RETIRE IN COSTA RICA

V. 3 Social Security & Paying Bills

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

A question many American have is "Can I get my Social Security deposited in Costa Rica?"

And, another involves your monthly bills. Since Costa Rica doesn't have mail service to any house (indeed, your house isn't likely to have an address or your street a name!), another good question is: "How will I get my bills and how do I pay them?"

I'll answer both questions here.

Collecting Social Security in Costa Rica

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 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.

The one thing you won't get when you retire in Costa Rica will be mail delivery of your bills. A handful of bills (electricity, water, maybe your cable bill) will likely be hand delivered each month by some fellow on a motorcycle but many bills (like for taxes) are never delivered. It's up to you to remember!

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.

When you retire in Costa Rica, 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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