How to Choose WHERE to Live in Costa Rica
Read time: 10 Min. There’s no shortage of glossy “Best Places” or “Top 10” lists ranking Central and South American countries to visit or retire in. Some are insightful; others seem to have been written by people who’ve never left the hotel bar. I want to begin with this true story recounted by a Canadian […]
CAJA Monthly Premium Calculations
(read time: 3 minutes) One of the most common questions I get from clients regarding legal residency in Costa Rica is: How much will my CAJA (Costa Rica’s universal healthcare A.K. A. – CCSS) premium cost? Unfortunately, calculating monthly premiums can be a headache, as the rules often vary from one CAJA/CCSS office or clinic […]
DIMEX
RENEWALS and FIRST-TIME ISSUANCE PROCEDURES
Let’s start with the correct terminology: A residency card is referred to as a DIMEX, as shown in the picture above. Not to be confused with Cedula – A.K.A. Citizenship card Also, not to be confused with a Visa, which, for most of you reading this, is a 180-day stamp that you receive on your […]
Abandoned by My Lawyer
“Hey Laura… my lawyer abandoned me. Can you help?” An increasingly common lament and request. I recently submitted a Power of Attorney for a new client who requested that I investigate his case further. When I presented this documentation to the intake staff at the DGME (Costa Rica Immigration offices), they asked the routine question, […]