Moving to Costa Rica: a practical first-visit checklist

Start with a trial routine

Choose a temporary base and try ordinary days. Compare groceries, transport, internet needs, errands and noise. Record what works for you and what would make a longer stay inconvenient.

Build a budget from your own quotes

List housing, utilities, transport, insurance, professional advice and care while away. Obtain current quotes instead of relying on an old blog’s single cost-of-living figure. Keep the monthly living budget separate from the purchase budget.

Check travel and longer-stay requirements separately

Consult current official entry guidance for your nationality and obtain qualified advice for a longer stay. Do not assume a purchase settles immigration, work permission or tax questions. Keep your advisers’ written guidance with the planning documents.

Your first-visit folder

• Identity documents and current travel requirements.
• Questions for immigration and tax advisers.
• Preferred areas and exact addresses to try.
• Separate living and purchase budgets.
• A property shortlist to discuss with Dominique.

Give each decision its own checklist

Use separate columns for daily life, travel requirements and property ownership. Under daily life, record your own quotes and the routes you tested. Under travel, keep the current rules and questions for your adviser. Under ownership, keep the actual property file and transaction questions. A positive answer in one column does not resolve the other two.

If you are unsure where to settle, a temporary stay can help you discover what matters before selecting a property. Ask about the rental’s actual dates, cancellation terms and included services. After the stay, adjust your search brief using what you learned rather than keeping the same priorities simply because they sounded attractive before arrival.