In order to bring your motor vehicle (cars, trucks, and/or motorcycles), either used or new, to Costa Rica for more than six months or on a permanent basis, you will be required to import your vehicle and provide the following documents:
- Original title of your car
- Bill of lading (if it is shipped)
- Vehicle Emission Control and Inspection Report (Informe de Revision Tecnica) issued by RITEVE in Costa Rica. RITEVE is a private company in Costa Rica that conducts 20-30 minute vehicle mechanical inspections. If your car passes the tests, you will get the certificate immediately.
- Proof of payment of all Vehicle Customs Duty
Note: Vehicle Emission Control Certificates (Smog tests) issued by an Emission Inspection Station located in the country where your car is registered are no longer required as of December 2004.
Vehicles imported into Costa Rica, whether new or used, either for personal use or for sale, are generally dutiable at the following rates based on your vehicle's customs appraised value, and its age (the number of years that the vehicle has from its date of manufacture to the date that it goes through Customs.)
Vehicles from 0 to 3 years old 59.33%
Vehicles from 4 to 5 years old 70.63%
Vehicles more than 6 years old 85.32%
Calculating Customs Duty
The dutiable amount of your vehicle is calculated as follows:
Customs Duty = (VCAV) * CDP%
VCAV: Vehicle's Customs Appraised Value
CDP%: Customs Duty Percentage
Vehicle's Customs Appraised Value
Your Vehicle's Customs Appraised Value (VCAV) is calculated by adding your vehicle's market value, your vehicle's freight, and your vehicle's freight insurance.
VCAV = VMV + F + FI,
VMV: Vehicle's Market Value
F: Freight
FI: Freight Insurance
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