Costa Rica records thousands of earthquakes a year and feels a few hundred. Why the country sits where it does, which quakes actually cause damage, and what fifty years of seismic building code has changed.
Costa Rica has a legal standard for drinking water and most of the country meets it — but coverage varies sharply by operator and by canton.
Costa Rica’s pensionado category requires a lifetime pension of at least US$1,000 a month. It does not require you to be retired, and it sets no minimum age — a disability pension can qualify.
Residency through marriage comes from Migración; citizenship comes from the TSE after two years married and two years in the country. The requirements are not the same.
The Spanish and Estudios Sociales exams are run by the Ministry of Education, not the TSE — and older adults are exempt from the requirement entirely. What the TSE actually asks for.
Every foreign document needs an apostille or consular legalisation — and if it states no validity period, it must be under six months old when you present it. Articles 8 to 12 explained.
A cédula is the national ID for Costa Rican citizens, issued by the TSE. A DIMEX is the identity document for foreigners with an approved migratory category, issued by Migración. Here is what that means in practice.
The forestry law, river setbacks, SETENA permits, the maritime zone and the Article 47 trap — the environmental rules that most often derail foreign property plans.
What buses, trains, taxis, Uber, ferries and domestic flights actually cost in Costa Rica in 2026 — plus the free travel that over-65s are entitled to.
Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948. The dozen police forces that replaced it, which one to call, how to file a denuncia, and what officers can and cannot do.
