How Do I Ship My Belongings to Costa Rica? A Detailed, Step-by-Step Guide

by Jeanne in Costa Rica

When moving to Costa Rica, this is a top question.

There are different ways to get your things down here, from using containers on the plane with you to shipping containers via ship, air, or road.

An Overview of Steps to Shipping Your Belongings to Costa Rica

• Determine what you want to bring. Again, this is the best way to begin your move. It is knowing what you will bring dictates your options for shipping and the cost.
• Choose your transportation option—sea or air is your best bet. threemovers.com will give you information on coordinating with international movers serving Costa Rica.
• Use their checklists and suggestions. You must understand things and ways when moving to a foreign country. If you have moved around in your home country and assume you know what to do, you’ll make trouble for yourself.
• Be sure to log and take photos of all your belongings before you let them go.

How to ship your belongings to Costa Rica

First, what to bring with you.

When deciding to relocate to Costa Rica, you must determine what you’re bringing.

Three questions to ask yourself:

• What no longer brings value to my life?
• What would I like to have?
• What can’t I live without?

How you answer these questions (honestly) helps you figure out the mode and cost of shipping to Costa Rica.

Things to keep in mind

• Are you renting? If so, for how long? Will you be moving around a lot? If so, how will you move your things around?
• Are you purchasing property and planning to settle in?
• Are you moving to keep the same life you had, or are you starting a new chapter?

Answering these questions will also help you determine how much to bring.

Next, the three ways to ship your belongings

There are three ways to ship your belongings to Costa Rica: containers by sea, air, or land.

Shipping via Ocean Freight

You will put your household goods in a container when shipping via sea.

The most popular size container is 20-square-foot. This is considered sufficient for average-size household belongings.

A Full Container (FCL)

You can ship your items in an exclusive container, meaning the container is only for you and is sealed before being placed onboard.

There are more than ten types of containers, but most people use either 20ft or 40ft containers to ship their household belongings.

A 20ft container will hold the contents of a three-bedroom house, while a 40ft container is needed for anything more significant.

If you’re filling an entire container (FCL) vs. a less than container (LCL), you will find that most shipping companies will be the only ones handling your goods, reducing the risk to your items.

In addition, you aren’t subject to departure schedules when using a whole container because you’re not waiting on other customers to finish filling it.

This being said, not everyone can fill a container.

Less Than Container (LCL)

If your household isn’t large enough to fill a 20ft container, then you can ship using a shared container (LCL).

This means you’re sharing space with other customers also shipping to Costa Rica. This is an excellent alternative to a larger container.

Shared containers are the most economical method to ship freight when there isn’t enough to fill an entire container. Companies will consolidate your goods with others if you need more to fill a container.

Rate examples

Container Size	Route	Price
20 ft Container FCL	Houston, TX – Puerto Limon	$1494.86
40 ft Container FCL	Houston, TX – Puerto Limon	$2089.38
20 ft Container LCL	New York, NY – Puerto Limon	$1652.48
40 ft Container FCL	New York, NY – Puerto Limon	$2377.30

Shipping by sea can take anywhere from 10-30 days + with additional days for land transportation and customs.

To learn more about your shipping needs and costs, click here to calculate the rates for shipping containers from the U.S. to Costa Rica.

In addition, you can go to the Federal Maritime Commission Office of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries to find out about shipping rules and regulations and the status of your company of choice. Click here for the list of FMC Licensed & Bonded OTIs.

Here is a list of companies that offer both FLC and LCL shipping and will give you a quote on shipping to Costa Rica

Latin American Cargo
Shipping Costa Rica
International Sea & Air Shipping

*NOTE — All of the above companies ship vehicles to Costa Rica.

Shipping via Air Freight

Air freight is another way to go. Your cargo will be delivered sooner than ocean freight, but it is also the most expensive.

Rather than the 10-30 days by sea, air freight can take just 2-3 days with additional days for customs.

If you’re planning a move and not in a hurry, the extra air freight expense might not be worth it.

If you want to learn more about shipping your belongings via air freight, here are some companies coordinating moves to Costa Rica.

NEX Worldwide Express
Gateway Moving CR and Relocation

Both companies offer calculators to help you understand the cost of air freight.

Shipping via Land Freight

While not a popular way to ship your belongings, it is another way to go.

It is the least expensive, but it’s hard to find companies that drive from the U.S. or Canada and go through all the borders and checkpoints.

In addition, driving through Latin America can be dangerous for persons and belongings.

How to insure your belongings

Insurance against particular losses is a good idea. You can insure or buy insurance from a third party.

The question you're answering is, "What insurance meets the needs of my family and me?"

Moving internationally today via air or sea is an automated system because of technological advances. Big ships can carry as many as 35,000 containers on a voyage and still be able to load, unload, and rearrange in one day for the next port.

Even with the advancements in technology and excellent automation, things can go wrong – goods not making it off the plane, containers getting lost, containers falling into the ocean, mechanical or technical failures can batter containers, etc.

Don't let this worry you. Just like anything, there is always a chance of accidents and mishaps. Thus, insurance makes sense!

There are two types of International Moving Insurance:

• Total loss coverage keeps you covered if your entire shipment is destroyed or lost. For this insurance (and all insurance), you will have to include a detailed list of the items.
  You can pack your shipment if you want total loss coverage.
  *NOTE – when movers load your shipment, they will make an inventory list for you. This list is for customs clearance and is not always suitable for insurance purposes. Be prepared to make a detailed list of everything, and if anything is considered "precious" in monetary value, you may need to provide a sales receipt or estimator's valuation.
  
• All-risk cargo insurance – Unlike total loss insurance, all-risk cargo insurance covers partial cargo. For example, if you have one or two damaged items or a box goes missing, all-risk insurance will protect what is lost.
  Unlike total loss insurance, you will have professional packers prepare your shipment to purchase all-risk cargo insurance.
  *NOTE — Check with the shipping company of your choice to discuss insurance options.
  

How to track your belongings while in transit

Most international shipping companies provide online tools to help you track your shipment. All these tools can provide you with the coordinates of your shipping container in real time.

Some tracking systems will also provide the shipper with information regarding the different stages in the transportation process, including any details of status changes of a container.

Some status changes of your container to be aware of are:

• When your container is in route to the shipper
• When your container arrives at the terminal and is in cue for customs clearance
• When your container is loaded onto the vessel at the port of origin
• When the ship departs with your container
• When the ship carrying your container departs from the port of transshipment
  *Transshipment transfers from one ship, truck, freight car, plane, or conveyance.
  
• When the vessel carrying your container arrives at the port of destination
• When the consignee has the shipment

Import taxes when shipping belongings to Costa Rica

When your belongings arrive at the port or airport, they will be taken to a secure warehouse and held there until the import duties are paid.

Custom officials review the inventory and will assign a value to them. Used items are given a lesser value than new items. Based on their assigned value, tax rates will be between 13% and 49%.

Costaricatax.com has prepared a list that you can use to get an idea of the tax rate for some of
the items you may consider bringing with you.

*NOTE— If you’re considering bringing a car, you can calculate the approximate tax rate
collected at customs during import by going here.

A Final Thought

Moving to Costa Rica takes thought, planning, and organization.

While there can be moments of frustration, anxiety, and second thoughts when planning a move and shipping your belongings to Costa Rica, it can go pretty smoothly.

The things to keep in mind when planning your move and shipping your belongings are:

• Determine your lifestyle
• Choose your belongings to be shipped
• Interview more than one shipping company. Choose the one for the price and because they coordinated well with you and addressed your concerns.
• Understand the costs associated and ask any questions you have upfront. Don’t think anything is unimportant.
• Once you hire the company, listen to their advice.
• Meet the deadlines for the shipper

After that, get excited about your move!

Pura Vida!