soliciting donations in the name of the earthquake victims.

The commission urges that all donations be sent to the bank accounts listed below as receiving funds for quake victims.

There is one organization that we believe is legitimate and that is Juntos por Ninos.  Some animal lovers are making donations to those kinds of organizations for the care of the abandoned animals in the quake zone.

in the midst of a national tradegy the Fuerza Publica officers detained two men on Saturday who were looting vacant homes in Chinchona.  They carried jewelry and other valuables from the homes of their occupants had left in haste when the quake hit.

The emergency commission has accounts at Banco de Costa Rica #118281-1 for contributions in dollars and #91100-3 for contributions in colones.

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The aftermath of the record setting 6.2 earthquake has left as many as 225 homes unsafe to live in. Many of these homes were flattened and the ones that did not slide down the side of a mountain may before too long.  The current count of dead is 18 but there are as many as 60 still missing.

The people that were standed at the LaPaz waterfalls had to stay the night at LaPaz as there was no way to get those 300 people out.  It is my understanding that they used helicopters to get those that were stranded in and around Poaz.

There are only a handful of shelters for those that have lost their homes.  Several churches and expat groups around Costa Rica are offering help for the displaced families.  Since the area where most  expats live and work was not really touched by the tragedy they are offering what they can to those that have no place to live.  These expats are coming out to help like never before to give what they can to the victims.

Banco National has set up an account where you can make donations to help the victims. The account at Banco National is: 200-01-006-35153-8. The SWIFT Code is BNCRCRSJ. The account is in the name of one of the charity directors, Adelaida Bogantes Rojas, said Wells.

International Baptist Church (with a huge expat community), has many locations that are receiving money or food donations. Among these are believed to be Unity Costa Rica and the Escazú Christian Fellowship. So is Casa Presidencial, most Cruz Roja locations and even some fire stations.

If you find it in your heart to help these poor people, you can let us know as well and we will help get your donation to the right group where it will do the most good.  Email us at info@relocationcr.com or call us at 1-877-889-1131.  You may not know but $20.00 will go a long way to help these folks.

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I have received many emails over the years from readers of my blogs who are interested in moving to Costa Rica from the US or other ‘developed’ countries’.

Here are some tips that I picked up from years of actual cross-cultural communications as well as first-hand experience.

1. Be informed (Know) before you go. Read! Read! Read! Surf the Internet and purchase up-to-date print Guidebooks, country specific to where you wish to relocate. Talk to as many people as you can who have lived in Costa Rica.

Always spend at least 2-3 weeks in Costa Rica before deciding to make the move. Seeing is believing. Never rely on internet sites, user groups, forums or blogs as your primary source of information. Never arrange to purchase Real Estate abroad from any website nor contract expensive Real Estate & Relocation tours online. One Woman, whom I know, spent over $200 USD a day in Costa Rica on ‘Real Estate Tours’, returned home broke and bitter after a week. If you do not have a friend or relative in your target country who you are able to stay with, contact Guardian Angels and they can start you on the right track. They’ll show you around and you’ll get to do things most tourists don’t do — and offer insider information on their area.

Start taking some Spanish lessons online and also in frontal classes or with a native speaking tutor at home well before departure. Build a language ‘basic’ foundation. Stepping up to intermediate and advanced is easy once in a Spanish speaking country. In all Latin American countries, excepting Belize and Guyana, former British Colonies and parts of the Caribbean coasts, only a small percentage of your local neighbors will speak English.

2. Find a cultural mentor. Long term resident or trusted bilingual local. I befriended a couple of younger, less experienced expats during my first years living in Costa Rica. These people were very gracious in helping me with many day-to-day tasks in the beginning, teaching me to be independent — step by step and not to rely on locals to ‘hold my hand’. A good mentor can and often will point out errors in judgment. Social contacts and personal relationships are very important throughout Latin America.

3. Choose your home and neighborhood carefully. Look for one that will accept you, and where you will feel comfortable. Cheap rent in a poor neighborhood may sound great, but in the long run, you may be robbed or worse. Keep a low profile and never divulge your personal or work information or give out your address to overly friendly strangers.

4. Go slow at first. Don’t expect to work at the same pace as you did in the US/Canada/UK, etc.. Things are just simply harder to get done in Latin America. And slower. Always. Often people show up late, very late, for appointments. Never reprimand locals for this unless they are in your employ and have business commitment with you. ‘Life in The Tropics’ — Don’t take yourself too seriously and keep a sense of humor.

5. Try not to make general assumptions about Latin Americans. Just as you would not want those in the country where you are relocating to assume that every US or Canadian citizen is rich, white, and arrogant, you should not assume that all Latin Americans are alike. Listen to locals and ask questions.

6. Expect a testing period. Friends, contacts and co-workers need time before you are accepted into their trust. Once you are deemed trustworthy, the doors will fly open.

7. Expect life to be a bit annoying in the beginning. Cold showers are the norm in many areas. Air conditioning is most often a luxury. Water and electricity sometimes fail on a daily basis. In some areas Internet Connections are slower than at home.

8. Try not to complain. Accept that Central or South America is different than the US/Canada/UK.

9. Look for the good things in your adopted new country, such as the beautiful mountains, rustic rural national parks or beaches.

10. Be humble. One of my favorite phrases in Spanish, “I don’t understand.” “Yo no lo comprendo” A humble attitude goes a long way in getting along with co-workers and friends. Even if you feel you ‘know’, always get a second opinion from a native or long term expat resident friend.

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