Learn Spanish. Although most well-educated people in Costa Rica speak English, the official language is Spanish. If you're going to live in a country, it's better to know the language and customs of that country.
Use a relocation service to find the right home, schools,and after school activities for children. Relocation services offer classes in culture training so you know what lifestyle changes you can expect and how to deal with them. For example, people in Costa Rica greet each other by touching their right cheeks and kissing the air, but men do not kiss men.
Find out what documents you need to keep your pet from being quarantined.
Become a resident of Costa Rica by providing a birth certificate, a marriage certificate if you have one, a certificate proving you don't have a criminal record, and an income certificate. People who have a retirement income of $600 a month or more, or those who can prove they have an investment income of $12,000 per year from outside the country can become permanent residents in 2 years.
Find a job with a North American firm that does business in Costa Rica. Writers, photographers, people in the tourism industry, and people with an MBA degree can easily find jobs in Costa Rica.
Sell most of your possessions before you move to Costa Rica and re-buy what you need when you get there. The import tax on used goods are 40 percent to 90 percent of the value of the goods, and that's before shipping and handling costs.
Start your own business when you get to Costa Rica, especially if you're a retiree. Many people who have retirement income do this because they're not allowed to work at other jobs in Costa Rica until they have permanent residency, which can take two years, and it's fairly easy to start a business of your own in Costa Rica.
