Your vehicle
Many of you would like to bring your own vehicle because it’s such a great one, you’ve just bought it or because it has some kind of personal value to it.
Import taxes on vehicles are very high here and are charged C.I.F. (Cost, Insurance, and Freight). Distributors of new and used vehicles pay the same tax percentages as you will but their shipping cost will be much lower because of the bulk, so in the end, the taxes charged will be lower too. That’s the reason for you to make sure you will want to pay the freight and the taxes (running a chance your vehicle gets damaged on the way) looking at your resale value in your home land and looking at prices of cars in Costa Rica.
Another issue that’s very important is if you can buy the model you plan to ship and if the Costa Rican dealer offers spare parts for that vehicle. Some cars like Toyota and Nissan export different models with the same name to the USA and Europe than to Latin America. Others are the same cars but with different spare parts. Also to take into account is that when you bring your car, it has to come with a emission control report and some states don’t have that. Make sure you do the right thing.
If you want to see some prices for vehicles in Costa Rica, WheelsCR.com is a good site. If you decide you want to purchase a car in Costa Rica, rather than bring your own, then you can contact the dealer directly from the web site. If you don't speak Spanish, or don't want to drive around San Jose, then take advantage of their car locator service. Kattia will help you locate a vehicle that suits your needs and budget, and help you to make sure that you get a car with readily available parts that mechanics here are familiar with.
There are three different ways to transport your vehicle to Costa Rica, those being by air, sea or land, however, the law regarding the importation of any vehicle is the same. Below, I have outlined the procedure for clearing you car though customs, in the event that you had your vehicle shipped via sea. Many have asked me over the years if it’s possible to drive the car to Costa Rica. My answer is yes, but don’t do it. Besides the language problem going through all the Latin American countries, the road is dangerous and not worth saving yourself a couple of hundred dollars. If you are very adventurous, go ahead and have fun.
If you don’t want to go through all the hassle of getting your vehicle through customs, just call our expert Edwin Obando at West International Movers (Winmovers) at (506) 215-1585 or email him. He will tell you which freight forwarder to use in your home town to make the arrival of your vehicle in one piece and getting it through customs without being overcharged, which is a very easy way to go.
Most vehicles arrive by sea, by way of a shipping vessel. The largest port in Costa Rica for this type of merchandise (in fact, for all merchandise) is Puerto Limón, which resides on the Atlantic side. A second port, Puerto Caldera, is located on the Pacific Coast; a few hours drive from San José. Unless your vehicle departs from California or Vancouver, your vehicle will most likely arrive in Puerto Limón. The length of time required to ship your vehicle depends on which shipping company you work with, but most vary between 4 days and 10 days.
Most individuals shipping their vehicle will do so with the assistance of a freight forwarder/customs broker. Most North American based operations work hand in hand with local brokers to handle the Costa Rican side of the shipment; few have offices in both locations. Depending on the type of vessel you choose, your vehicle can be shipped either in a container or on what is called a car deck. The most secure means to transport your vehicle is in a container, as the car is placed and secured within the container before departing, and not opened until it arrives or goes through customs. Some larger containers can accommodate several cars simultaneously, while others only one. Or you can have your household and your vehicle shipped in the same container. Car decks accommodate numerous vehicles, all of which have to be driven on and off the vessel. The possibility of damage and theft exists more with this type of shipment. If you can afford it, we recommend a container.
Depending on what freight forwarder you use, you should have the opportunity to clear your vehicle through to San José, which means that your car will not go through customs in either Puerto Limón or Puerto Caldera. If your vehicle was shipped in a container, the container itself will not be opened until it arrives to the capital of San José. An additional fee is required for this service (clearing your vehicle through to San José), however, it is well worth it. Vehicles tend to clear customs much quicker in San José than they do at the ports, which is of great importance if you plan on clearing the vehicle yourself through customs. Clearing your vehicle yourself is not a complicated procedure; however, being fluent Spanish is definitely required. The procedure to clear your vehicle can be accomplished within one day, if you followed the directions properly. Clearing your vehicle through customs yourself in Puerto Limón or Puerto Caldera is a much more complicated procedure, as you have to go there (approximately 2-2 1/2 hours by bus), and there is no guarantee that you will accomplish the procedure in one day. You would then have to stay overnight and complete the procedure the following day. If you intend to clear it yourself, have the car cleared through to San José. If you are not fluent in the language, we recommend that you hire a local customs broker. Most North American freight forwarders will provide you with assistance in Costa Rica for an additional fee; that being a customs broker (discuss this with your shipping agent before shipping your vehicle).
As a tourist, you are afforded the right to drive the vehicle for three months without paying taxes. The time begins when you enter the country, not when the vehicle enters the country. For example, if you enter Costa Rica on the 1st of October, but your vehicle enters on the 1st of November, you will only have two months to drive the vehicle, not three. This is very important to keep in mind. You will be required to pay a local tax, some additional fees, all of which add up to around $90.00 US (normally this is all part of the customs procedure). At the end of three months, you have the right to extend the right to drive the vehicle for an additional three months.
In order to do this you must follow the following procedure (this is what the law stipulates):
You have to leave the country prior to the three month limit, anywhere for 48 hours. When you re-enter, they will re-stamp your passport, which will allow you to drive the vehicle for three additional months. If you wait until the three month period is up, theoretically you are required by law to pay the taxes on the vehicle. We highly recommend that you do not drive the vehicle if the permit has expired. Any vehicle being driven after the permit has expired is by law an abandoned vehicle. The police have the legal right to confiscate the vehicle and not give it back. Most likely, they will compound the vehicle until the taxes are paid. Either way, it will not be fun.
Always keep the permission papers in the vehicle at all times. If you are pulled over and cannot produce the documents, 
they will detain you and most likely compound the vehicle.
Do not, under any circumstances, allow a local Costa Rican to drive your vehicle. By law, only the person(s) on the permission slip can drive the vehicle. It is illegal for a Costa Rican to drive a tourist vehicle; the transit police have the legal right to impound the vehicle. A hefty fine could result, or even worse, they could force you to pay taxes on the vehicle.
Before shipping the vehicle, take the license plates off the vehicle and either carry them down with you or ship them with a mail carrier. Plates are often removed (stolen) during transport or when the vehicles arrive; most likely after they arrive. Thieves use the stolen plates to place on cars stolen within Costa Rica, which are later driven out of Costa Rica to other countries, i.e Belize, Nicaragua, etc. It is a very large business. If your plates get stolen, you will be required to make up fake plates to place on the car, as you legally need plates to operate the vehicle(don't laugh, this exact incident happened to me). Driving without plates will most definitely get you pulled over.
To check on the taxes to be charged on your vehicle at, unfortunately in Spanish but you’ll understand most of it easily:
Customs Ministry Costa Rica
Nowadays the choice of furniture is so much better than it was 10 years ago. There is a wide range of good quality furniture stores. These stores offer mostly imported furniture, so you cannot tell the sales person in the store to sell you a two-seater of this set and a three-seater of that, like you are used to in the US. Escazú and surrounding areas offer plenty of stores with a large choice of modern contemporary, tropical, classical and many other styles. When planning what to bring and what not to when moving to Costa Rica, decide if you would like to replace your old furniture or not. The stories of having to pay a lot of duties on imported furniture that you read on the internet are really not true. Of course you have to pay to pack your container (unless you want to run the risk of receiving broken stuff when you pack it yourself) and then the transport it to Costa Rica. Contact your GoDutch realtor to refer you to the right company in Costa Rica to receive your container. You’ll find it cheaper to transport from port to port or from your house abroad to a port in Costa Rica and have the Costa Rican company take care of the transport from port to customs to your new house. When packing, make an itemized list with the cost of each item (yard sale pricing) to be sent with the bill of lading and bring a copy with you for the company that receives it on this end. That will save you lots of taxes. Count on it that the container will be 4 – 5 days in customs before you are to receive it. For hassle free logistics, contact your GoDutch realtor before you order your furniture to be packed, so he/she can recommend the right people on this end. Once your mover has picked the Costa Rican counterpart, this cannot be changed.
