Short answer: you can import a car to Costa Rica, but the import tax is steep — it scales with the car's age and lands roughly between 50% and 80% of the vehicle's fiscal value, on top of shipping. For most people it's cheaper and far simpler to buy a car already in Costa Rica. This page explains the tax math, the shipping process, and when importing actually makes sense.
We run a registry-verification service, so if you decide to buy locally instead, we can tell you whether a specific car is clean before you pay. No import to sell you — just the numbers.
The import tax is the whole story
Costa Rica taxes imported vehicles on their fiscal value (the value Hacienda assigns, not necessarily what you paid), and the rate climbs with the car's age:
| Vehicle age | Approximate combined import tax |
|---|---|
| 0–3 years | ~52% of fiscal value |
| 4–5 years | ~63% |
| 6+ years | ~79% |
These are the long-standing bracket figures; always confirm the current rate with Hacienda before you commit — rates and the fiscal-value tables change.
That tax is on top of the purchase price and shipping. A car you bought for $15,000 abroad can easily cost $25,000+ landed and registered. This single fact — the import tax stack — is why cars are so expensive in Costa Rica and why the local used market, not import, is where most people buy.
Shipping, briefly
- RORO (roll-on/roll-off) or container from a US port (commonly to Limón or Caldera).
- You'll need title, bill of sale, and an import agent/agente aduanal to clear customs.
- Budget several weeks and a customs broker's fee on top of freight.
When importing actually makes sense
- You have a specific, hard-to-find vehicle (a particular 4x4, a specialty camper) not available locally.
- You're moving and the car has sentimental or specialized value that outweighs the tax.
- You've run the fiscal-value math and the landed+taxed cost still beats the local price (rare, but it happens for certain models).
For almost everyone else, the answer is: buy locally. The used market in Costa Rica is deep, and the only real risk — a hidden lien or unpaid obligations — is something you can check in seconds.
If you buy locally instead
The tax that makes importing expensive is the same tax that's already baked into a local car's fiscal value — which is one of the things our report shows you. Before you pay for any used car here:
- Run the free plate check — confirm the car is real and registered.
- Pull the $25 Title Card for the verdict: liens, marchamo, inspection, fines, and the fiscal value that drives its tax and resale.
Start here: Run a free plate check →
See also: Why cars are so expensive in Costa Rica and buying a car as a foreigner.