RETIRE IN COSTA RICA

V. 3 Social Security & Paying Bills

To help you get over the hump when you retire in Costa Rica, I've put together a few pages of tips and advice.

On this page (Vol. 3) you'll find info about getting Social Security and paying bills while living in Costa Rica.

If you missed them, Vol.1 discusses Costa Rica banks, telephones, and internet, click to go to Living In Costa Rica.

An important question for many folks planning to retire in Costa Rica is: "What should I bring?

In Vol. 2, I've put together some Costa Rica retirement ideas and recommendations about what to do about cars, furniture, large applicances and household things, when you Move to Costa Rica, click. that could save you a lot of money.

Living in Costa Rica with Social Security

Should you move to Costa Rica before retirement, you'll find it very, very easy to get your benefits when you're eligible.

About 30 days before you're eligible, visit the U.S. Embassy in Pavas (just outside San Jose). You'll see a long line of Ticos waiting to get in but walk past them (Americans get priority, you're not being rude).

You'll need your passport, a certified copy of your birth certificate and---if you want to set up the electronic deposit---your bank account number.

The Social Security Administration maintains an office within the Embassy itself. Ask one of the security personnel inside the compound to help and direct you.

The entire process is quick, efficient, painless, and it's very pleasant, indeed, that the office will take care of setting up the electronic deposits.

Need to call the Embassy (or other places)? Click for important Costa Rica telephone numbers.

Paying Bills in Costa Rica

peculiarities. . .

you'll discover when you retire in Costa Rica.

One of them is that some, but not all, your monthly bills will be sent to you. For example, every month I receive bills for my electricity and water but I never get a billing statement or invoice for my telephone, mortgage, property taxes, insurance, or a notice that my car registration is due.

The lesson? Get used to it, go with the flow, create a tickle system in your computer's calendar, and don't forget to pay your mortgage or car registration even without a bill!

Where to pay?

The good news here is that you can pay most, if not all, of your bills at the same place. In San Jose, you'll find a place called Servimas inside some of the larger stores like Hipermas (owned by Walmart) where you can pay virtually every bill at the same time.

You can also go to the national banks, like Banco de Costa Rica and Banco Nacionale, and pay virtually any bill (except perhaps a mortgage from another entity), including your insurance, car registration, and even traffic tickets.

And, better yet, you can pay most of your bills at any of the larger grocery stores. Some will have an area set aside for this process; most allow you to simply pay at the register when you buy groceries.

exp 09/13

Like just about everywhere else, Costa Rica homes are subject to property taxes. The good news is that the amount of the tax is very low, though "luxury homes" having a value of more than $172,000 are subject to an additional tax.

You'll pay your property taxes at a government office. You can pay them quarterly, semi-annually, or annually and some cities give you a discount (like 5%) if you pay the annual tax in advance.

My advice: ask if there's a discount and take advantage of it.

The registration fee for your car or truck will be due by December 31. You will never get a bill so just remember. This fee is called a "machamo."

Costa Rica requires every vehicle to be inspected annually at a RITEVE (an acronym) station. Every inspected vehicle gets a colored (green, for example) window sticker showing the date of the inspection. The dates of inspection vary but you can pay the fee at most of the places above.

If you have a Costa Rica corporation, taxes are due March 31.

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