Faced with the rather troubling amount of crime in certain areas, some foreigners have begun taking measures to protect themselves. The following are a few options: Security guard: There are security companies that will either rent you a well-trained guard or come to the scene if your house alarm is tripped. See the resource section for

Property theft What it is? Property theft in Costa Rica is a sophisticated fraud operation by which your property is registered under another person’s name in the National Registry, then sold before you even realize it’s been “stolen.” It usually involves a corrupt notary colluding with other unscrupulous parties. Often there is a corrupt element

By Christopher Howard “Is it safe to invest in Costa Rica?” This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked by the guests on my monthly retirement/relocation tours. During my nearly 30 years of living in Costa Rica I have had the opportunity to observe a lot of people make money and others

Costa Rican business culture operates on connections. If you can get well connected, you’ll be a success. If you’re not well connected, any number of mysterious obstacles might just appear in your path. It depends, of course, on the kind of business you’re doing, but you might want to consider finding a local partner. A

As in many Latin American cultures, tax evasion in Costa Rica is quite common. Many businesses will sell you products and services tax-free if you pay in cash. A large number of business are completely off the grid. In other cases, the tax laws are so outdated as to be completely ineffective or insignificant. At

Costa Rica is technically one of the most difficult countries in the world in which to legally start a business. The latest “Doing Business” ranking put out by the World Bank places Costa Rica 123rd out of 181 economies in the ease of opening a business. It takes an average of 12 procedures and three

For whatever reasons, Costa Ricans like to put everything in writing, on paper. When you purchase something moderately significant – a blender, shoes – your name goes on the receipt. Officials at state institutions all have a whole battery of rubber stamps (sellos) on their desks that they use to approve things, and at some point