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Costa Rican Government to Take Away Residency for Expats Leaving the Country

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Kohl
  3/23/2020 17:05 EST

Please read the info here:

https://news.co.cr/covid-19-costa-rican-government-to-take-away-residency-for-expats-leaving-the-country/81334/

And here:

https://ticotimes.net/2020/03/23/costa-rica-announces-stringent-measures-as-coronavirus-count-reaches-158

Kohl
  3/23/2020 17:34 EST

I just read a response by the TicoTimes just responded to a post, saying that this info 'is correct'

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PombinhaCoco7
  3/23/2020 18:02 EST

Kohl,
Yes, this information is correct.

scalnew
  3/23/2020 18:58 EST

Yes, President Alvarado made this announcement this morning on the news...any foreigner with a residency who leaves the country will automatically lose his residency status.

beach1girl
  3/23/2020 21:10 EST

Kohl,

Costa Rica is showing its true color. After all, Francois Sylvain was right in his book THE COSTA RICA NO ONE TALKS ABOUT about the fact that Costa rica only wants the foreigners' money? Their decision to take away residency for expats leaving the country even for a short time is NOT about preventing the spread of the virus but strickly about money. PURA VIDA

Kohl
  3/23/2020 21:33 EST

Sorry to say that I too, feel that this new ruling, is to stop people from taking their funds from the many banks here. It seems like us 'extranjeros' are being held hostage.
Hopefully, I am wrong

In Dec 2002, many foreigners and Tico's lost millions of dollars when the government decided to change the game rules which they had played along with, for many years.

It is too big a story to post here, but suggest you read up on this. This article was one of hundreds of articles that reported this fiasco.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-12-13-0212130220-story.html

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scalnew
  3/24/2020 07:38 EST

I am not confirming or denying what you have posted here but I feel I need to bring to your attention that while we were in wonderment that Nicaragua had no known cases of the virus it has now been revealed that there is a coverup in that country by President Ortega. It is reported that there are not only over 700 cases of the virus but all doctors and nurses of the government hospitals are prohibited from calling it the Coronavirus. Anyone arriving at a hospital with symptoms must refer to it as pneumonia. The reasoning being is that 50,000 tourists are expected for Holy Week and Ortega doesn't want to scare them away.

scalnew
  3/24/2020 07:42 EST

Due to so many Nicaraguan expats coming and going at a phenomenal rate it may account for the stringent measures..

jim42
  3/24/2020 10:01 EST

Pura Vida......LOL.....left CR many years ago and have never returned for vacation and never will. Its all about US$$$$$$$$. US needs to deport all CR citizens immediately and ALL foreigners living in CR should leave immediately. CR government stinks, stinks and stinks. Now I will catch hell from those folks who love CR....

PombinhaCoco7
  3/24/2020 10:47 EST

jim42
I wonder why you seem to hate Costa Rica so much.
I was born in Portugal.
Immigrated to Canada in 1979.
Came to Costa Rica in 2015.
Even Today I still care about these 3 countries and what is going on there matters to me.
One day if I had to leave Costa Rica and go somewhere else (which I doubt it) I would still be reading the news about Costa Rica the same way I still read the news about Canada and Portugal.
You even seem to have some pleasure in putting Costa Rica down.
Like Dr. Phil often asks his guests: what are you getting out of this?
Have a good day!

philruth
  3/24/2020 12:11 EST

And your reason for lurking on the Forum would be??

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philruth
  3/24/2020 12:22 EST

The Tribune story just sounds like gringo greed. Is there more that connects CR govt at the time to the scheme?

ppbritton
  3/24/2020 12:35 EST

you leave the country, lose your residency status costa rica seizes your bank account, car, condo, home, everything - as to what happened in 2002, had nothing to do with government - was a giant ponzi scheme!!

Kohl
  3/24/2020 12:39 EST

Just search for this: there is hundreds!I just picked one.
The first one that came up this morning is by the TicoTimes.

https://ticotimes.net/2007/05/18/the-long-muddled-history-of-the-brothers

scalnew
  3/24/2020 13:16 EST

It appears from the article that the government had to intervene when it discovered that drug trafficking money was involved in some of the loans. It's possible that 90% of the operations were clean and legit but got into trouble when there was a lack of vetting of who the loaners were and whether or not there was an attempt to launder money. It was a house of cards. I don't believe, however, that the government deliberately turned a blind eye simply to wait for the right moment to engage in a great money grab.

acastillo
  3/24/2020 14:24 EST

Absolutely ridiculous. Some people have legitimate important reasons for needing to leave, family or work. These people should not be penalized. While this crisis is bringing out the good in ordinary people it's bringing out the ugly in governments.

I suppose what this announcement really means is the costa rican government is admitting they don't have the ability to enforce a quarantine on travellers entering the country.

Since the goverment is apparently in full panic mode now we should expect to see more lockdowns as infections go up, buses canceled, curfew, police enforced etc. Maybe even close banks and grocery stores.

Kohl
  3/24/2020 14:36 EST

"The president said that residents or refugees who “abandon” (leave) Costa Rica during the national emergency will lose their residency status."

At this point, no-one knows what exactly his next statement will contain.

This full article below is worth reading, if you haven't already done so.

https://qcostarica.com/foreigner-residents-who-leave-costa-rica-will-lose-their-residency-status/

scalnew
  3/24/2020 17:39 EST

This president doesn't seem to know his right hand from his left. He wants to appear on the world stage as if he's taking a strong stance against the threat but I fear he's using the old iron fist method.

princzz
  3/24/2020 19:41 EST

...be specific!!!! This is from March 24, 2020, not before.

beach1girl
  3/24/2020 21:16 EST

jim42,

It's NOT all about US$$$$$$$$. They gladly take Can$$$$$ and EUR

princzz
  3/25/2020 09:59 EST

Correct beach girl!!! It could be that the dont like people abandoning their country during a time of crisis....

ILuvCR
  3/25/2020 11:29 EST

beach1girl, commissioned sales gal for "THE COSTA RICA NO ONE TALKS ABOUT ", jim42 & ppbritton you all sicken me!

Whiney, nasty, wanna-be's and or couldn't cut it so intent on attacking and slurring the home many of us love.

Slow day in losersville? Find something else to spew your venom about, please!

I'm damn glad to be here and will be a citizen before you all stop whining!

Pura Vida in tough times is better than what you three have going for you!

ppbritton
  3/25/2020 12:17 EST

you leave the country you lose your residency status - which means your DIMEX card is no good!! - which means you can no longer bank (a valid DIMEX card is a requirement for banking) - so even if you can get back into the country, if you left without withdrawing your funds, the government of costa rica has seized your account - now that the national registry is controlled by the government, and you have abandoned your vehicle, home, condo and all your chattels, the government has seized them as abandoned property - so, gang, who is first in line to meet this governmental challenge??? As Sir Francis Drake said - yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!!!

ppbritton
  3/25/2020 13:11 EST

and now we come to all the foreign businesses that came to costa rica, to improve their businesses and provide jobs/benefits to the costa rican people - when one of their employees absolutely must leave the country on personal business that cannot be postponed, the government yanks the rug out from beneath them - why the hell would anyone invest in costa rica?? the totality of the possibilities are obvious - costa rica is finished!!!!!!!!!!1

ILuvCR
  3/25/2020 13:25 EST

ppbritton stick it you negative ninny! As soon as this coronavirus passes and it will pass , tourism opens up and C.R. is good as gold as always.

You are so full of hate you jealous wanna-be, for our little slice of paradise it's sickening!

lindyluvsCR
  3/25/2020 13:37 EST

Peanut Brittle - Where do you live?

I have heard for years that US banks rules are now set up that can seize your bank account in times of crisis or whenever they feel like it.

I, like ILuvCR, am glad I am here. Things are creepy all over the world right now.

And CR is not finished. Your way of putting things are always an over the top exageration. Like the other day you stated something about China, and I felt like I needed to crawl under the bed in fear.

Kohl
  3/25/2020 14:05 EST

At the present time, we don't know what will 'really happen' if those who chose to leave at this time, 'could' actually lose their residency status, if anything.

I did expect though, that the President would have clarified his comments by now.

I can tell you that this virus, has caused mayhem in so many places in the world, including where I am self-isolating right now.

Please take care of yourselves and be nice to others.

Lisapuravida
  3/25/2020 17:24 EST

Here is my understanding from migracion. There is still some speculation on it but as far as "taking away residency" this is it. The person in charge of migracion gave the following options for a person that speculates about leaving the country.

1. Don't leave the country
2. If you leave, don't come back until the alert is over. (There may be an alert in the time you have exited the country that will impact your return.)
3. If you do leave and try to come back and/or attempt to enter CR illegally, you will lose your residency.

The new policy is not a "one and done". This information was broadcast on CR news earlier this week. People have choices. A bad choice may cost migracion status.

scalnew
  3/26/2020 00:15 EST

PP, please explain to all of us expats living here in Costa Rica why you are posting on a CRican expat site when you are so derogatory of the country. It's nonsensical. Just join a group of the country of your choice and there you can post things of a positive nature to those who live there. Why stress yourself and everybody else out unnecessarily. It's not for the common good. You DO believe in the common good?!

scalnew
  3/26/2020 00:15 EST

PP, please explain to all of us expats living here in Costa Rica why you are posting on a CRican expat site when you are so derogatory of the country. It's nonsensical. Just join a group of the country of your choice and there you can post things of a positive nature to those who live there. Why stress yourself and everybody else out unnecessarily. It's not for the common good. You DO believe in the common good?!

PombinhaCoco7
  3/26/2020 01:57 EST

Actually I believe that some people here have more than one profile.
Some people like lindyluvsCR and Kohl must remember when I had to come here to talk about some comment left in my husband's Facebook.
During that debate someone new here that none of us had ever heard of left a comment accusing me of breaking the rules.
I asked that person: Who are you?-I have never "seen" you here.
Then "lindy" also asked him the same.
We never heard from him again.
I knew that it was a double profile.

acastillo
  3/26/2020 05:27 EST

I think it's pretty obvious why PB and others like him post here. At one time PB spent some time in cr, didn't like it and left. Privately he tells himself he is "saving" others from making a disastrous mistake, but really he needs to justify his decision to leave so that his little ego can be "right". It's an old old story. Read Aesop's Fables titled " Sour Grapes"

Mcanada
  4/12/2020 09:33 EST

I live in Canada our government lets thousands of people fly in and out of Canada during this pandemic from around thw world and there are no checks at the airports at all, no hand gel, no masks enforced on the planes, nothing. Canada has 100 times the death rate compared to Taiwan a nation of 28 million (Canada is 37 million). Also, Taiwan as soon as they found out about this virus shut all airlines, buses and trains into their nation, Canada has not. Every single person wears a masks, Canada is telling people do not wear a mask and its spreading like wildfire. Toronto expects 2000 deaths that is the major city with thousands flying in I guess they don't care if they kill others around them. We also are short of masks and gowns and doctors, nurses and hospital staff they laid of thousands the last 10 years here. We have a crazy liberal government, they are sneaking in thousands of temporary workers and students and muslims and Chinese and africans and we still allow illegal criminals through the illegal entry at Quebec border (they are not real refuges) they wont shut it down. The Canadian people 96% do not want any more immigration. Its turning so scary in my country.

acastillo
  4/12/2020 10:36 EST

@mcanada
Don't know why you are complaining about canada on a forum for costa rica but according to this article canada closed the border to non citizens on mar 15
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canada-shutting-the-border-to-most-non-citizens-due-to-covid-19-pm-trudeau-1.4854503

Sounds like you don't live in canada you live in a delusional fantasy land.

Kohl
  4/13/2020 10:55 EST

I, too, am living in Canada.

Canada is doing a good job! Not perfect, but good...and they simply cannot make people follow all the rules. Over this past weekend, people had been told to stay home. However, most didn't follow the recommendations.

We know that every passenger is not checked but many are, so please do not make a 'blanket statement'. Thousands and thousands of masks are being provided by both large companies and individuals working at their home sewing machines wanting to do 'their' part to help fight this terrible virus. In fact, this is causing other problems because they are being worn, discarded and thrown on the ground, for 'someone' else to pick up...

Yes, 'foreigners' are being admitted, and many have returned to Canada for many years and they are there because Canadians don't want to work in the agricultural sector to provide Canadians such as yourself with fresh produce for families to eat...and when they arrive they are self isolated for the recommended 14 days.

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