Making the Move to Costa Rica

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Destination content © Erin Van Rheenen, used from Living Abroad in Costa Rica, 1st Edition.
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Overview	"Although Costa Ricans love their pets, they think of them differently than do most North Americans. Dogs are valued for their ability to protect people and property, and are often not let into the house. The U.S. practice of letting dogs sleep on the sofa or even the bed would be considered in Costa Rica hopelessly cochino (which literally means piggy, and is used as a synonym for dirty)."
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True Stories
Making the Move	Visas and Immigration	Types of Residency	The Application Process	Moving with Children	Moving with Pets	What to Take

Dogs and Cats • Holsteins, Thoroughbreds, Vipers, and Macaws • Flying with Pets
Pets in Costa Rica • Costa Rican Attitudes Towards Pets • Leaving with Pets

Jerry Ledin arrived in San José in 1998 with six black duffel bags and Piper, his Scottish terrier. “It was crazy to think I could bring my dog along,” admits Jerry. “But I never considered not bringing him.” It was easier than Jerry imagined. Unlike in other countries, there is no quarantine period; Jerry could take Piper with him right from the airport. “Everything turned out just fine,” he says, “and Piper adjusted faster than I did—he’s converted to Catholicism and now speaks fluent Spanish.”
Even if your pet is not good with languages, bringing cats and dogs into Costa Rica is a fairly simple procedure. Bringing cows, horses, and other livestock is a bit more complicated, and if you want your snake or parrot to accompany you, you’ll have to jump through some hoops, especially if your scaled or feathered friend is on any endangered species list.

Dogs and Cats
For dogs and cats and other small pets, you’ll need to prove to both the airlines and Costa Rican customs officers that your animal is healthy. Schedule an exam with your local veterinarian a week or two before your departure date—the vet should fill out a health certificate stating that the animal is disease-free and has been vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and rabies. The rabies vaccination is supposed to be more than 30 days but less than a year old, and is necessary only for animals 4 months or older. The health certificate should then be endorsed by a Veterinary Service (VS) veterinarian, but need not be notarized. The Costa Rican consulate says the examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to travel to Costa Rica, though anecdotal evidence suggests that a certificate up to 30 days old will do the trick.
  Pet owners also need to get authorization from the Costa Rican Health Ministry; go through your nearest Costa Rica consulate or embassy to obtain this permission.
  When you arrive in Costa Rica, the customs officer will do a visual inspection of your pet (for which you will be charged US$1), and look over the health certificate and the authorization from the Costa Rican Health Ministry. If all is in order, you’re through, and can find a pet-friendly taxi (not an easy task) and stuff your Irish wolfhound in the backseat. Some people traveling with pets report that they weren’t even asked for their documents, but you can’t count on encountering such relaxed attitudes yourself.
  If you’re missing any documents or the officer decides your pet looks ill and might transmit disease, the animal will either be temporarily released to your care (kind of like being out on bail) or (if the official decides there’s a real health risk) kept in a state kennel for up to 30 days, until you work out what to do next—arrange for the necessary paperwork, or contact a local vet if your animal needs care.

Holsteins, Thoroughbreds, Vipers, and Macaws
Livestock will need permission from Costa Rica’s Agriculture Ministry’s Animal Sanitation Department to enter the country. Ask your Costa Rican consulate or embassy how to go about getting this authorization, or, if you speak Spanish, call the San José office at 506/253-5605. More exotic animals, like lizards, will be allowed in if they have a clean bill of health from a vet—you’ll need to check what diseases might affect your particular creature to know what vaccinations will be required. If your pet is on the endangered species list, the paperwork will be more complicated (from both the Costa Rican end and from your country of origin, which may have even stricter regulations); required information may include the animal’s country of origin and permission to take it out of that original country. Such regulations aim to protect against illegal traffic in endangered animals. Again, the Costa Rican consulate in your country of origin is your best source of information for up-to-date specifics.

Flying with Pets
Most likely you’ll bring your pet with you on the plane. Most airlines allow seeing-eye dogs in the cabin, and some allow small pets to accompany you in your seat. I know a few women who always carry their little dogs with them in big purses; sometimes the flight crew doesn’t even realize the animals are along for the ride. I never asked these women what they do about letting the animals relieve themselves on long flights. Bigger animals (or all animals, on some airlines) will need to ride in the cargo hold or even on a separate cargo flight. Some airlines will not accept pets as checked baggage May 15–September 15, since the cargo hold is not air-conditioned. Depending on the animal’s weight and size, airlines usually charge between US$70 and US$100 one-way.
Animals checked as baggage need to travel in leak-proof cages that have handles, so baggage handlers will be able to easily lift and carry the cage. The cage should be just large enough for the animal to turn around. Vets say animals should fast for six hours prior to the flight in order to reduce nausea. If the flight is longer than four hours, the animal should eat a few hours before takeoff.
The bottom line is that each airline has a different policy regarding pet transport, and those policies often change. Set aside some time before your departure to research which airlines offer the best deal for your needs.

Pets in Costa Rica
Most buses and taxis will not welcome animals, though they must, by law, accept seeing-eye dogs. Some hotels accept pets—check ahead of time. There are plenty of vets in Costa Rica, especially in the Central Valley area. Vets in more rural areas will probably specialize in livestock. Vets will often board pets for around US$10 a day; animals stay in cages but are supposed to be exercised daily. Check out the K9 Country Club in Ciudad Colón, 20 minutes outside of San José (tel. 506/249-3539, K9CountryClub@expressmail.net). Also try the newish Villa Felina (for cats only), also in Ciudad Colón. Owners Yadira Jiménez and Claudio Pujol have converted their house into cat heaven, where boarding felines have the run of the couple’s home. Call 506/249-0228 or email them at villafelina@costarricense.cr.
Pet food is easy to come by in Costa Rica, even upscale brands like Iams and Eukanuba.

Costa Rican Attitudes Toward Pets
Although Costa Ricans love their pets, they think of them differently than do most North Americans. Dogs are valued for their ability to protect people and property, and are often not let into the house. The U.S. practice of letting dogs sleep on the sofa or even the bed would be considered in Costa Rica hopelessly cochino (which literally means piggy, and is used as a synonym for dirty).
You won’t see many cats out and about in Costa Rica, maybe because the street dogs would consider them tasty morsels. Walk down any street or along any beach with your dog at your side, and a motley crew of other canines will rush out to see who dares to invade their territory. In the dog world there is a complicated pecking order that is given freer reign here than in other countries; you better not stand in the way as the dogs work out for themselves who’s on top. Each block has its neighborhood bully dog, so if you’re going to let your beagle roam free, she or he better be street-wise. There aren’t as many mangy street dogs in Costa Rica as you see in other developing countries, but they do exist, and it’s best to give them a wide berth—they’ve had to adapt to a life of people kicking them and throwing rocks at them, so they’re not likely to be too friendly.
That said, there are many good things about bringing your pet to Costa Rica. Especially if you move here with children, your dog or cat could be that living, breathing piece of home that helps its human owners adjust to their new environment. And there’s nothing like a big dog—however sweet-tempered—to discourage burglars and other scoundrels. Dogs also have such keen senses of smell and direction that if you get lost in the jungle that is your new backyard, your dog will almost certainly know the way home.

Leaving with Pets
Animals leaving Costa Rica require exit permits. You’ll need a local vet to fill out a health certificate; often she or he will accept the original health certificate from your country of origin as proof that the animal is in good health. For a fee, the vet can take care of all the paperwork, or you could check in with the Department of Zoonosis at the Ministry of Health, located in San José (tel. 506/223-0333, ext. 331).
What is likely to be more of a hassle is getting the animal back into your country of origin, which may have stricter regulations about animals entering their territory. England, for instance, has a mandatory six-month quarantine for most dogs; owners have to pay their pet’s boarding fees, of course, and there are special visiting hours where you can come and play with your incarcerated pal. It’s best to check out your country’s regulations even before you leave for Costa Rica.