Every three months since we arrived in Costa Rica we’ve made the obligatory three-month “visa run,” leaving the country for the requisite 72 hours and buying ourselves another 90-day tourist extension.
Outside of obtaining resident status, a complicated and usually expensive process, this is the only way to legally live in this Central American country.
This is the last run before we head home to Canada, which means that we’ve less than three months left on our almost one-year adventure. I don’t know where the time went and thinking about leaving makes my eyes water already.
This morning I woke up and my heart went aflutter with what felt like an anxiety attack. I’m not sure whether it happened because of our impending trip to Nicaragua or because I really don’t want to go home. I don’t yet want to talk about the latter, so I will leave that for another post and focus on our next trip.
Granada.
I’ve dreamed since first visiting Nicaragua last fall of going to the historical city of Granada, a Spanish colonial city drenched is history, culture and regal architecture. Founded in 1524, it is the oldest city in the New World.
When we last visited Nicaragua, we travelled to the quaint coastal town of San Juan del Sur and I fell in love with the place the people.
Costa Rica is beautiful and so are its inhabitants but it’s lacking in something that I can’t quite pinpoint.
Nicaragua, on the other hand, has a special vibe and feel that again, is quite indescribable.
Perhaps its their relative histories and present circumstances.
Costa Rica prides itself on being the Switzerland of Central America. It has no army and is an enduring democracy with the highest standard of living in the region. Pura Vida is the national motto, a phrase some might say is better translated as pure lazy than pure life.
Nicaragua, on the other hand, has a violent political history, ranks as one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere and its people are widely known (and hated by many Costa Ricans) for a strong work ethic.
Anyway, it’s so exciting to be able to return but also a bit daunting.
We’ve decided to take our trusty Trooper on the road-trip and drive over the border into Nicaragua.
Seems easy, right?
Not quite.
First, we had to obtain a permit to take our car out of the country, which was easy enough — $20 for someone to go into San Jose to get it and another $20 for a lawyer to make it official.
But the actual driving of it there and getting it across could be a whole lot more complex, involving exit stamps, entry fees, vehicle inspection, fumigation and a host of visits to a variety of different “windows” on both sides of the border.
Here’s a rundown of what to expect, courtesy of someone who’s done it many times and kindly posted it on the Internet.
- Between the CR and Nicaragua sides there is now a spray booth. You pay about $3 to have the car sprayed. They accept US$, cordobas and colones.
- Park your car outside the building. A customs person will come over, look in your car and give you a slip of paper. If you have nothing exciting in your car (like a computer) this is about all you have to do. Otherwise, you will likely have to get a technical customs dude to look at the stuff and decide what sort of duty you owe. Careful planning can avoid this step.
- Somewhere (and I do mean that, they tend to get lost) will be a police officer who needs to authenticate the slip of paper you just got. Ask around. He will eventually show up.
- Show the car paperwork at window and get the next form.
- Pay $10 at the bank (in the same building) for your road tax.
- Pay $12 for one month of insurance (at a table right near the row of windows–you will likely have a choice of two companies).
- Go back to the police window and with this form and get it signed off.
- Drive to the border, show your passport and give them the approved car paperwork. You are almost in Nicaragua.
- Pay $1 to a guy who asks for it and will get you a receipt. This is a tax for the local jurisdiction.
Next stop, Granada, and then Masaya, a city of about 118,000 nestled next to most heavily vented volcano in Nicaragua.
Yikes. And with two little kids who will already have been on the road for about four or five hours, trapped in their car seats?
Could be interesting. Can’t wait to report back on how it goes.
Foget nicaragua and get the hell back to Canada with our Grand kids!!!!!!!!!!
La vida es corta, la vida es bella. Sigue tus sueños.
Hi there, I enjoy reading your blog. Always great to gain perspective vicariously. You did say that the only way to live legally in CR was to leave every 90 days and that is not completely accurate. There are several ways to live legally in CR and the 90 visa route is not one of them. The explanation is too long but there is rentista, pensionado, and permanent residency as legal means to live in CR. If your try the perpetual tourist route you are at risk of being refused entry and having your passport stamp with a do not enter for 10 years. It happens but not often. I hope you enjoy te remainder of your time in CR. buena suerte.
Thanks Ron . . . you are absolutely right. I have mentioned this in previous blogs and neglected this time to say that for us to live lfor a year in CR this is the only way. I have explained before, for those who either can´t buy their way into the country or have a baby here, living like a perpetual tourist is the only way, albeit not officially legal.
Thanks, though, for reminding me and others that a person can gain residency in a variety of ways . . . or not.
Like you said, the explanation is too long . . . so for anyone interested in living in CR ¨legally¨the Internet is abound with information on how to do that.
Ps. We are in Granada. What an amazing place. Can´t wait to write when we get back . . . on a borrowed computer.