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Importing And Buying Cars, Costa Rica

Options, Answers & Information for First-Time Punters

Recently a letter to the editor appeared in the Tico Times, Advising people to "Learn From Our Mistakes When Shipping Your Car" (Beedle, 2008). If IS stressful moving either 'Finding your feet in a foreign country can Be insane. But It Does not Have to Be. Your choices are only as good as the Information You Have available. Whether you are thinking about shipping a car from overseas or buying one Within Costa Rica You Need to Know and Consider the FOLLOWING.

The Basics
What kind of car do you want to buy / import? Are the parts available right here for maintenance and repair? Is the appropriate "because for Costa Rican roads, Which Often are unpaved, potholed, and damaged "during the green season? Will you need a vehicle with 4×4? Only you know your individual "needs. Meeting Them Is The next step.

Your Driving For Costa Rica to
Obviously then this is an option and one adventurous year at That. If you drive from the United States Will you pass through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. It Is Not Within the scope of this article to go Into details about all border crossings thesis, howeve There Is a Lot of Information You Should Know If You something to do this. A good starting point for your research is: www.costaricareisen.com / firmen / autohandel / info_eng.htm.

The Back & Forth
Even if you're just drifting about in a non-committal Fairly way, it's Better to know the Laws of INSTEAD Finding out the hard way. To renew your visa you must leave the country Every 90 days, for 3 days. This Is Not the Sami for your car – Has to stay because your out for 90 days before it can return. Also you must carry with you the original import and visa documents while driving a United States registered as Within Costa Rica (Beedle, 2008). Some people think THEY can leave the country for 72 hours And Then Bring The Saami because back in with a different license plate to get new permits. Howeve this is illegal. If you are caught doing this, because your 'may be confiscated You Can Be and feel to jail, deported, and banned from Costa Rica for a number of years (Charles Zeller, shiptocostarica@racsa.co.cr, personal communication December 24, 2008). For Your IS Allowed in Costa Rica for six months Before You Have to pay "any taxes. It does not matter because the Which Country is from, They Will extra year just could be your passport stamp for your car. Howeve, from January 1st 2009, Costa Rica CAFTA Will enter Into the agreement, so Perhaps this rule Will exchange (Marielos Meléndez Lawyer@CostaRicaLawyer.com, personal communication, December 27, 2008).

Shipping
There are Many different shipping companies to choose from, so it's definitely worth checking out options to find the best deal. You can start fishing by submitting quotes around online at sites SUCH as:
www.omegashipping.com / carshipping.asp
www.compare-international-movers.com
www.autocarshippers.com
www.abc-movers.com
www.rexcargo.com
www.jetbox.com
Remember to take Into consideration SUCH Costs have storage, port fees, insurance, documentation, handling charges, customs inspection, Demurrage (Have to pay you compensation in box There Is a loading or unloading delay), delivery etc.. Any vehicle you want to ship Into Costa Rica Must Also Pass has EPA Smog Test, approved by a Local Consulate from the country of export. It Is important to find out What Your quote includes charges and What Will Be Outstanding. To read a case example of What May entail read quotes Nicolas Ruggia's article "Bringing in Your Four-Wheeled Baby", The Tico Times, May 23, 2008. For more information contact Charles Zeller you can by emailing or by phoning shiptocostarica@racsa.co.cr (Toll free from USA and Canada) 1-866-245-6923 or (506) 2258-8747.
For information and advice about how to Avoid Scams shipping see: www.autocarshippers.com / carshippingscam.aspx.
Freight Fillers
From the United States, cars are shipped Into Puerto Limon. If you drove since your Into Costa Rica, For Some Reason gold You Do not Have a freight bill (a bill of lading) either 'freight Will Be Calculated as 7% of the market value of your car. Be Careful, Because this calculation could "Produce has cost more expensive Than What Might Have Been actual freight. If You Did not Have freight insurance, customs Will figure one out for you by Multiplying the sum of the market value and freight by 110%, THEN THEY That figure multiply by 1.5% (Howard, 2008).

The Black Book
To Establish a value for the as Being Exported, You Need to present the commercial invoice with the purchase value. If You Do not Have a commercial invoice you Have to declare a capital gain. You can not try and Be sneaky by just making a value up, as Customs Officers follow a guide – The Black (or Blue) Book. UNLESS your Declared value is Within about 3% of What They've ESTABLISHED, it Will Be Rejected. The list price guide for new and used cars (used cars are as "any have defined That Is owned / titled). For examples of Canadian and United States you can visit www.blackbookguides.com ratings.
Also go to www.crautos.com. The site Is in Spanish, do not be put off goal. Click on the "Blue Book" tab at the top of the page, Then click "Ingresar" ("access"). This Brings WHERE you to a form you can enter specifications to get a price estimate. The estimate IS Drawn From a database of Used vehicles in Costa Rica.

Despite thesis guides the Costa Rican government Often Has the final say over capital gains and May as High Value to assign coaches Than What is quoted in the Book (www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Self-expenses). "Costa Rican Market Values "are Applied by the government by basing it gains the Selling Price of Used Vehicles DEPENDING ON CR in the year and model of your car, this price can MULTIPLIED by Be Between 0432-0502 to Establish the import value. And this Is What Things Can Make pricey. For more Detailed information and example of how year SUCH Produce High Cost calculations can see www.1costaricalink.com/elresidente/oo-3-4-2001.htm.

Calculations and Costs
You Can Be Stung with high import taxes, duties When Importing a car. The Costa Rican government taxes at the Value Between 50-80% of the CIF (cost + Insurance + freight) OR 50-80% of the Value Determined by the Costa Rican Finance Ministry's Car-Tica system (Ruggia, 2008).
Factors Taken Into consideration When Establishing the value include not only because the purchase value and year, Also The goal model, cubic centimeters, and "any vehicle extras. The older your car is, the less it Will Be Taxed (old cars are Roughly defined are 10 years or more) (www.vacationcity.com / costa-rica / information / Import-Export). As of January 1st 2009, Regardless Of whether you drove since your Costa Rica Into Gold Had It shipped, models 2007.2008 and 2009 will be charged 52.9% of the import value at Hacienda. Models 2006 and 2005 are 63.7% and Charged Anything older Charged IS 79.03% (Charles Zeller, shiptocostarica@racsa.co.cr, personal communication December 23, 2008).

To get a More Accurate Idea Of What You Might be charged, check the government website "Ministerio de Hacienda" has www.hacienda.go.cr / autohacienda / autovalor.aspx. At this site you enter the specifications of your as to come up with a cost. Caution: Sometimes Government websites are out of date and the best thing you can do IS ask an expert or official year. Another Way to Obtain estimate of year droits Is To send a fax or email to the Association of Residents (arcr@casacanada.net / www.arcr.net) detailing WHERE you want to ship as the from, the car's make, model, serial number (VIN), features, eg manual or automatic, air conditioning, power windows, and "any other non-standard equipment. You Can Also Email Charles Zeller (contact details under "Shipping a car") and you can contact the National Auto Research by writing to:
2620 Barrett Road,
PO Box 758,
Gainesville, GA 30503.
Phone (800) 554-1026 and fax (770) 532-4792
(Www.vacationcity.com / costa-rica / information / Import-Export, Howard, 2008).

Registration & License Plates
After a new car has been "Brought Into the Country it's Supposed to Be registered at the tax office in San Jose Within Two Days (www.costaricareisen.com / firmen / autohandel / info_eng.htm). You can get the paperwork to register it from customs. The Cost of registration depends upon the Value of your car. Firstly, the papers Need To Be Taken To The vehicle section of the Registro Público gold Public Registry, And Then the Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes). In time you are Issued with a placa provisional (temporary paper license plate) by the Public Registry, Which one you display your windshield. The Paper Will Probably stale, so attach a photocopy to the windscreen and keep the original in the glove box. You Have to watch the seafarer date of the paper plates while you're waiting for your permanent metal plates, as you can get a fine (from about 10,000 to 20.000 colones or $ 20 to $ 40) If They run out and you do not renew em. You Can not renew your license paper Until the day it expires. You Have to go back to the Registro Público year of construction and to Have It There is No charge to do this (Administrator, 2008). Once the metal plates are ready You Need to Go to the Registro Nacional (National Registry), Bringing with you:
Your temporary paper plate,

Title of ownership (título de propiedad)
Yellow registration card (tarjeta de circulación) and …
Your passport or ID card Resident (cedula).
Insurance
You can hire somebody to take care of all thesis Process for your gold dealer Will you do it.
Visit the National Registry's website (disponible en français) at www.registronacional.com (Howard, 2008 Lytle, 2008a; Administrator, 2008).

Inspection (RITEVE)
Cars require "general maintenance and safety inspections to Ensure They Are road worthy!. In Costa Rica then this is Known as the RTV, gold RITEVE. In addition to brake, lights, indicator, and wiper checks, are moteur Also Examined. Cars less than 5 years old Have to Be checked every 2 years while older cars are Examined Annually. The month You Need to Go for inspection depends upon the last of your license plate numbers, ie 1 = January, 2 = February and so on. Numbers ending in 0 are checked in October and November checks cars 1-5. It countries to book ahead, Which you can do-through phoning or visiting the website at www.rtv.co.cr. If you go to Google first, the website can Be Into Français translated for you. From the website you can access the information have SUCH rental of Inspection Centers, Contact Information, advice about how to pass the inspection, legislations, Appointments, etc.. Appointments cost about $ 20 – $ 30/25, 000 colones. It is Possible to hire a trusted Tico to take for your to inspection for you. Once You Have your RTV PASSED test you get year inspection certificate and a sticker on the windshield. required to pay the márchamo. For further information about the RTV see the government website at www.mopt.go.cr / Reglamentos.html. For more information see www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Auto Expenses and Lytle (2008a).

The márchamo
The márchamo You Need Is a permit to run your Every year since. It includes Some incendie. The price, ounce again, depends on your car. You can check prices online at http://portal.ins-cr.com/General/Marchamo. All you need to do is click IS "Consulta su márchamo aqua" (Consult your márchamo here) and enter your vehicle type and license plate number.
You must renew this permit Every year sometime Between the first of November and the last day of December, aims to Avoid if you want a headache, do not wait till the last minute. If You Have Outstanding parking and traffic fines you must first argument and you Settle Also Need to show proof That you've PASSED the RTV. When you pay you get a sticker for the windshield. If You Have not Paid by the New Year you risk getting a warning, a ticket for your gold HAVING impounded. You can pay at márchamo MOPT, and online banks with Banco Nacional has www.bncr.fi.cr. TechNet Virtual Howard (2008), Lytle (2008a & 2008b), and www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Self-expenses).

Advantages of owning / importing a car in Costa Rica

• Vehicles retain their values in Costa Rica Much Longer Than In Other THEY May countries. If you bring in year older vehicle and decided to sell it Eventually, You Can Still get a good price to help redeem What You Spend getting it here. Keep in mind this That means clustering Also if you buy Within a Used Car Costa Rica, prices' may be a bit darer Than What You Could Be Used to back home (Lytle, 2008b).

• Vehicle repair and maintenance Usually are 10-15% cheaper Than What you'd pay in the States. Prices vary Among rentals and workshops, so you can shop around (www.costarica.com/Retirement/Cost-of-Living/Auto-Expenses/).

Disadvantages of owning / importing in a car Costa Rica

• Gasoline can Be pricey and you can not shop around Because prices are set by the government. Fuel Was selling Has Between $ 4.40-$ 5.20 per gallon, late-2008 (www.costarica.com/Retirement/Cost-of-Living/Auto-Expenses/).

• Import Duties are not cheap. For example, a $ 20,000 Used Car, DEPENDING ON the Age, May cost you from $ 10,000 – $ 17,000 in droits (Lytle, 2008b).

• Costa Rica Does not Have all the Saami That Makes and models are available in Other Countries. You May wish to import a vehicle Particular, goal if you're not going to Be Able to find a knowledgeable mechanic and the right parts for your car, you Might Have to think twice. (UNLESS Importing the car parts Is Not An Issue for you).

• If your as Was purchased in the United States (or elsewhere) your warranty and guarentee May not Be valid in Costa Rica.
• You run the risk of your Being as damaged DURING shipping.

For more information visit www.vacationcity.com / costa-rica / information / import-export.
Buying a car
If you are on a budget, Rather Than Import, It Is Always Generally more affordable to buy a car Within Costa Rica. This can work to your advantage Also, have second-hand cars in the country Already May Be Designed specifically to the following conditions, appropriée with engine tuning, tires, etc.. If you want to buy something brand new, it 'may be more expensive overseas Than you'd pay Because Of The Import Tax Paid to ship it here.

Costa SUCH Rican newspapers as La Nacion, La Teja, Diario Extra, and The Tico Times (WHICH IS en français) are a good place to start browsing for local prices. Also you can check out the www.crautos.com websites and www.wheelsCR.com. Over weeks oven DURING late-2008, Most of the cars for sale in the Advertised Tico Times Were 4×4 vehicles, particularly Toyota Landcruisers. Apart from Toyotas, sauf popular brands in Costa Rica include Nissans, Hondas, Suzukis, and Hyundai.

If you can not pay for because your straight off and want to finance it, You Need Reasons to be proof of Mercantilism gold good credit record From Within Costa Rica. If You Do not Have a stable gold Have not Been revenu en Costa Rica Long Enough to Establish good credit, you could "try getting Another resident or citizen to co-sign with you. Failing That, you'll Have to put up with High Interest rates (Provided you find a dealer who'll finance it for you).

It Is That imperative Before you sign "any papers, as You Have the checked out by a Proper mechanic – and not the mechanic recommended by the seller. More You Need to Know can pass inspection because the – Especially if you are a participating in a private sale. After all, you do not want the hassle of hidden costs. Read more at:
www.vacationcity.com / costa-rica / information / Import-Export
www.therealcostarica.com / moving_to_costa_rica / bring_buy_car.html
www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Auto Expenses
www.livecostarica.net/?q=node/74

Car Insurance
Apart from the liability insurance included In The márchamo, auto insurance isn't a requirement "in Costa Rica. As a result, Many people choose to reposer uninsured Because The worth of Their Paying for Does not justify the high fees – if that's the boat you're in either 'do not go causing accident year or you Will Be Responsible for damages (www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Self-expenses).

The Costa Rican Has Held a government monopoly over insurance for the last 84 years. SI Cover sold from National Insurance Institute offices (NSOs) and Foreign insurance Usually isn't valid. In October, The Tico Times Indicated foreign FIRMS could "Provide cross-border insurance for shipping and air transportation services (TT, Oct. 31, pg 15," Auto Insurance Rates Could Go Up 14%), goal ace for self insurance in the Tico Times Reported That November competition in the auto insurance market will not open up Until 2011 (Tico Times, "Agency Rejects Request to Hike Auto Insurance" VI Garnica November 21, pg 3).
In the Meantime, visitors can get cover from the INS as long as THEY Have a valid drivers license, are at least 18 years old, and Have not overstayed 90 days. Because if the Has foreign platforms only Third party damage IS Covered for the time the car is Allowed in the country. If you've Financed-through because your a dealer, chances are out They'll work for you and a policy Incorporate Some Kind of insurance fee Into your re-payments (www.costarica.com / Retirement / Cost-of-Living / Auto Expenses; Administrator, 2008 Lytle, 2008a & 2008b).

The Law
All You Need to Drive Legally in Costa Rica Is a valid drivers license and passport. There Is a Law Known as "The License Plate Rule" which fixe in central San Jose. To help keep traffic Under Control, days from Monday to Friday are Allocated numbers: 1 & 2 Monday, Tuesday 3 & 4, Wednesday 5 & 6, 7 & 8 Thursday, and Friday 9 & 0. Whichever day the last number of your flat matches Is The Day because you must keep your off the road (between 6 am and 7 pm). If you're caught breaking the rule you can get fined Approximately $ 10 Gold 5.000 colones. See a map for the restricted area at www.livecostarica.net/?q=node/183.

Recently the government cracked down on traffic violations by Increasing fine substantiality. Although a judge reserved the right to replace jail time with community service, the New Laws Potentially can send drivers to prison for up to 3 years for Other racing cars, speeding over 150 km / ph, or driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.75 grams per liter (a 155 pound man could "Reach this level by drinking beers over three-four hour year). A merit system has been "Introduced, Which drivers in INITIALLY Have 50 points. Points are deducted as trespasses Occur. If you lose all your points, you lose your license Also for Two years. The Crimes and Their penalties are listed below (Guilleries, 2008):

Causing a fatal accident 8 years 6 months jail
Causing a fatal accident while drunk 3 -15 years jail
Racing Against Other drivers 1-3 years jail
Driving drunk (BAC 0.75 g / l) 1-3 years jail
Driving tipsy (BAC 0.5 g / l) $ 410 fine
Driving faster Than 150 km / hr 1-3 years jail
Driving faster Than 120 km / hr $ 410 fine
Driving Without a valid license or permit $ 410 fine
Operating a pirate taxi $ 410 fine
Driving 20 km / hr speed limit Above $ 310 fine
Not wearing a seatbelt $ 310 fine
Holding a cell phone $ 310 fine
Ignoring traffic lights or signs $ 310 delicate

Recommendations
Obviously talked about 'everything Above screams "paperwork." Howeve it's not so intense if you hire help Along the Way. Beside, if you're working with dealers THEY Should Be Doing it for you anyway. If you Believe Importing a car is the right option for you either 'it's a very good idea to get a good customs broker / agent on your side. Once the has arrived as the officer in the transportation Will Do the paperwork for you and calculate the taxes. Once you've Paid up you can take your car. Usually about this Takes Two Days. You should "Also Consider Hiring a bi-lingual lawyer to guide you-through the process (eg check out or email Marielos www.CostaRicaLawyer.com Melendez – who Answered my questions – Does Lawyer@CostaRicaLawyer.com). If you're not working with a dealer You Will Still Need the help of a Customs agent to help you plan and prepare … And You Need patience! (Lytle, 2008b).

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