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Flag of Costa Rica  Living in Costa Rica

Key Expatriate Websites and Resources

Articles on Costa Rica
Business and Economy
Education and Study in Costa Rica
Embassies and Consulates
Expatriate Websites and Resources
Government and International Organizations
Housing and Real Estate in Costa Rica
Language Study in Costa Rica
News and Media in Costa Rica
Recommended Reading on Costa Rica
Teaching English in Costa Rica
Travel Information for Costa Rica
Volunteer in Costa Rica

Compiled by Volker Poelzl

Featured Articles on Living, Working, Studying, and Traveling in Costa Rica
Living Abroad in Costa Rica by Erin Van Rheenen
Living in Costa Rica: Current Opportunities and Risks by Leah Dobkin
Finding Jobs Overseas on the Spot: Working in an Eco-Lodge and Guiding Tours in Costa Rica by Caroline Nye
Teaching English in Costa Rica: How to Prepare by Geraldeen Woods
Teaching English in Costa Rica by Laura Dulin
Volunteering in Costa Rica by Ben Watkins
Volunteer in Costa Rica with Worldteach by Jon Kohl
Short-Term Volunteering with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Costa Rica by Sandra Flanagan
Combine Travel, Language Learning, and Volunteering in Costa Rica by Julie Germano
Study Spanish in Costa Rica at Three Different Campuses with Centro Panamericano de Idiomas by Spencer Klein.
Learning Medical Spanish in Costa Rica by Regina Toto
Spanish Language Study in Laid-Back Costa Rica by Kelly Matlock
Spanish Study in Mexico and Costa Rica for Educators by Anita Ensmann
At Home in Costa Rica - Homestays Can Be the Best Part Of Language Vacations by Roger L. Edwards, Jr.
Spanish Language Study in Costa Rica with Comunicare by Katherine Maris
Soda-licious: Experience True Costa Rican Cuisine by Kailash Maharaj and Shivana Maharaj  
Rural Community Tourism—Costa Rican Style: Get to Know the People, Their Culture, and Their Environment Harriet Smith
Family Travel and Ecotourism in Costa Rica by Katie Fawcett
Wildlife Conservation Monitoring Macaws in Costa Rica by Theodore G. Manno
Rafting to a Jungle Lodge in Costa Rica: Indulge in a Sustainable Adventure by Katherine McIntyre
Adventure and Nature-Based Travel in Costa Rica: A Group Trip Provides a Rich Sampling by Amy Angelilli
Ecocruising in Costa Rica by Carla Waldemar
Student Life at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica: Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in the Middle of a Rainforest by Marta Magellan
Study Abroad in Costa Rica with ICADS an interview with Sandra Kinghorn
Study Abroad in Costa Rica with ICADS: A Student Participant Report by Ariel Foster
Study Abroad in Costa Rica: A Student Participant Report by Chanomi Maxwell-Parish

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 Business and Economy in Costa Rica

U.S. Commercial Service, San Jose, www.buyusa.gov/costarica/en, provides assistance to U.S. companies entering the Costa Rican market. Located at the U.S. Embassy in San Jose.
Tel: 506-220-2454 or 506-519-2000; Fax: 506-231-4783; San.JoseCR.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov

Costa Rican - American Chamber of Commerce, www.amcham.co.cr. P.O. Box 4946-1000 San José, Costa Rica; U.S. Mailing Address: AmCham Costa Rica - SJO 1576 P.O. Box 025216 - Miami, FL 33102 - 5216; Tel: (506) 220-2200; Fax: (506) 220-2300; chamber@amcham.co.cr

International Trade Administration, www.ita.doc.gov, part of the U.S. Commerce Department, provides detailed information about the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. Government Export Portal, www.export.gov, publishes Country & Industry Market Reports,Commercial guides, and other essential information for doing business abroad, including Costa Rica.

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 Education and Study in Costa Rica

Department of State, Office of Overseas Schools, www.state.gov/m/a/os/, lists American International Schools for most countries, including Costa Rica:
American International School of Costa Rica, www.state.gov/m/a/os/1534.htm
Lincoln School, San José, www.state.gov/m/a/os/1535.htm.

Worldwide Classroom, www.worldwide.edu, contains information on over 10,000 schools in 95 countries, including Costa Rica. The web pages include information about primary and secondary schools, as well as universities and language schools.

GoAbroad.com, www.goabroad.com, in its Study Abroad section, provides an international education database for those intending to study abroad, including Costa Rica.

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 Embassies and Consulates for Costa Rica

See the Let's Go website for an overview on visas and work permits in Costa Rica.

The embassies and consulates listed below will be able to provide more detailed information:

Embassy of Costa Rica in the United States, www.costarica-embassy.org. 2114 “S” Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008; Tel: (202) 234-2945 and (202) 234-2946; Fax: (202) 265-4795.

Embassy of Costa Rica in Canada, 325 Dalhouise Street, Suite 407, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7G2 Canada; Tel: (613) 562 2855; Fax: (613) 562 2582.

Embassy of Costa Rica in the United Kingdom, Flat 1, 14 Lancaster Gate London W2 3LH, United Kingdom; Tel: (44 171) 706 8844; Fax: (44 171) 706 8655.

United States Embassy in Costa Rica, usembassy.or.cr. Calle 120 Avenida 0, Pavas, San José, Costa Rica.
Local Address: 920-1200 San José, Costa Rica
US Address: US Embassy San Jose, APO AA 34020; Tel: (506) 519-2000; Fax: (506) 519-2305; Public Affairs Fax: (506) 232-7944; consular@usembassy.or.cr.

Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica, www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/sanjose/menu-en.asp
Mailing address: Apartado Postal: 351-1007, Centro Colón, San José, Costa Rica; Tel: (506) 242-4400; Fax: (506) 242-4410;sjcra@international.gc.ca.

British Embassy in Costa Rica, www.britishembassy.gov
Apartado 815-1007, Edificio Centro Colón, (Piso/floor 11), San José, Costa Rica;
Tel: (506) 258 2025; Fax: (506) 233 9938; britemb@racsa.co.cr.

 Expatriate Websites and Resources in Costa Rica

We Love Costa Rica, www.welovecostarica.com, is a website for Americans and Canadians living in Costa Rica, with useful links, resources and information.

Expat Exchange is one of the most extensive expatriate sites online, providing a wealth of resources and articles, as well as a forum.The site has a few useful articles and links about Living in Costa Rica.

Expat Focus,provides information and resources for expatriates for a large number of countries, including Costa Rica. The website also host forums and blogs for expats.

Expatriates.com is an online community for expatriates, has a small section on Living in Costa Rica, with classified ads, links, and a bulletin board.

Living Abroad in Costa Rica, www.livingabroadincostarica.com, a comprehensive and informative site hosted by the author of Living Abroad in Costa Rica, Erin Van Rheenen.

Meetup lists group meetings in cities around the world to help bring people with common interests together and promote the development of active local communities. Check out the Costa Rica section, listing groups all over the country.

Tales from a Small Planet, www.talesmag.com, is a webzine with news, stories, links, excellent message boards, and other resources for travelers and expatriates; The Costa Rica section features "Real Post Reports" by expatriates living in Costa Rica, as well as useful links.

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 Government and International Organizations in Costa Rica

Organization of American States, www.oas.org, is an international organization aiming to strengthen cooperation between all states in the Western hemisphere.
17th Street & Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, USA; Tel: (202) 458-3000.

Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations, un.cti.depaul.edu/cgi-bin/spider.py?_request=0&country=CostaRica&language=English, provides general information about culture, politics and the economy, as well as a variety of useful links, or visit the United Nations web portal at www.un.int.

United Nations Development Programme in Costa Rica, www.nu.or.cr/pnud/, provides information about UN projects on democratic governance, social development, environment and sustainable development, and more (in Spanish). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), www.undp.org, publishes the annual Human Development report, www.undp.org/annualreports/, with in-depth analyses of development issues and trends worldwide, as well as the Human Development Index, a statistical tool comparing key Human development criteria of most countries worldwide.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, www.customs.gov, provides useful information on its Travel Spotlight page about customs regulations when leaving and entering the U.S.

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 Housing and Real Estate in Costa Rica

Properties in Costa Rica, www.propertiesincostarica.com, is a real estate resource for Costa Rica.

Escape Artist has extensive International Real Estate listings, including Costa Rica.

International Real Estate Digest provides international real estate listings, including a section on Costa Rica.

International Real Estate Directory offers worldwide real estate listings, including Costa Rica.

VivaReal.net—Latin America and Caribbean real estate listings for expats, retirees, and investors carrying an inventory of Costa Rica Real Estate.

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 News and Media in Costa Rica

The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA), www.nacla.org, is a non-profit organization providing comprehensive information on major trends in Latin America and its relations with the United States; publishes the bimonthly magazine ‘Nacla Report on the Americas’.

Kidon Media Link is an online directory of world newspapers and news media, has an extensive listing of news media in Costa Rica.

Live-radio.net provides continuously updated links to thousands of online radio stations worldwide, including Costa Rica.

Online Newspapers lists over 1000 links to online newspapers worldwide, including Costa Rica.

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 Recommended Reading on Costa Rica

Moon Living Abroad in Costa Rica by Erin Van Rheenen

Moon Handbooks Costa Rica by Christopher P. Baker

Lonely Planet Costa Rica by Mara Vorhees and Matthew Firestone

Explore Costa Rica by Harry Pariser

Frommer's Costa Rica 2007 by Eliot Greenspan

The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica by Christopher Howard

Choose Costa Rica for Retirement: Information for Retirement, Investment, and Affordable Living by John Howells

Fodor's Costa Rica 2007 by Shannon M. Kelly (Editor)

National Geographic Traveler: Costa Rica by Christopher Baker

A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles, Alexander F. Skutch

Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica by Alexander F. Skutch (Foreword), et al.

The New Key to Costa Rica by Beatrice Blake, Anne Becher

Culture Shock! Costa Rica (Culture Shock! at Your Door) by Claire Wallerstein

The Rough Guide to Costa Rica by Jean McNeil

Let's Go Costa Rica

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 Travel Information on Costa Rica

About.com, in its Travel Section, provides useful articles, links and travel information for a large number of countries, including Costa Rica.

CentralAmerica.com is an online travel guide specializing in travel information for Central America, especially Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Net, www.costaricanet.net/index.html, provides information and resources for travelers and expats.

Costa Rica Outdoors, www.costaricaoutdoors.com, provides travel services in Costa Rica. The site contains useful information for travelers and expats.

Frommers provides destination guides for countries worldwide, with a section on Central and South America, including Costa Rica.

Info Costa Rica, www.infocostarica.com, provides information and resources for travelers.

Lonely Planet Worldguide provides a lot of useful travel information. Check out the link for Costa Rica.

Rough Guides Destinations offers usefultravel advice and information for most countries, including Costa Rica.

VisitCostaRica.com, www.visitcostarica.com, is Costa Rica's official tourism website.

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Moon Living Abroad in Costa Rica