At the Border, a sign on the caja states you will need the following to enter Costa Rica:

• Certificacion Aduanera
• Registro Unico Vehicular
• Ultimo Revisado
• Recibo de Placa
• DIJ
• Paz y Salvo de Transito
• Cedula
• …And it will help to have a pen.

The Process

About 1-2 weeks before leaving, go to the Aduana office on the airport road (Avenida Red Gray) in David (it’s in Google Maps and Waze). Park outside the gate, and walk in and enter the front office on the left front side of the building, and ask for an Aduana Certification (Certificacion Aduanera) to bring your car into Costa Rica.

I gave them the original and a copy of each:

• - Cedula
• - Passport
• - Registro Unico de Propiedad Vehicular
• - The last stamped receipts that were issued upon the latest registration or renewal (one of the entries is “Paz y Salvo”)
• - Certificado de Inspeccion Vehicular

Particular I don’t know which of these they actually used, but it worked.

They told me to come back on another day to pay $5 and pick up the Certificacion, at the side door (caja entrance), around the left side from the front entrance. I hear the certification is only valid for about a month, but you might want to ask how long it is valid for. •When you have that in hand, make 4 copies of everything on the 7 item list, and bring it all with you to the border.

•At the Costa Rica Border•

Park under the roof at the crossing, on the left side. You may want to greet the inspector on the ground to let him know your plans; they are very helpful. Go upstairs to the ATTT office with your documents. This is where I’m a little fuzzy on details, because I had a ‘fixer’ do this for me. But he came out with a certification document; you may need to pay for it at the Caja, and there may be forms to fill out. •Get an exit stamp in your passport from the Immigration window. The agent on the ground may want to inspect the vehicle and your belongings, and then sign the document from ATTT.

You may need to go back to a caja for a stamp and possibly money. The inspector on the ground ought to be helpful enough to point you in the right direction for stamps and signatures until you are good to go. Listo! •Drive up to the thing in CR that looks like a car wash, just past where the buses park. My fixer may have arranged this, he had me toot my horn.

It may cost money, and you may need to get out and wake the attendant up for the decontamination spray. Enter slowly for decon spray of your vehicle. Drive up to the next building on the right with angled parking spaces. Go to the “Enter” line, and get your passport stamped to enter CR.

Go farther in, to the insurance window. Get the form to purchase mandatory national government fundraising car insurance. Ask for 90 days, the minimum quantity you can buy. Purchase the insurance (cash only; mine was $50).

I think next, you go down the covered hallway on the right to another office (blissfully air conditioned)- let’s call this the ‘Car Office’, and present your insurance and Panama Aduanes paperwork. There may be more forms to fill out here. They will ask to inspect your vehicle, so when they do, you’ll have to drive it around back (enter between the angled parking and the decon station). When they approve the vehicle, you return to the Car Office, and they will approve you in their computer (they may inspect the vehicle after issuing you the approval). You will need to scan a QR code, then enter your license plate number to pull up your CR Car Office official Approval (“Consulta de Certificados de Importacion Temporal de Vehiculos”).

Take a screenshot of it on your phone; if you’re stopped by police, you will need to display this screenshot.

Make sure your screenshot captures the entire form – landscape (sideways) should do it! You may get stopped somewhere without internet, and that’s where your screenshot will save your wallet from penalty or other plunder. Listo!

Entering Panama Stop at CR Immigration (angled parking).

There are a few ‘helpful’ tip seekers lurking around in CR at the Immigration office who will try to take you under their wing for this process – the ground agents know them, too. If you want to let them help you, fine, but after all was done, I felt I would have got through it just fine myself.

But it’s a way to unload a few thousand Colones you may have left over when you are guilted into tipping the helper. Walk across the street to the yellow shack advertising the service of payment of your exit tax – cash only. Pay the tax, get the receipt, then return to the CR ‘Exit’ line, and give the receipt with your passport when you get your exit stamp in your passport. If you don’t have the cash, there’s a QR code on the Exit window for paying online with a card.

It takes a while, so you may want to sit out of line while doing the payment stuff. Take your CR entry paperwork to the Car Office, and they will give you a form to fill out. It gives you the option to say ‘permanent exit’ or ’90 days return’. They will enter it in their computer system, and again want to see your vehicle, but this time it was out front in the angled parking (probably just to see that it’s got the same plate and appearance). Drive to Panama covered area. Get the attention of the ground agent; he will direct you. I think first you take your Panama exit form to the caja, and get it stamped (you may have to pay $5). Go to migration, and get an entry stamp in your passport.

Give your Exit form to the agent on the ground; he will inspect the vehicle. Drive to the agriculture office on the right. Give them the Exit form; pay to have your car decontaminated. Get your car decontaminated. This is a bit of a blur right now, you may or may not have to prove decontamination back at the agent on the ground.

Then, I think you’re in and free to go. For more Information, feel free to ask Tom Fears (Author)