Party never ends for expats in San Jose
If you are like most people, come to Costa Rica for the weekend or even a couple weeks you have nothing to worry about. However, if you are the kind of guy who likes to stay for a while or at least more than three months at a time, then you could be headed for problems.
Apparently immigration officials have started to really crack down on “perpetual tourists”, and days could be numbered for those who live in Costa Rica and do not apply for legal residency. The police sweeps we see now are just a hint of what we can come to expect as immigration waits to fully apply the new law.
The bottom line is expect that the average gringo will have a shelf life of about 120 to 180 days before it becomes necessary to really move on.
Perpetual tourists returning from Panama are getting slapped with 30 day visas instead of the usual 90 day visa, and the new law requires a tourist to remain outside of the country for 14 days instead of just 72 hours when returning for the third time.
You might also see some decline in the talent pool of available women as many come from other Latin American countries.
If you are a perpetual tourist and frequent the venues in San Jose then you most likely run into problems. Those who are really determined to stay in Costa Rica should be prepared to fly back to the United States more often and occasionally replace your passport.
