By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica

Well, no big surprise here, but never the less frustrating and stressful. The line in the sand just got moved again.

The Department of Immigration has long been scheduled to open this coming Monday, May 18. But the news today is that the “Open to the public and legal representatives” date has now been moved way out to July 18. Obviously, anyone awaiting services from this overwhelmed government entity now wants to know how it impacts them.

First of all, anyone who entered Costa Rica after December 17, 2019, might be worried about their 90-day visa that has long since run out. It has now been extended to August 18, 2020. There’s nothing you need to do. It’s an automatic extension.

Please do not fret about expiry dates on some of your documents. In fairness, Immigration has given those documents that may have or are set to expire a grace period out to September 18. Breath.

If it feels like driving with one foot on the brake and another on the gas, you are not alone. We all have to deal with this as best we can but also as proactively as possible. If you are contemplating residency – begin now and get ahead of the stampede soon to invade Costa Rica. The word about how well things are here is spreading. Next to New Zealand, Costa Rica is being watched with high regard on a global scale.

If you are in the process of gathering documents, keep at it. Costa Rica is not going anywhere and will eventually open the doors wide open at some point. It is bound to emerge as one of the most popular countries for Expats, once all the “how did we do in the crisis” scores are tallied. So far, so good.

In the meantime, the Department of Immigration employee parking lot is still full. (I personally checked this morning) This means that staff are in the offices continuing to process backlogged applications. Well… at least in theory. Given the glacial pace of approvals coming through in the past two months sans any public traffic normally storming the gates, one wonders. I offer this as a precautionary note to those frustrated clients who are still awaiting approvals from applications correctly submitted long ago.

As far as approvals go currently from Immigration, (I have never had a rejection), they always come through by email to me.

There have also been recent changes to final step procedures for Rentistas and Inversionistas. Only Pensioados will be able to fulfill the final steps of Resolucións (approvals) at Correos de Costa Rica. Rentistas, and Inversionistas must now do that last step at the Department of Immigration. It seems to defy logic. Perhaps there is something about virology in the latter two categories I might be missing. I asked Immigration about this but received no convincing answer. But just make a note.

Concerning renewals of existing Residency Cards (A.K.A. Dimex or Cedula), those can still be done at participating BCR branches or participating Correos de Costa Rica outlets by appointment only. Those renewal applications are allowed to be submitted 90 days before the expiry of current cards. Get the jump on things if you are doing this for the first time. Go in at around day 100 (before your expiry date) and ask what precisely they will be asking of you so you can prepare. If your Español is still not up to par, bring along an articulate Tico/Tica with proper deportment, and knows how to listen carefully. Never argue.

In the meantime, anyone with a Permanent Residency card will have it extended to September 30, 2020. Anyone with a Temporary Residency or Special Category card that expired post-December 18, 2019, will now be extended to September 30, 2020. Barring any new movements of the line in the sand (closure dates), Permanent, Temporary, and Special category cardholders will have 90 days to renew. Mark that down on your calendars, because if you fail to renew, you lose your status.

I don’t know why this always ends up on the back burner, but we still have not heard a definitive word on the ever stressful consideration of foreign driver’s license validity. Those are typically tied to the 90-day visas. They were recently extended to July 18. Logically, those should soon be extended again to August 18. Stay tuned.

Also, for your former border runners: The Nicaraguan and Panama borders will remain closed to June 15. That date is highly likely to change, given the abysmal state of COVID-19 affairs in either country. You should make plans to pursue residency asap and abandon the border running life. It is very likely a thing of the past. Viruses don’t negotiate.

So who gets to come into Costa Rica during these extended travel restrictions?

Up to June 15, Costa Rican citizens, legal Costa Rica residents who departed Costa Rica prior to March 24, ex-pats with residency applications pending approvals who departed Costa Rica prior to March 24, minor children of Costa Rican citizens, and foreign diplomats will be able to enter Costa Rica.

Any foreign residents in Costa Rica who departed from Costa Rica on March 24 or later, or who will leave shortly will be unable to re-enter under the current restrictions. However, they will not have to begin the residency process again.

If in doubt… stay put and stay tuned.