Shipping a Car to Costa Rica

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Most people import a car to Costa Rica either because they are going there on vacation and need a vehicle for the duration of their stay there, or because they want to import it on a permanent basis. Either way, the procedure for shipping a car to Costa Rica remains the same.

Overseas Transportation

You will first need to ship your car from a U.S. port to Costa Rica. The most commonly used method for importing a car to Costa Rica is to ship it by sea. Depending on your shipping choice, you car will be transported either in a container along with other personal goods, or it will be transported on a car deck on a Roll on Roll off vessel. Car decks are more economical to use than containers, but offer less protection and security for your vehicle.

Shipping to Puerto Limón or Puerto Caldera

If you are shipping a car to Costa Rica from the U.S. east coat, your vehicle will most likely be shipped from Miami and it will arrive in Puerto Limón. If you plan to ship a car to Costa Rica from the west coast, your car will be shipped to Puerto Caldera on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. Shipping times take between 3 and 10 days, depending on port of origin. Typically, the cost to ship a car from Miami to Puerto Limón is around $650 to $750, which is inclusive of insurance.

Customs Clearance at San Jose

Regardless of the port to which your car is shipped, it is generally considered a good idea to have your vehicle forwarded to San José for customs clearance formalities. You can do this by using either a local freight forwarding service, or by asking your shipping company to do it for you at extra cost. Most people who ship a car to Costa Rica prefer receiving it in San Jose because customs formalities are far easier to clear in this city compared to either of the two ports.

Temporary Importation

If you are importing a car to Costa Rica on a temporary basis, you do not need to pay any import taxes on the vehicle. Tourists can bring in their car duty free for a period of up to three months. During that time, the only one permitted to drive the vehicle is the person who imported the vehicle. The country has very steep import duties on all vehicles that are imported into the country permanently.

Permanent Imports

Cars that are less than three years old attract a 53 percent import tax. The tax is based on the retail value of the car as established by Costa Rican customs authorities. The import duties on cars that are older than three years can range anywhere from 63 percent to 79 percent of the original retail value. If you want to import a car to Costa Rica either temporarily or permanently, it is best to allow the shipping company to handle all the customs formalities for you, even if it means paying a little extra.