An announcement has been made that as of December 3rd the $29 corresponding to departure tax will be included in the final price of airline tickets.
The tax collected since 2003 by the Banco Crédito Agrícola de Cartago, starting from December will be included in the final cost of tickets, with the aim of simplifying procedures and avoiding the long lines that travelers have to make in order to pay the tax before leaving the country.
An ‘Immigration Document Identification Number for Foreigners’ (DIMEX in Spanish) will be used for all SINPE transactions.
From now on foreigners using the the Central Bank’s Electronic Payment System, known as SINPE, will be identified with a DIMEX number provided by Immigration. This number corresponds to the Immigration Identification Document for Foreigners.
Costa Rican representatives from the production sector agree that lack of infrastructure at border crossings is causing delays.
The dissatisfaction is highest among industry representatives referring to customs in Peñas Blancas, where the trucks are taking between 12 and 36 hours to cross the border.
"Despite complaints, customs has reported a recovery in its revenues during the first half of the year, in comparison with the same periods in 2010 and 2009."
New immigration regulations state which foreigners require visas to enter the country and the length of their stay.
The Department of Immigration of Costa Rica issued on Jan. 14, Regulation DG-3312-2010, which details visitors of which countries require an entry visa and the duration of those visas, according to the nationality of the traveler.
Besides exceptions provided in the general guidelines, foreign nationals require a visa to enter Costa Rica, which is given by the staff of the Department of Immigration at the time of entering the country. In some cases, depending on the nationality of the person, it is also necessary clearance from the Department of Immigration requesting it before Costa Rican immigration officials abroad.
Works on the new customs building shared by Nicaragua and Costa Rica will begin by the middle of the year.
The announcement was made by the Deputy Director of Immigration, Freddy Montero, who added that more staff will be hired in order to make procedures more efficient.
"The facilities will have two totally separate wings for people´s entry and exit, with chairs for people to sit on; the building will be more spacious," added the deputy minister to Laprensa.com.ni.
The immigration officials in Costa Rica closed a deal with LaserCard Corporation, for the supply of identification cards for residents.
In a press release, the U.S. company said the new cards will have the same security technology used by the "Green Cards" from the U.S. government.
Roberto Devicenzi, Chairman of LaserCard, commented that "the Government of Costa Rica has shown leadership in applying advanced technology in identification cards to control immigration."
1,124,000 tourists visited Costa Rica in the first six months of the year, 9.6% more than the same period of 2009.
The Tourism Institute of Costa Rica estimates that around 2 million tourists will visit the nation in 2010.
Newspaper La Prensa Libre published statements by Carlos Ricardo Benavides: “The figures point to an evident recovery after the international economic crisis”.
A number of changes were introduced to improve how migratory flows are managed, and decrease their pressure on the public health system.
Law 8764 of Migration and Foreign Citizens, in effect since March 1st, 2010, requires all foreign citizens residing in Costa Rica to be registered at the Costa Rican Social Insurance Institute (CCSS). This measure would add 150.000 contributors to the social security system.
In Costa Rica, residence permits for foreign workers will be requested via Internet.
The new system shortens to 10 days the time required for the procedure, saving companies money.
Starting Tuesday, 4 companies will participate in the pilot plan, and there are 58 registered companies interested in using the system.
"In the web page, interested companies will have to register themselves and then include information and documents on the workers intending to reside in Costa Rica", wrote Hassel Fallas in Nacion.com.
New regulations impose more controls on foreign population, with severe fines for illegal aliens.
The new law includes penalties for companies hiring undocumented immigrants and $100 monthly fines for foreigners staying illegally in the country.
"Pensions of $1.000 a month or rents of $2.000 a month will be needed for a residence permit", reports Mipunto.com, "...hotels and hostels will have to keep record of those who stay with them".
Foreign business executives can now obtain visas and residence permits within Costa Rica, so cutting time and red tape in the process, according to Migration Department directive.
Previously they could only apply for the documents at Costa Rican consulates in their home countries, a process that many criticized as a great waste of time and expense.
Companies – which must be multinationals or be registered with the foreign trade authorities – can make the applications on their executives' behalf.
Two Costa Rican foreign ministry officials flew out to Beijing to train staff in the nation's consulate there in how to issue visas.
The service will be provided in Beijing only for business people and potential investors. The first visas will be issued "very soon -- everything's ready now," said Mario Zamora, head of Costa Rica's migration department.
After May 19, the list of types of companies that can contract foreign workers through special work permits will be expanded. Previously, foreign workers were restricted to jobs within the special economic zone.
Companies included in the new system are those that operate special programs of export promotions and productivity improvement, exporters of goods and services, tourist and financial operations, and the non-export sector.