The Costa Rica Star has recently published information about receiving your permanent residency in Costa Rica to avoid border runs, wasting time, and money.

Moving to another country can be one of the most rewarding experiences in one’s lifetime, but it could also become one of the most frustrating and stressful if not done correctly.  Potential residents have a lot to learn, and thus proper information and guidance in their chosen country is essential.  Organizations like the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR) that are dedicated to offering essential services to newcomers are often a good starting point for foreigners.  Here’s why:

Costa Rica has deservedly become a very inviting land for foreigners who either seek retirement or a new life.  Most foreigners have traditionally come from Western industrialized nations, but in recent decades the landscape of foreign residents has changed, with many immigrants arriving from other countries.  Globalization and the strengthening of ties between our country and nations such as China and the Netherlands are other reasons why immigration patterns are changing.

The traditional waves of North American retirees moving here to enjoy the wonders of our land and stretch their pension dollars are no longer the norm in terms of immigration.  We now have thousands of visitors who arrive in search of perpetual tourism, economic opportunity, sustainable living, romance, education, family life, and others.  Costa Rica is a welcoming and tolerant land for all, but she can also appear intricate and bewildering to those visitors who are accustomed to doing things a certain way.

Since we have become so adept at tourism, a first-time visitor may come away with the conclusion that our country is a paragon of efficiency; after all, tourists are routinely whisked away from the arrivals section at Juan Santamaria airport (or our new Liberia airport) and deposited into their oceanfront hotel where they could be surfing just a couple of hours after landing.  Unfortunately, such efficiency does not necessarily extend to all of our government and civil processes that are essential to forging a new life.  As a slowly developing Latin American nation, the throes of bureaucracy are still being felt by the populace at large.  Red tape and other seemingly ineffectual practices are still part of the agenda, and we have enough abstractions and Catch-22s to make Capt. Yossarian proud.

The ARCR is a non-profit organization that offers a variety of informational, personal and business services to foreigners, especially to those who are planning retirement or permanent relocation.  The ARCR has been around since the mid 1990s, a time when North American retirees began to arrive in Costa Rica in droves.  The ranks of pensionados swelled once the world learned about Costa Rica thanks to the international attention garnered by former President Oscar Arias as a recipient of the Nobel Peace prize.  By that time the cat was out of the bag, perpetual tourism became fashionable, and foreigners became very interested in making Costa Rica their new home.

Due to the heavy North American influence, the ARCR acronym is often confused with something along the lines of American Retirees in Costa Rica, but ARCR caters to all foreigners, not just those who come from anglophone countries.  The ARCR has answers for the many legal, business, cultural, and procedural that are inevitable when moving to Costa Rica.  All of life’s quotidian sundries like immigration proceedings, banking, education, insurance, importing goods, real estate, legal affairs, mail, taxes, and many more are within the purview of ARCR.  Networking is at the heart of ARCR; by having built a book of reliable bilingual professionals who are experienced in serving the interests of the expat community, the organization provides a valuable service.

All the services and information offered by ARCR can be researched and retained by expats on their own; the free market and democratic roots of Costa Rica guarantee equal access to such services, but navigating the bureaucratic constructs and cultural differences can be quite a challenge.  For foreigners who can’t make time within their busy schedules to handle our idiosyncratic way of life, or who are moving here without the support of a real-life social network, an organization like the ARCR is recommended.

The ARCR has offices in the Metro San Jose area and can be contacted using the following methods. You will also find their discounts on local business products and services of value, of course you must be a member first.

Website: www.arcr.net
Phone: (506) 2233-8068 or (506) 2221-2053
Fax: (506) 2255-0061 or (506) 2233-1152
Email: [email protected]
Forum: forums.arcr.net
Membership Info: www.arcr.net/membership
Update Your Billing: billing.arcr.net