-Why Costa-Rica?
Residency and visa permits
geographic
Hurricanes
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Climate overview
Politics
Environment
Electricity
Security
Airports
streets
people and mentality
languages
Residency and visa permits
geographic
Hurricanes
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Climate overview
Politics
Environment
Electricity
Security
Airports
streets
people and mentality
languages
-Why Costa-rica?
Residence permits and tourist visas:
-With European, US or Canadian passport you are allowed to stay to a term of 90 days in Costa Rica or Panama.
-Best way so far is to leave the country every 3 months to Panama, but before you re-enter Costa Rica 3 days have to be gone, often less then a day are accepted as well. Many foreigners make profit from this loose rules and are able to stay in Costa-Rica all the year round. Unfortunately, the government has decided to squeeze the freedom away from the ''eternal tourist'', so if they see you are going in and out of Costa-Rica, they will reduce your visa 1 month at a time, making you decide to get your residency or to not go back... Fortunatly, we don't know anyone whom ran into this issue... And we are surrounded with "eternal tourist".
To get residency, the best way is to have your baby born in the country, so the mother, father and the baby will get the residency automatically, after paying the lawyer's fees, that are around 1-2 000$.
Also, you may be able to prove that you have an income of at least 10 000$ per year. Then you pay the lawyer fees, and you must pay a health insurance of 45$ per month, which is actually a percentage from your yearly income, so if you make more you will pay more for your health insurance.
Marriage also works, there are plenty of fine Costa Rica woman whom would love dual citizenship!
As soon as you apply for residency, you don't have to leave the country every three months, and the application can take up to two years before it is rejected or accepted.
Finally, you can also invest 200 000$ in Costa-Rica, plus the lawyers fees.
Geographic:
Costa Rica offer a big variety of landscapes: flat plains with perfect beaches, high plains with the best climate and mountains with an altitude of 12.500 ft.
Costa Rica is located between a latitude of 8 and 11 degree north - so very tropical. To compare, some examples: Florida or Paraguay is at 25° (north/ south), southern Spain (Malaga) at 35° N.
The size of Costa Rica is 51.000 square kilometers (20.000 square miles). So it is a bit larger than Switzerland (41.000 km2).
Hurricanes:
Costa Rica‘s latitudes is about 1.000 Kilometer (600 miles) south of the Caribbean hurricane belt. Sometimes you have stronger winds but no hurricanes at all.
Volcanoes:
The country‘s mountains are of volcanic origin. Many volcanoes are called „dead“. But there are also several volcanoes that are active or so called quiet ones that have one active period within 20 or 30 years. But don‘t worry: The volcanoes usually break out without fountains of lava, but have flowing lava which stops some hundred of meters behind the eruption crater. At least every second Costa-Rican lives in the central valley which is bordered by two of the none-dead volcanoes (Irazu and Poas).
Earthquakes:
No doubt, there are earthquakes in Costa Rica. By building a house with maximum two floors in a light construction from natural materials you won‘t need to care about this danger.
Climate overview:
-whole year between 20-35° C (70-90° F) at daytime (cooler in hills and mountains)
-tropical states with dry and rain season (amount of months with dry season varies from one to another region), in general there on the Caribbean site the climate is less changing during the year.
-all climates from dry-hot over moderately warm to humid-hot exist. Because of the different amounts of rain and temperatures you can plant nearly everything you can imagine. In higher elevations you can also plant fruits and vegetables known from Europe/ northern America. You can also buy local produced certified organic food and cosmetics in these countries.
-in the tropics you make only a difference between dry and rain season. There is nearly no change of temperatures or amount of daylight during the year.
-But you make a difference between the more humid Caribbean site, the drier pacific site and the high plains.
Sources: Meteorological Institut Costa Rica
Politics:
Very stable government, no dictature unlike most of central american countries.
more information... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Costa_Rica
Environment:
They pay a significant attention to the protection and conservation of nature. Many people living on certain rivers receive money from the Costa-Rican and other government to protect their river side. 99% of electricity is renewable, making it one of the greenest country on the planet. But Costa Rica also is the highest user of chemical on the planet per person... The garbage removal system is terrible, most is burned or dumped in landfills, recycling is becoming popular in many areas.
Electricity:
Electricity is generated by hydro electric power plants. In small amounts the governments have invested in solar and wind energy, too. There are only a few different sources. The cost is very high, for someone who uses more then most, it will cost 0.29$/kWh.
Security:
No army exist. But there is the forced police, or military police. Of course you find crime in Costa Rica, too. But if you avoid certain parts of the bigger cities or towns during the night time and don‘t show obviously your wealth in the countryside you‘re going to be fine.
Airports:
There are international airports, one close to Liberia (northern CR) and the other in the capital San Jose. one more is planed at the moment (Palmar Norte/ southern Costa Rica)
Streets:
Costa Rica has the most streets per square mile in whole Central America. Their conditions are from very good to terrible, deends if you live away from towns, using the gravel roads or not.
People and Mentality:
Costa Rica‘s inhabitants root by 80-90% from Spanish people (not many other European nationalities). About 5% are black skinned, 3% Indians and a few Asians. So culture and mentality is based in Europe. Here in the Caribbeans there is a lot of black people from the Caribbean islands, making a 16% of the population, and the foreigners form a 57% of population.
Languages:
By the origin of it‘s inhabitants the Spanish tongue spoken in Costa Rica is free of hardly understandable Indian phrases but includes typical grammar and words of the Spanish in Latin America. Almost all black people speak English, which is really nice for anyone who don't know Spanish yet.
In Cities some people speak English at least many of the young. Old people (+50y.) often speak Spanish only.
In some touristic zones there is a tourist police that understands English always.
Residence permits and tourist visas:
-With European, US or Canadian passport you are allowed to stay to a term of 90 days in Costa Rica or Panama.
-Best way so far is to leave the country every 3 months to Panama, but before you re-enter Costa Rica 3 days have to be gone, often less then a day are accepted as well. Many foreigners make profit from this loose rules and are able to stay in Costa-Rica all the year round. Unfortunately, the government has decided to squeeze the freedom away from the ''eternal tourist'', so if they see you are going in and out of Costa-Rica, they will reduce your visa 1 month at a time, making you decide to get your residency or to not go back... Fortunatly, we don't know anyone whom ran into this issue... And we are surrounded with "eternal tourist".
To get residency, the best way is to have your baby born in the country, so the mother, father and the baby will get the residency automatically, after paying the lawyer's fees, that are around 1-2 000$.
Also, you may be able to prove that you have an income of at least 10 000$ per year. Then you pay the lawyer fees, and you must pay a health insurance of 45$ per month, which is actually a percentage from your yearly income, so if you make more you will pay more for your health insurance.
Marriage also works, there are plenty of fine Costa Rica woman whom would love dual citizenship!
As soon as you apply for residency, you don't have to leave the country every three months, and the application can take up to two years before it is rejected or accepted.
Finally, you can also invest 200 000$ in Costa-Rica, plus the lawyers fees.
Geographic:
Costa Rica offer a big variety of landscapes: flat plains with perfect beaches, high plains with the best climate and mountains with an altitude of 12.500 ft.
Costa Rica is located between a latitude of 8 and 11 degree north - so very tropical. To compare, some examples: Florida or Paraguay is at 25° (north/ south), southern Spain (Malaga) at 35° N.
The size of Costa Rica is 51.000 square kilometers (20.000 square miles). So it is a bit larger than Switzerland (41.000 km2).
Hurricanes:
Costa Rica‘s latitudes is about 1.000 Kilometer (600 miles) south of the Caribbean hurricane belt. Sometimes you have stronger winds but no hurricanes at all.
Volcanoes:
The country‘s mountains are of volcanic origin. Many volcanoes are called „dead“. But there are also several volcanoes that are active or so called quiet ones that have one active period within 20 or 30 years. But don‘t worry: The volcanoes usually break out without fountains of lava, but have flowing lava which stops some hundred of meters behind the eruption crater. At least every second Costa-Rican lives in the central valley which is bordered by two of the none-dead volcanoes (Irazu and Poas).
Earthquakes:
No doubt, there are earthquakes in Costa Rica. By building a house with maximum two floors in a light construction from natural materials you won‘t need to care about this danger.
Climate overview:
-whole year between 20-35° C (70-90° F) at daytime (cooler in hills and mountains)
-tropical states with dry and rain season (amount of months with dry season varies from one to another region), in general there on the Caribbean site the climate is less changing during the year.
-all climates from dry-hot over moderately warm to humid-hot exist. Because of the different amounts of rain and temperatures you can plant nearly everything you can imagine. In higher elevations you can also plant fruits and vegetables known from Europe/ northern America. You can also buy local produced certified organic food and cosmetics in these countries.
-in the tropics you make only a difference between dry and rain season. There is nearly no change of temperatures or amount of daylight during the year.
-But you make a difference between the more humid Caribbean site, the drier pacific site and the high plains.
Sources: Meteorological Institut Costa Rica
Politics:
Very stable government, no dictature unlike most of central american countries.
more information... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Costa_Rica
Environment:
They pay a significant attention to the protection and conservation of nature. Many people living on certain rivers receive money from the Costa-Rican and other government to protect their river side. 99% of electricity is renewable, making it one of the greenest country on the planet. But Costa Rica also is the highest user of chemical on the planet per person... The garbage removal system is terrible, most is burned or dumped in landfills, recycling is becoming popular in many areas.
Electricity:
Electricity is generated by hydro electric power plants. In small amounts the governments have invested in solar and wind energy, too. There are only a few different sources. The cost is very high, for someone who uses more then most, it will cost 0.29$/kWh.
Security:
No army exist. But there is the forced police, or military police. Of course you find crime in Costa Rica, too. But if you avoid certain parts of the bigger cities or towns during the night time and don‘t show obviously your wealth in the countryside you‘re going to be fine.
Airports:
There are international airports, one close to Liberia (northern CR) and the other in the capital San Jose. one more is planed at the moment (Palmar Norte/ southern Costa Rica)
Streets:
Costa Rica has the most streets per square mile in whole Central America. Their conditions are from very good to terrible, deends if you live away from towns, using the gravel roads or not.
People and Mentality:
Costa Rica‘s inhabitants root by 80-90% from Spanish people (not many other European nationalities). About 5% are black skinned, 3% Indians and a few Asians. So culture and mentality is based in Europe. Here in the Caribbeans there is a lot of black people from the Caribbean islands, making a 16% of the population, and the foreigners form a 57% of population.
Languages:
By the origin of it‘s inhabitants the Spanish tongue spoken in Costa Rica is free of hardly understandable Indian phrases but includes typical grammar and words of the Spanish in Latin America. Almost all black people speak English, which is really nice for anyone who don't know Spanish yet.
In Cities some people speak English at least many of the young. Old people (+50y.) often speak Spanish only.
In some touristic zones there is a tourist police that understands English always.
