If you are planning on moving to Costa Rica and are thinking about either buying a car here or bringing your own down there are a few things that you should know first that may help make your decision. 

If you plan on bringing your car be prepared to pay import duties that are 45 to 70% of the retail value of the car.  This can get quite spendy especially because the newer the car the more it will cost you.  In addition, do not get confused with the word used, because if you own the car, it is used no matter if you bought it a week ago or 10 years ago.  So if you do decide to bring it down here the shipping costs can be upwards of $1000 to one of the ports and then you must go pick it up.  Once in Costa Rica, the car must be inspected to pay the marchamo or else the car is illegal, and although insurance is not mandatory it would be an excellent idea to have.  Also keep in mind that cars in the US are not always the same as cars in Costa Rica therefore making it difficult to find parts and mechanics to fix them and if your car had a warranty it probably won’t hold any value here.

The marchamo is a mandatory liability insurance that every car must possess.  To get one you must first obtain a current inspection certificate from a mechanic and pay off all parking and traffic tickets. The price of it will depend on the make, model, and year of your car, but without the decal your car is being driven illegally.  It is a once a year price that needs to be paid in between November 1st and December 31st. 

If you are going to be purchasing a car upon your arrival you are most likely to find the best prices quoted in Spanish in La Nacion newspaper.  New or used cars can be purchased as long as they pass an inspection with a legit mechanic.  Just like the states, be weary of who you are dealing with and what they are trying to sell you.  If you do not speak Spanish well or have a strong English accent, you are at a complete disadvantage. To learn more about how not to  get hustled and where to buy a car, check out this article from AM Costa Rica: http://www.amcostarica.com/morenews2.htm

Good Luck!

This post's rating:

Related Stories

Filed under: Tico on September 12th, 2007