Thread: Driving into Costa Rica

My husband and I are living in Panama on a Tourist Visa. We recently bought a car here and are considering driving to Costa Rica. Is it a complicated process to get the car (and us!) into Costa Rica and than back into Panama. I'm nervous! Is this a good idea????

I do not think it a good idea. Most are not that involve government stuff.

getting you into Costa Rica and back...not complicated, and actually quite easy, despite customs, and proof of solvency...if you bring something back with you that needs to be declared best to stay out 72 hours, otherwise how long you are gone is not an issue...the car is another matter...i do this with a car not registered in either country, with Panama registration i am not sure of the exit process (no lack of "helpers" to walk you through it though, for a price), going into Costa Rica on a permit can prove to be a bit cumbersome...besides the paperwork, multiple photocopies of passport (all pages, and title), you must buy insurance, and be sprayed and inspected...this takes from 1 to several hours depending on lines...you get 90 days, and upon exiting you have to reverse the process to get the car out of their system...and then re-entering Panama would be a reverse, i assume, of the exit process...the nice thing is you get a fresh visa and another 90 days of driving on your passport and license in Panama...there has been some discussion on this board of car ownership as a tourist and i would research that before you try to go...i always allow 3 hours for the entire process, both sides

With Panama plates it's a 3-4 week process that cost about $120. After that unknown period of time you have 5-8 days to leave the country with the car.

In other words, unless you know the right people on the border it's impossible.

When I drive to the border I leave my car a couple of hundred yards past the checkpoint on the left hand side in a gated secure parking hotel in Paso Canoas...you will most likely have to convince the guards to let you pass without a permit but I have done it twice...the guards were offering me permits for 60 bucks in order to drive into Costa Rica but I wasn´t interested...btw Paso Canoas is truly hell on Earth and after doing it three times I will never again go there..