More reading from CRIE about Costa Rica and life abroad. For a focused starting point, explore our residency requirements and essential guides.
Start here: Residency requirements · Frequently asked questions · Ask CRIE
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.
San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón — each province’s character, plus why Costa Rican provinces have no government at all.
What elderly care in Costa Rica actually costs and what the Caja does not cover — plus the official pensionado, rentista and investor residency figures.
What each Costa Rican beach town is actually like after dark — from Tamarindo and Jacó to Nosara and Montezuma — with a candid safety section.
The major Costa Rican malls, why there is no US-style outlet mall, and the import tax table that explains why a fridge costs 81% more and a laptop only 13%.
