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How easy do you think it is to get your belongings to Costa Rica? Moving everything you own after all of the garage sales and donations are completed can still be tricky. Especially, if you:
1) Plan to rent in Costa Rica before you decide to make it your permanent home; and
2) Are buying right away, but you have to survive until your belongings arrive at your new home.
Relocating to Costa Rica is often fueled by dreams of tropical sunsets, a slower pace of life, and the promise of pura vida. What many newcomers underestimate, however, is the practical reality of getting their belongings here. Shipping household goods to a new country is not just a logistical task — it is a financial, bureaucratic, and emotional journey that requires careful planning and realistic expectations.
Some think they can save a bundle. The plan was to rent a storage unit and pack everything we owned into it until we were ready to have it shipped to Costa Rica. Unfortunately, for those doing due diligence, there is very little detailed info on that.
The reality is that moving companies are bonded. For them to get your belongings to Costa Rica and through customs, they must first certify a few things. The need to show that your load contains no illegal, banned, or prohibited items, including illicit drugs, petroleum or petroleum distillates, living plants, automatic weapons, explosives…you get the idea.
You can get a complete list of prohibited items online or from your mover.
This means they must personally pack everything and record the contents of each box and each piece of furniture. If I had packed it and stored it away, the shipper would have had to pull it all out of storage, unpack it, record and repack it.
These would have been inconvenient and expensive extra steps and would have ultimately cost us much more, even if we had found a mover willing to do it.
The Emotional Attachment to “Stuff”
One of the first realities people face is deciding what is truly worth bringing. Many relocating families initially assume they will ship an entire household: furniture, appliances, books, décor, tools, and sentimental items. After all, these items represent comfort and familiarity.
But once shipping quotes arrive, reality sets in.
International container shipping is expensive, and costs have changed significantly in recent years. A full container can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on origin, volume, and global freight conditions. Suddenly, that heavy dining table or oversized sectional sofa becomes less sentimental and more of a financial burden.
The first hard truth: in many cases, it is cheaper to sell large household items (or even give them away) and repurchase locally.
A few things to know
1) Professionals
These international movers are professionals. They’ve done it before and will record it and pack it properly to get it to Costa Rica with the best chance of it arriving undamaged.
2) Some are better
While they are professionals, all international movers are not the same. Some do a better job than others, and some may only see your move as a series of dollar signs. Use a mover recommended by someone or an organization you trust.
3) Customs Broker
Find a mover who is also a customs broker. This is very, very important. You can save thousands of dollars in the process. That’s because a combined mover-customs broker will have two packing lists with differing values for the same items in your container:
- One for insurance replacement value for the trip
- and another for customs duty value at entry.
I know of one family that used a mover and then a separate broker at the Port of Limon for getting their possessions through customs. The mover and broker weren’t in sync, and they wound up paying 3 to 4 times as much in duties (many thousands of additional dollars) than they would have if the mover and broker were the same entity.
4) What is used?
Make certain as much of what you move down here is “used.” According to Costa Rican customs, that means older than six months. Buy big-ticket items that you know or, at least, think you’ll need in Costa Rica before you leave. They will probably be cheaper to purchase in North America, anyway. Make sure your valuable items aren’t packed in their original boxes. Original boxes shout “new” to customs inspectors.
5) Inventory List
When getting your belongings to Costa Rica, make your own inventory list.
If you ship a bed, for example, the movers will probably take it apart. Do not just write “one bed.” Break it down by parts and materials (e.g., wood, metal):
Mattress: “Used Queen Mattress – Foam/Spring.”
Box Spring: “Used Queen Box Spring.”
Frame: “Metal Bed Frame (disassembled)” or “Wooden Headboard/Footboard.”
Hardware: “Bag of nuts/bolts/screws for bed frame.”
This list should include the dimensions of all of your furniture and appliances. You will probably need these dimensions when estimating whether the Costa Rican house of your dreams can hold everything you have stuffed into the container, or whether you’ll have to get creative, plan a room addition, or have another garage sale as soon as everything arrives. Having your own list also serves as a reference when you are moving in or if you have problems with the mover, the insurance company, or Costa Rican customs during the duty inspection process.
Get moving quotes
Folks on the East Coast are fortunate. I found that most of the mover-brokers bringing containers of possessions from North America have some kind of presence on the East Coast. They either have their own offices or are affiliated with others. Getting at least two quotes to compare should be relatively easy for you. You really want to start with the moving company you pick in Costa Rica, and ask for their suggestions. Talk to Charles Zeller at Ship506; he has over 45 years of experience moving expats here.
It’s also really easy to have your mover or affiliate quote you on storage while you’re still looking for your dream home. Once you have, you can give the green light to the shipment of your most prized possessions to Costa Rica.
So here, I am speaking mostly to West Coasters. Your shipment has almost twice as far to go as most originating on the East Coast. In our case, I was finally able to get two quotes for packing, monthly storage, container packing, shipment, and customs services (specific customs duties and insurance, likely through Lloyd’s of London, were not included). One quotation was almost twice as much as the other. I did my due diligence by investigating the two companies and eventually went with the lowest quote.
The Hidden Costs
Beyond shipping fees, newcomers often encounter:
- Customs broker fees
- Port handling charges
- Storage fees
- Inland transportation
- Insurance
- Unforeseen taxes
A quote from a shipping company rarely represents the final invoice. Budgeting conservatively helps avoid unpleasant surprises.
2 Choices
You may have two choices for storage before getting your belongings to Costa Rica:
1) Pack it all into a container and ship it directly to Costa Rica. Then it can be stored here until you have a permanent residence, or
2) Pack it into a moving van, unload, and store it at your mover’s warehouse. At a later date, you tell them to put it in a container and send it to Costa Rica.
Number 1) will be cheaper in the short run. But number 2) is safer, as it will give you more flexibility should you decide Costa Rica is not for you. You won’t have the hassle and expense of shipping everything back.
I certainly hope this blog helps you get your belongings to Costa Rica the easy way. Talk to Charles Zeller at Ship506 before you go anywhere else. He is awesome!
The Author
The author of this blog, Ticonuevo, is a US expat who moved to Costa Rica and used GoDutch Realty to purchase a property there. In his blogs, Ticonuevo describes his experiences taking the step of moving to Costa Rica and starting a new life. This blog was originally published by Ticonuevo in 2014 and updated by the editor in February 2026.
