Moving to Costa Rica from Canada

COSTA RICA

• General Guidelines for importation in the household goods modality
• Articles Allowed         
• Articles forbidden
• Documents required
• Import of vehicles       
• Forbidden Vehicles (Can not import to Costa Rica)
• Importation of pets     
• Costa Ricans returning to the country
• Foreigners – Diplomatic Representatives

General Policies for importation under the household goods modality (*)

• The importer should be an individual, who will have the right to withdraw the merchandise from the customs authority
• Imported merchandise should come from the country where the importer was living
• New or used household goods and articles, imported under this modality, should not exceed the quantities and the nature for the direct use or the needs of the importer and the members of his direct family nucleus.
• Shipments including household goods and personal articles are subject to importation taxes and liens (approximately 30-35% of the value declared), except for shipments belonging to:
  • Credited diplomats or members of international organizations
  • Employees of an organization under contract with the Government of Costa Rica with provisional or definite importation authorization of his household goods
  • Costa Rican citizens who have lived outside the country for at least 24 months, who may request the ad valorem (partial) tax exemption.
• To carry out the customs clearance or tax exemption proceedings, in the case in question, all  documents should  be original  and complete. No  shipment  may be surrendered until customs proceedings have been completed and customs’ taxes paid.
• In case some packages have been packed outside the wood crates, the number of packages will be the number of crates and not the number of boxes inside the wood crates. It should be indicated in the details of BL, bearing letters. There are xx number of crates with xx number of packages.

(*) The term “household goods” should be understood as the whole of: furniture, bed linens, tables, toilet articles, kitchen utensils, utensils, tools, new or used instruments, among others, that belong to the importer and the members of his immediate family nucleus; in amounts and with characteristics that not having the nature of personal goods are for the use or convenience of the importer or his family nucleus.

Among articles allowed you can find: electronic equipment or electric appliances normally used for household effects, such as: washing machine, kitchen, oven, grinder, food chopper, peel, blender, mixer, coffee maker, coffee grinder, household use electric pots, TVs, video monitors, sound reproduction equipment, such as radios, stereos, cutlery, linen, glassware, vanity or kitchen linens (tablecloths, towels, sheets, shower curtains), home ornaments, household scales, furniture normally used for domestic use (living room, dining room, bedroom, terrace, desk, among others), bed and similar articles (mattresses, quilts, pillows, comforters), lightning apparatus (domestic use lamps), toys when there are children in the family nucleus, personal use exercise machine, personal use musical instruments, bicycle, articles for pets, office articles such as staplers, printing and fax machines, scanner, and/or multifunctional apparatus, computers, pencils, ballpoint pens, calculator, desk, manual tools such as hammers, shovels, saws, keys, screwdrivers, electric drills, hand saws; and other goods, all of domestic use, which should comply with the principles of rationality and proportionality.

• Pre-Colombian articles is prohibited.
• Construction materials and their parts
• Electric material (motors, cutting, sectioning, protecting device, and others of electric circuits, cables)
• Professional and technical use material and its parts
• Transportation materials, vehicles, automobiles, bicycles, yachts and its parts.
• Machinery and its parts.
• Narcotics, machines, tools, and their parts
• Big tools, such as for example, table drills, among others
• Instruments, apparatus, and/or accessories for: labs, physicians’ offices, workshops, or similar establishments; professional use furniture, pre-manufactured constructions, office accessories.
• Liquid and inflammable fuels, chemical products, compressed gas, corrosives, explosives, canned sprays, arms munitions, and matches,
• Used wheels and pneumatics for: cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or any type of vehicle
• Special permits for firearms, ammunition, large quantities of liquor,ood and cosmetics must be obtained.
• Medications, medicines without prescription, alternative medicines (homeopathy, Bach flowers)
• Venoms
• Archeological pieces and fossils
• Live plants
• Food in general (rice, seeds, and vegetable products)
• Soaps, perfumes, shampoo, creams, cosmetics, and other personal hygiene articles
• Coin or stamp collections
• Pornography or subversive material are prohibited.
• Articles for sport use such as motocross suits, and other accessories

We also recommend not to include: jewelry, furs, money or securities or shares since these are not insured by insurance companies.

The following articles require special permits:

• Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning2. Take note that after October 2019, importation is forbidden.
• Computers, printers, photographic and video equipment, fax, scanners, keyboards, mouse, laptop, cell phones, routers, ups, external disks, wifi3
• Basketwork articles (wicker, rope, rattan, bamboo). They require permit in the port of entrance. Thus, it can cause many delays and additional costs in the importation process.
• Wood ornaments, wooden clothes hooks, and wooden manufactured products. They require permits in the port of entrance. It can thus cause many delays and additional costs in importations.
• Agricultural products

Alcoholic beverages (wines and liquors), depending on each country’s regulations, are forbidden or subject to customs regulations. Thus, their importation/exportation status may cause from the payment of taxes and fines up to the confiscation of entire shipments. Therefore, the consulting of each country’s specifications is a requirement.

IMPORTANT: As per regulations in force issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy MINAE, beginning in October 2019, it is forbidden to import illuminating implements and electrical kitchens. We also advance that by the year 2020, the following items will be added to this list: washing machines, electric motors, and the total forbiddance of air conditions, and refrigeration equipment.

• Bill of lading (B/L) with the freight or charter value (indispensable), air waybill (AWB) or bill of lading¸ as it corresponds, indicating the number of packages, and exact weight. It is indispensable that the number of packages and the weight reported in the B/L be faithful to the load transferred and that the packing list coincides with the contents of each box.
• The definitive importation will be carried out based on the importer’s detailed list which should include trademark and model of each electrical appliance, and constituent material of the merchandise detailed therein, which will specify the estimated valued. The list of goods and their values should include at least the following information:
  • Date
  • Type and importer’s I.D. number
  • Importer’s name
  • Lines’ consecutive
  • Description of merchandise
  • Make, model, series of merchandise
  • Status of merchandise (new or used)
  • Amount of merchandise
  • Customs’ value in dollars

• For new articles, it is necessary to submit an original invoice or sworn declaration of the value of new articles wherein the importer declares the real value of the merchandise.
• Tax payment exemption in cases that apply
• Copy of passport
• Submit Letter of Instructions’, which should include:
  • Complete name of client
  • Flight number
  • Container number
  • Ship
  • Amount of boxes
  • Weight and volume of each box
  • Client’s origin address
  • Telephone and fax number and e-mail
  • Invoicing data
  • Detail quotation date, if any
• Probative document in order to opt for the personal household goods and merchandise modality. This document may be no more than six months old, and will be related with the importer’s category.
• Consular Certification of Residency Abroad or supplementary document (house rental, lease, or purchase agreement), evidencing the place of residence and the period of time spent abroad, in the case of Costa Rican students or legal age workers returning to live in Costa Rica.
• Certification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evidencing the termination of the positon for Foreign Service officials of the Republic of Costa Rica.
• Diplomatic I.D. Document, aka: DIDI, crediting him as Diplomat in the Republic of Costa Rica
• Work Permit issued by the General Immigration and Alienage General Direction when it is a foreigner coming to work in Costa Rica or copy of the authorization permit request before Immigration and Foreign Service, besides the copy of the labor agreement from the contracting company.
• Certification issued by the Teaching Institution, acknowledged by the competent authorities, in the case of a foreign student.
• Residence I.D. in force, when it is a foreigner who was granted the status of permanent resident in the country, reckoned from the date the residence is granted.
• Consular Certification of Resident Abroad or supplementary document, (rent, lease, or purchase housing agreement), evidencing the place of residency and the time he was abroad, in the case of those who were permanent residents outside the country for at least 24 months.
• Property registration certificate of property acquired in Costa Rica or copy of lease or rent agreement in Costa Rica, authenticated by a lawyer.
• For the correct preparation of the customs policy, the physical inspection of his shipment (previous exam) will be programmed, which will verify that there are no differences in amounts and weights declared in the shipping documents and the real ones; grouping articles in the corresponding customs order and assigning the value of the household goods to be submitted before our authorities, determining, in this way, the amount of taxes to pay. This operation will be carried out by our personnel, highly qualified and with ample experience in the handling of goods. It is regularly carried out in our fiscal warehouse, which has all security measures required, such as armed guard during 24 hours for its total safety.

Motor vehicles are subject to import duties and taxes. The amount of duties depends on value, model, cubic cm and extras. Please contact us for current % of tax rates. Diplomatic personnel can import motor vehicles duty free

• Original Bill of Lading (B/L)
• Purchase invoice or certificate showing the vehicle’s present value
• Original property title (obligatory document) in case it does not count with the original property title, a document from the public registration entity in the country of origin, duly apostilled, that proves the vehicle’s ownership in the country where it is registered and that justifies why it does not have the original property document, should be submitted
• Used vehicle certificate must state all the characteristics of the vehicle. The certificate’s issued date must not exceed 60 days prior to the B/L issued date
• Vehicle Emission Certificate notarised by the Costa Rican Consul in the origin country

The amount of taxes to be paid for the vehicle depends on the value, year, model, cubic centimeters and extras. Once the customs declaration is filed with the corresponding invoice, this value is compared with the value of the tax class most similar to the vehicle’s characteristics in the Page of the Treasury Department. The highest value between the CIF value (invoice value, plus freight and insurance) and the tax class in the page of the Treasury Department is applied. If the vehicle does not count with a tax class registered in the page of the Treasury Department, a certification of its value registered in the Treasury Department a certification of its value should be submitted (approximate period of time: 15 working days).

It must be emphasized that no extra tires can be imported. Only those corresponding to the vehicle with their corresponding spare tire.

Forbidden Vehicles (Can not import to Costa Rica)

By-Laws of Article 5 of the Traffic Law by Land Public Roads and Road Safety N° 9078 of October 4, 2012:

• Vehicles that have been declared as totally lost
• Vehicles that present structural non-authorized unions of the chassis
• Vehicles which identification, chassis or VIN numbers have been manipulated
• Vehicles that non-comply with the general requisite for the circulation established in clause “d” of    article 32 related to the location of the driver’s wheel.

The importer of first time entrance vehicles, registered in their country of origin, should contribute with the process of naturalization of the property title and a sworn declaration duly notarized indicating the number of kilometers run (if the vehicle’s indications are in miles the conversion should be carried out and the number of kilometers should be reported in the declaration), and certification that the vehicle is not under any of the suppositions indicated above.

Domestic pets that enter as cargo

• Air way bill (AWB)
• International Veterinarian Certificate (original and copy), in Spanish or English, authenticated by the Official Veterinarian Services of the country of origin.
• Vaccination card up-to-date
• Zoo Sanitary Exportation Certificate
• Invoice or sworn declaration of the animal’s value
• Sanitary Requisites Form
• The importer should also, through a customs agency, the Authorization Form for Customs Clearance issued by the Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Bureau) PROCOMER.

Domestic pets that enter as accompanied luggage

• Air way bill (AWB) or Bill of Lading (pet’s air ticket)
• International Veterinarian Certificate (original and copy), in Spanish or English, authenticated by the Official Veterinarian Services of the country of origin.
• Vaccination card up-to-date
• Zoo Sanitary Exportation Certificate
• The importer must come to the office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, located at the airport, deliver these documents and, as long as everything is in order, the veterinarian will give the import authorization.

The following persons may make use of the importation of household goods to nationalize goods, new or used home articles and personal use merchandise:

• Costa Ricans of legal age who have remained abroad at least 24 months before returning definitely to his definite return, and it will be granted for one only time.
• Costa Rican foreign service officials beginning on the date they return to Costa Rica
• Diplomatic representatives credited in the Republic of Costa Rica
• Foreigners with work or study permits in force
• Foreigners who acquire their residence in national territory, reckoned from the date their residence is granted, which will be granted for one only time.
• Permanent residents in the national territory, upon their definitive return, after having left the country to work or study abroad, in an official function or mission, for more than 24 months, reckoned from their return once their mission has concluded.
• Foreigners who acquire or rent a house in national territory, which will be granted for one only time.

Importers who bear the migratory condition of tourists, foreigners in transit, foreigners in border neighborhood transit, persons of international passenger and merchandise transportation means, and any other person that is not among those authorized in these proceedings cannot make use of the importation by the name of “household goods”.

forbidden in Costa Rica, or that there are founded motifs for the possible presence of merchandise forbidden in Costa Rica, or that have not complied with the corresponding quarantine sanitary conditions or conditions of defense of national historical artistic patrimony.

They should be Costa Ricans of legal age who have remained abroad at least 24 months before returning definitely, they may opt for the ad valorem exemption established in Law N° 6986; for these proceedings the interested party should submit a request before the Exemptions Department of the General Revenue Bureau.

To make use of the right of exemption it must be taken into account that the household goods should be used, and should come from the country where the beneficiary was residing, and should adjust itself to reasonable limits in order to fill its necessities. Besides, Executive Decree N° 17041-H of May 21, 1986, among other things, that it will grant customs franchise only to a member of the family unit and may exempt one household appliance of each type. It must also be taken into account that according to article 2 of the above decree, the beneficiary counts with a maximum six-month term to submit the request of exemption, and nine months to carry out the importation proceedings, both terms beginning on the date of the above beneficiary’s definite arrival in the country. The exemption is not total; the interested party should pay certain taxes.

In order to request the fiscal exemptions, the beneficiary should register himself in Exonet, system of the Exemptions Department of the Bureau of the Treasury, fill out the form prepared to that effect by the Exemptions Department of the Bureau of the Treasury, by the name of

“request and authorization for the concrete exemption of importation taxes”, in the page of exonet. To fill out this request for the exemption of importation of goods, the indications indicated in the “General Exemptions Instructive” should be followed.

General Requisites

• Certificate regarding the last migratory movements. This should cover the minimum term of twenty-four months of permanence abroad, indicating the last date of entrance into the country. This document is issued by the Certifications’ Section of the General Immigration and Alienage Direction.
• Document that evidences the residence abroad in the last twenty-four months, authenticated b the Costa Rican Consul in the country where he lived, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.
• Copy of passport (page by page)
• Copy of I.D. card (both sides)
• Copy of bill of lading
• Notarized sworn declaration of the beneficiary, with the corresponding fiscal stamps, indicating:
  • That the beneficiary is returning definitely to live in Costa Rica
  • That the beneficiary authorizes the General Revenue Bureau to carry out any investigation on the use and destination of the goods imported with customs franchise.
  • That he authorizes the General Revenue Bureau to carry out any investigation regarding the use and destination of the goods imported with customs franchise.
  • Sworn notarized declaration, with the corresponding fiscal stamps, of the legal aged members of the beneficiary’s family nucleus, by means of which these members waive the right of exempting the household goods in his name.

The following persons may make use of the importation of household goods to nationalize goods, new or used home articles and personal use merchandise:

• Costa Ricans of legal age who have remained abroad at least 24 months before returning definitely to his definite return, and it will be granted for one only time.
• Costa Rican foreign service officials beginning on the date they return to Costa Rica
• Diplomatic representatives credited in the Republic of Costa Rica
• Foreigners with work or study permits in force
• Foreigners who acquire their residence in national territory, reckoned from the date their residence is granted, which will be granted for one only time.
• Permanent residents in the national territory, upon their definitive return, after having left the country to work or study abroad, in an official function or mission, for more than 24 months, reckoned from their return once their mission has concluded.
• Foreigners who acquire or rent a house in national territory, which will be granted for one only time.

Importers who bear the migratory condition of tourists, foreigners in transit, foreigners in border neighborhood transit, persons of international passenger and merchandise transportation means, and any other person that is not among those authorized in these proceedings cannot make use of the importation by the name of “household goods”.

forbidden in Costa Rica, or that there are founded motifs for the possible presence of merchandise forbidden in Costa Rica, or that have not complied with the corresponding quarantine sanitary conditions or conditions of defense of national historical artistic patrimony.

There are many overseas moving companies who claim to be the best mover and best relocation company in the country. Of course this cannot be true because then, all the international shipping companies would be the best.

To help determine which overseas moving company is right for you, Orbit International Moving Logistics Ltd has gathered some vital points for you to consider.

The best tip – a recommendation from a friend.

Research the overseas moving companies you are considering. Check if they are licensed to export and import.

Make sure that you are performing an equal comparison between the quotes of the various companies. You compare international relocation rates from the overseas moving companies based on shipping an equal volume of goods and contracting the same exact shipping service on the same dates. Pay special attention to the “EXCLUDES” of each quote to insure that you are not overlooking any hidden fees.

Check the overseas moving company’s referrals and reputation. Ask each company for testimonials from past clients. A reputable overseas moving company should have some for you to review.

Visit the physical office of the overseas moving company you are considering. Never trust an international moving company without a physical address!. In this day and age anyone can have an office in their basement.

Make sure that the overseas shipping company you choose has reputable overseas forwarding agents who can assist you in the same manner that you are getting from the company moving you from Canada.

Orbit International Moving Logistics Ltd was established by 2 long time family friends who had experienced moves with mixes results. However, none have satisfied the quality of service needed during such an emotional and straining event. We have extensive experience relocating customers worldwide by Ocean Freight and Air Cargo as we are an international shipper. Our rates are always All-inclusive. What sets us apart is the level of service we offer our customers.  We provide free, no-obligation estimates, listen to your concerns, and find the solutions best suited to meeting your removal and relocation needs – whether you’re moving your family.(i.e. door-to-door, door to port, full containers, RO-RO, custom crates, etc.) We offer free consultations with one of our relocation specialist and assist you in planning moving to Costa Rica and choosing the right overseas moving services.

List of Consulates

Embassy of Costa Rica in Ottawa, Canada
325 Dalhouise Street,
Suite 407. Ottawa,
ON K1N 7G2, Canada
Ottawa
Phone: (001) 613-562-2855
Fax: (001) 613-562-2582
Email: embcrica@costaricaembassy.com
Office Hours: 9 am to 4 pm

Consulate General of Costa Rica in Ottawa
325 Dalhousie Street
Suite 407 Ottawa
Ontario, K1N 7G2
Ottawa
Phone: (613) 562-0842
Fax: (613) 562-2582
Email: Consulado.ottawa@gmail.com
Office Hours: 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday.

Honorary Consulate of Costa Rica in Edmonton, Alberta
Suite 510, Royal Bank Building
10117 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, T6R 1Z7
Edmonton
Phone: (780) 438-7878
Fax: (780) 435-8313
Email: Costaricaconsul@shaw.ca

Honorary Consulate of Costa Rica in Vancouver, British Columbia
PO Box 16076, North Vancouver,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V7J-3S9
Vancouver
Phone: (604) 983-2152
Fax: (604) 983-2178
Email: Consulado@can.rogers.com

Trade Promotion Office – Commercial Section of the Embassy located in Toronto, Canada     
16 Four Seasons Place, suite 107
Etobicoke, ON. M9B 6E5
Toronto
Phone: (416) 865-3382
Fax: (416) 865-3383
Email: Canada@procomer.com
Office Hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm