www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Would like to hear from someone who has had actual experiences lately with issues concerning overstaying a visa.

Not this guy said, I heard, someone told me. Too much of this bs is happening on this board everyday. Never lived in a place where so much BS is passed around and is believed. My favorite one is that there are 7 women for every man in CR. Who would be dumb enough to believe that, lots of clowns.

Has anyone paid $100 to get another 90 days. Has anyone paid a fine when leaving CR. Has anyone been banned for not paying a fine.

What this board needs is another Irish Drifter who calls BS. May he rest in peace.

In 5 years I have overstayed once by about a week and no one ever said anything about it. I have gotten 90 day stamps every time besides once, which I only needed 60 and was given 60. I tell the immigration officers I speak to that I live here and they don't really seem to care. I never lie to the immigration officers about what I am doing or up to. Lately they like to ask how much money you have with you, I have even told them I had as little as 20 mil colones on me along with my credit cards, still get 90 days. It's all about having the proof of exit. Have the paperwork they wanna see and you'll get what you want, I am confident about that. I have done the land border crossings at Los Chiles, Peñas Blancas, Sixaola and have flown out of SJO. If anyone has questions about any of the processes I am more than willing to provide some info on my experiences. Some people seem to dislike the perpetual tourist or think it's a foolish way of living, I don't think I would recommend it to anyone it's more of a decision one should make on their own. If you have the means to support yourself and have a back up plan if things do go haywire, it can work out just fine and is a fun lifestyle.

The above is a good common sense approach to being a perpetual tourist. I see no end to it in the near future in CR. Although more and more things in CR require being a resident. Drivers license, banking etc...

I believe that CR amended the law about the 100$ for another 90 days. Would like to know a about someone who went this route. Another urban myth like so many others. A good story.

Never knew of anyone who ever paid a fine or was asked to pay a fine for overstaying either. I believe it is the law but CR has not taken the steps to collect the money. Immigration cannot trust their own employees to handle the money. Seems the Costa Ricans know themselves very well. Ironically the well organized Nica's collect a fine if you overstay. There if you are a thief you go to the big house.

Also if you need to renew your visa you do not have to remain out of the country for 72hours, that is for customs and bringing back goods. People cross for an hour or so at the nica border everyday.

People still say that if you overstay your visa you just need to go to a travel agent and pay a small fine. That used to be true many years ago in the 90's. But it is still being repeated today.

Again I would like to hear from anyone who paid 100$ for another 90days. Or who was asked to pay a fine or actually paid one for overstaying.

no thread-hijack intended, but the 'overstay' is what they got ******** on, right? Yes, I know ... extenuating circumstances with that whole situation ... but it does speak volumes that they CAN use the 'overstay' as a reasonable means to bust your balls, right?

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Yes they can and they do. I do not advocate that any one overstay.

Jonsies enemy dropped a dime on him even though he was only over a month or so. They looked for him but he was smart enough to leave on his own. You would have thought he would have been questioned when he was at the airport.He claims when he returned that he was told he could go to immigration jail and wait for a hearing or self deport right then for twice the time he overstayed. No mention of the fine. He should have been offered that option. Pay or get banned.

You really put a target on your back when you overstay . Remember the private investigator that was arrested and deported. Never charged with fraud or anything else. If he had not overstayed he would still be in country working.

I just want to hear from anyone who paid the 100$ or was asked to pay the fine.

So far only rumors and anecnotes.

I am just asking (I do not know for sure) but I was under the impression (not sure from where either) that there actually is no fine for overstaying; just the barring from reentry and banning for double the time you overstayed your visa.

I have been here for 8 years and have made damn sure I never overstayed my 90 days even by 1 day so I have no personal experience with what you are asking.

I too would like a definitive answer on the "paying $100 and not having to leave" issue. A new guy on CRT recently said you could, and implied he had done just this, but he gave no proof nor info as to how or where!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

I am going to add some context to this discussion because I have been around for a long time. I also suspect there may be some members in the perpetual tourist category who might like to give some advice, but for their own reasons may be reluctant to do so.

I can not relate any recent personal experience, since I became a legal resident before most of the immigration reform started around 2009. More recently, around 2012 it got more difficult and I am seeing fewer people in in the tourist category who remain in Costa Rica for the long-term.

First, there is absolutely no problem being a tourist if you simply come to Costa Rica on a frequent basis, but leave after staying for the weekend or a few weeks. You can come dozens of time a year if you like, and no officials will hassle you.

The difficulty is for those folks who stay here 90 days at a time, and then go to a border or fly out of the country for a few days, in hopes of getting a new 90 day stamp.

For example, if you live here for five years on 90 days visas, then it's likely something will cause you to eventually overstay. You could get sick, run low on travel money or just get tired of taking the bus to Nicaragua. When this happens your neighbors can drop a dime on you, or you could just have a random encounter with the police. In any case it won't go well, and will now be on their radar screen.

I have seen the police confiscate U.S. passports for overstays and only give them back after the individual reports to the immigration police station and signs an agreement to leave the country.

If they really don't like you, as was the case with the private investigator, they may just put you in jail until you agree to buy your own ticket out of the country (self-deport). I also saw this same tactic with a call center owner who was breaking the labor laws a few years ago.

The law actually says they can apply both the fine and the required time out for an overstay. However, most of the English language "news" misreports and gives the impression that it one or the other sanction.

The $100 fee for the 90 day renewal was also misreported by the English language "news". When the final rules were published, it said the 90 day renewal would only be available to people who initially get 30 day visas. Some countries only get 30 day visas instead of 90 days because of their country of origin.

You never had to stay out for 72 hours, unless you wanted the customs exemption to bring something tax free back into Costa Rica. The fact is you only have to stay out long enough to satisfy the arbitrary requirement applied by the agent who stamps your passport.

The other issue deals with the next 90 day tourist visa. An immigration agent may see the multiple stamps or multiple entries in the computer system and just decide to give a 14 or 21 day visa. If you are coming here frequently, and just stay for brief periods, then it will have no impact.

Also, at the Panama border the immigration on the other side (Panama) will often not let you enter that country if you do not have plane ticket out of Costa Rica. If you have no Panama visa, then you can not come back into Costa Rica in order to get another 90 day one there (welcome to no man's land). It is ironic, Panama police enforcing Costa Rica policies, but that is what's happening. The solution is to go to Nicaragua.

The upshot is that these policies are applied arbitrarily and according to to the whim of individual immigration agents. The private investigator who was bounced into Nicaragua paid for every possible legal challenge and had his case dismissed by the supreme court.

My advice is to get legal or avoid being in situation where you have to renew a visa every 90 days. I think most tourists get away with it because they fly low and avoid the radar. It's the conflicts that get bad attention. Consider staying for a few months at a time back in the United States or somewhere else. You could easily spend 3-6 months out of the year on a tourist visa in Costa Rica, indefinitely. If you insist on 12 months out of the year with no residency, then it can be a problem. Or maybe not. YMMV.

I just this afternoon found out that Costa Rica has reinstated the $7 ground exit tax as of the 1st of this month. It must be paid at the Banco de Credito and if you get to the Nicaraguan border without it you will be forced to return to Liberia to pay the tax. I assume this is true since the person telling me showed me the receipt where he had just paid it. I am going tomorrow to find out for sure and pay it since I am leaving Thursday. And yep, after 8 years I am finally tired of all the crap, the constant changes, the uncertainty, and the bus ride (with my arthritic knees setting for 8 hours is not going to be fun)!!! I am starting the residency process as soon as I return from this trip out!!!

Funny thing is after starting this tax several months ago they quickly stopped collecting it because it proved to be such a problem with so few places to pay it. Guess what?? they apparently changed nothing nor did they add any more places to pay for it. Every country I know of that has a exit or entry tax allows travelers to pay it at the border, but not Costa Rica!! That would be too simple!!! As someone else said, I guess they do not trust their own border people to not steal the money!!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Glad to hear it - good luck

For YEARS - and I like the guy, so don't get me wrong - Vegas Bob (and to be fair, others) would bitch about the 90 day policy, ignoring the liberalness of it and how few other countries (certainly not the USA) would ever allow such a policy to happen. They also ignored a fairly easy solution; apply for residency.

Further, it is all solved so easily with application for residence (you don't have to leave, while they are processing your application, if you have applied for residency)

Things to be aware:

If you are a permanent CR resident, you pay into the Caja, their health care system (hell, you will likely need health care services, but some guys objected to paying in)

They will do a fairly extensive background check on you - one of the reasons it can take 2 years to get residency - and if you have a criminal record, you probably will not be accepted as a resident - some guys - and I am certainly not referring to VB; in fact I think he is a permanent resident by now - would not be eager to "admit" blemishes in their past, and will continue to champion perpetual tourism, never mind how happy they would be to tell you its never going happen for them.

You are more "on the radar" than before, but since you showed a passport to gain entry, you are never totally anonomous

It can cost up to $2,000 - but what does a trip out every 90 days cost - this was always a "pay me now, or pay me later" question

If you think about it, perpetual tourism makes sense to see if you like the place and want to stay - say for a couple of years - its a big change to relocate, never mind to a foreign country - but after a few years, it really violates the spirit of the law.

(This is just some fun info about Costa Rica with little relevance to the casual traveler, but helps guys understand why this subject is important to many of those who live in CR and find themselves perpetual tourists)

I checked with Ticabus this morning and YES, the ground exit tax IS now back in effect. BUT, at least with Ticabus, you can pay the $7 at the bus station when you check in. No need to go to Banco Credito.

If you are traveling to Nicaragua or Panama by another of the bus companies, I would be sure and ask if you can pay them the exit tax fee, or will you need to go somewhere else to pay it!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Rut Ro, look out for JazzBro.....


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"If you dont think women are explosive,....drop one."

Can you make this into a Limric? May ID rest in peace. If you have overstayed your VISA the options are well documented. There is a new tax now and I think it is $15 at land crossings. This you can cancel Bancocredit at least that is what I read.

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http://TipsCostaRica.com for pratical advice on living in Costa Rica.
In order to write about life, first you must live it! - E. Hemingway.

OK, I just got back from Nicaragua. Yes you have to pay the exit ground tax ($7) Not $15! Not sure where all the places you can pay it are but for sure BanciCredito and TicaBus. I would think that if you can pay it at TicaBus you should be able to at the other bus companies that go to Panama and Nicaragua but I would recommend checking with them before the last minute if you are using one of them.

As for as crossing the border: going there were no real problems other than extremely long lines and waits - it is getting very close to Samana Santa and a lot of Nicas were headed that way early (probably trying to beat the rush).
Returning to Costa Rica: Seems like everytime I make the trip out of CR and return they have come up with a new twist just to make life a headache for gringos. I have a Ticabus open ticket out of CR that I have had and used for 5 years when they asked to see my ticket out of the country (about 1/2 the time). They have always accepted it no problem. Well not this time. Seems now they have decided that even though it is a open ended ticket with NO expiration date they will no longer accept it if it is more than a year old. When I tried to (mildly) argue with the guy, he informed me that the bus company might say it has no expiration date, but CR immigration says it expires after one year. Started to ask him why they had accepted an "expired in their eyes' ticket for 4 years and now suddenly would not, but I decided I might better just go across the street and buy a new one!!!! 5 years ago said ticket cost $15 now it is $25. Next time I go to Nicaragua I will just use the old ticket and buy a return ticket, and the new one I bought today will be good for the next 12 months. I was not asked to show that I had money this time. I was not asked how long I would be staying in CR. Nada!!! Once I had the new bus ticket out of the country everything was just fine and was give 90 days.

The one thing that was a little different was about 5 miles into CR we stopped at a check point. Nothing new that they board the bus and check everyone's passport, but this time it was 3 guys on the bus and they checked each passport thoroughly and even asked questions of a lot of the passengers. They also went thru a lot of the luggage and even had everyone who's bag was locked, unlock them! And this was 5 minutes after our bags had gone thru the scanner!!!!

Otherwise, nothing new!!!!!

But after 8 years and the constant threat of drastic changes and the constant minor changes just to "pluck with us", I am ready to get my residency. I have always enjoyed making the trips but they seem to be getting longer, more expensive, and more complicated every trip!! Getting old(er) is also a large part of it!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Bb57 you must have an interesting looking passport... 8 years x 4 exit and entry stamps from both Nicarauga and Panama so 8 x 4 = 24 x 4 = 98 stamps plus your few stateside trips ... Your passport is almost as full as mine!

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Why settle for just one woman when you can enjoy them all?

If you add the 3 years and my many trips to Bogota, Colombia just before moving here, it is even fuller-Actually I am on my second passport since 1999 and had extra pages added to the first and got the second one with the extra pages already added. And it is getting full already!!!

But, yep, the guy today just had a look of amassment when he opened it! I knew I was in trouble!! And when he looked at it, then at the open ended bus ticker about 4 times each, I could tell he was trying to come up with something (in his mind) to hang me. Would not be surprised if not another one of the agents has ever heard of the open ended bus tickets only being good for one year (in immigration's eyes).

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!