oh wait you are there now and are needing to buy a car right now?

Not a simple question.

1. You need a lawyer to buy a car in Costa Rica (really).
2. You need a bank account unless you transfer the money through the lawyer's account.
3. Be prepared to answer a million questions and be able to prove where the money came from.

This answer is simplistic for brevity. More later.

This is why people RIDE A BUS everywhere in Costa Rica.

Amen to the bus... It's cheap, easy, and reliable! But I'll be doing work here that will require a 4x4 SUV, so the car is a costly necessity!

Thank you for the comprehensive info MM3. Definitely glad I have someone who's handling the entire process (and for a very reasonable fee).

I was told that I couldn't open a CR bank account with a tourist visa. But if Scotiabank will do it, that would make things much easier. Is there a limit on the account balance with a passport bank account?

I also found this website (https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-leg ... osta-rica/) detailing some of the required documentation. It's from 2014, does this pretty much still hold true?

Here is what I know. Although the information is somewhat limited, but based on personal experiences.

tl;dr
Both the amount transferred and the type of account should be considered when transferring money to CR from the US. They can hold your funds until you prove they are legit, which under the best circumstances takes more than a few days, and requires documentation. It is possible for non-residents to open bank accounts in Costa Rica using a passport.

Long version
Wiring money to Costa Rica is mediated by US Drug/Money Laundering Laws, same with physcially carrying down. I believe the the C.R. government is required to report any amounts over $10k coming from the U.S.

I work in Costa Rica several times a year and we regularly transfer large sums of money to cover expenses for our groups. We have a corporation in Costa Rica (S.A.) and a corporate bank account. We have regularly made transfers in excess of $10k limit with no problems for the past 10 years. We have also had transfers held by the bank, with no notice or explanation. It took more than a few days to recover the money, and required several in person visits to the bank by our Tico attorney and lots of documentation. Once satisfied, the bank released the money in full and quickly - but the process was a complete cluster.

In another, unrelated example, we wired funds from a US university to a personal account held by a Tico. Again, funds to pay expenses for one of our groups traveling to Costa Rica. The total wire transfer was $25k, but to avoid the $10k reporting threshold we broke the payment into three separate wire transfers - each less than $10k. The first two arrived with no problems, but they held the third payment. We were required to deliver a letter from the university with a sello (Letterhead or Stamp) and a wet signature, stating the origination of the funds and their intended use in Costa Rica. Again, it took a week and was a complete pain in the a**, but when satisfied the bank released the money. Apparently, local accounts have a monthly threshold for deposits and if that is exceeded then they look closer. So, even though none of the individual wire transfers exceed the $10k amount, the total transferred in less than one month triggered a review.

Also, you can have a personal bank account in Costa Rica as a non-resident. I have two accounts (both in $US) with BCR and opened them over the internet before I arrived using my passport number. The monthly deposit limit on my accounts is $1k and so with two accounts I can deposit $2k per month. I have debit cards for both accounts and can access them on the internet from the states. I believe that it is possible to get a higher monthly limit, but requires additional documentation and a visit to Casa Amarilla or the U.S. Embassy to get pre-approval.

TR