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Chapter 15
Resources for Tourists and Residents
Below you will find various categories of resources,
as well as questions and answers on various topics of interest. Click
on the index below to go directly to the section you want to read, or simply
scroll down the page to read it all. We have lots here and will be
updating this section all the time as new issues arise. This chapter
covers topics not covered elsewhere in this guidebook. Enjoy!
Getting your retirement benefits
here
Detailed Bus System Map
Costa Rican Consuls
and Embassies
Getting your retirement benefits here.
This is a very important issue and concern for all expats
living in Costa Rica. And how you get your money here depends on
where it is coming from, and your banking situation both at home and here.
The simplest solution many people use is to have their retirement benefits
direct deposited into their bank account "back home," and then they either
use an ATM card or a Visa or MasterCard debit card to take the money out
of a local ATM or if it bears one of the above logos, they can also use
it to buy things directly at local merchants and stores.
In Costa Rica, most mid size, large, and even small businesses
accept credit cards, although some very few will charge you more than if
you are buying for cash. If in doubt, ask.
There are lots of ATM machines in the country hooked up
to either the Plus or Cirrus ATM networks, and many banks are hooked up
to both. Outside of San Jose, though, Visa is easier to use
and the Plus system is more prevalant, although MasterCard and Cirrus are
getting wider distribution all the time. If you are going to do this,
you probably should have one week's worth of cash at least stored up at
home, as every once in a while the ATM network will go down for a day or
so, but even if it does, you can usually find another bank whose ATM will
work. And, if you have either the Visa or MasterCard capability on
your card, the credit card networks almost always work 100% of the time,
so you will be covered in an emergency.
Some expats, jsut to be sure, take this a step further
and open a local bank account, and withdraw all of their money at the beginning
of the month and put it into their local bank account for easy access.
Some expats on Social Security, Disability, or VA benefits
have their checks sent to the US Embassy, which provides a service
to get your check down here through their system rather than the international
mail. The drawback of this service is that once the check arrives
at the Embassy, the general practice is for them to just put it into the
local postal mail. This works fine in the Central Valley, but the
local post office can take a week or more to get mail to outlying areas,
and there are complaints in some remote locations of mail getting lost.
Then, once you get the check, you have to deposit it into your local bank
account anyway, and they will put a minimum of a 2 week hold, and sometimes
4-6 weeks depending on the bank, so this is definitely not a favoored option
anymore.
Some local banks are reported now to be accepting direct
deposit of Social Security and VA checks. It is reported that Banco
de Costa Rica will do this, and it is also likely that Banco Nacional and
maybe some of the larger private banks do this too. It is suggested
that you contact the US Embassy for further details on this option for
the exact procedure to follow to set this up.
If you are from Canada or some other country, it is preferable
for you to have your money deposited in your local bank back home and use
the ATM machine to access your funds. We are not aware of any direct
deposit options to local accounts from non US sources, but you can always
ask your local Embassy for details.
Detailed Bus System Map
http://costaricatour.virtualave.net/buses/busstations.GIF
http://costaricatour.virtualave.net/buses/schedules1.GIF
http://costaricatour.virtualave.net/buses/schedules2.GIF
http://costaricatour.virtualave.net/buses/schedules3.GIF
Costa Rican Embassies and Consuls:
Costa Rica Embassy in USA
http://www.costarica-embassy.org/default.htm
list of consuls locations in usa
to call
http://www.rree.go.cr/servicio-exterior/index.php?stp=09&consul=S&begin_number_page=10&end_number_page=10&ord=0&letra=E
http://www.rree.go.cr/servicio-exterior/index.php?stp=09&consul=S&begin_number_page=20&end_number_page=10&ord=0&letra=E
in Canada
http://www.costaricaembassy.com/
or consul location
http://www.rree.go.cr/servicio-exterior/index.php?stp=09&langtype=espanol&UserName=&Embajada=&consul=S&SID=&letra=C
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