Relocation support for all your mobility needs in Costa Rica!
International professionals can arrange for their car before or after moving to Costa Rica. There are no restrictions on when to start the process with our program. Our Costa Rican partner will help arrange finance, insurance, registration and road tax and have you “on the road” within 48 hours of your arrival – and in most cases, 24 hours!
Full insurance and maintenance program can be offered with the lease.
Our intercultural program will provide you a skilled and knowledgeable professional contact who understands the car market in Costa Rica.
Let your Personal Car Specialist assist you with locating the right car for you.
We offer flexible leasing options at competitive interest rates per annum for qualifying customers.
Rentals are from 1 day up to 12 months. The rental car program covers 100 countries globally. Click here to book…
All major cities and all smaller cities, we’ll be there for you:
No matter what Irish province you are relocating to, contact us for your car needs:
No, insurance is paid for separately. We can either offer insurance through our program or the customer can find their own insurance.
The following features are included in the lease:
• Delivery
• VAT
• Warranty
The following documents are required:
• Copy of passport with photo
• Copy of work visa
• Copy of valid driver’s license – local or from your home country
• Letter of employment stating salary, term and allowances
• Completed finance application
No, it is not a requirement. You can drive with international driver's license for 3 months. After 90 days, the driver needs to have a Costa Rican driver's license.
A free service - Our program will provide you a skilled and knowledgeable professional contact who understands the car market in Costa Rica. This has proven to be a big time saver.
The initial payment consists of the following:
• Registration fee and taxes
• Pro-rated portion of current month’s monthly payment
• First full month lease/finance payment
€275 set-up fee
ExpatRide’s primary focus is on workforce mobility services. It includes all employees’ transportation needs, be it short-term international assignments or long-term and permanent moves. We can assist employees moving domestically and internationally.
We work with you to establish a global mobility program for all aspects of car transportation. Aligning customary transportation across continents, budgets, allowances, self-pay, approved vehicles, individually tailored solutions, and centralized direct billing arrangement across all services.
If you work with a Relocation Management Company. We can support and implement the plan mentioned above together with the RMC, including coordinating expense management for your employees, thus utilizing the relocation support services infrastructure already provided to you by the RMC. We work with all the major RMCs and Destination Services Providers.
Please see more information on our “Corporate page”
Yes, we offer different payment options worldwide for corporations. This is individually accessed and may not be available for all
Yes, we can assist corporate human resource divisions in coordinating all transportation needs for their employees on international assignments.
Motorways: 100 km/h (62 mph)
National Routes: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Local and regional roads: 80 km/h (50 mph)
Don’t do it! Drinking and driving are taken very seriously in Costa Rica and few people will risk getting behind the wheel even after one drink. The legal limit to drive in Costa Rica is 0.5 mg/ml of blood – which is lower than that 0.8 legal limit in many other countries.
Infants under the age of one, with a weight of 10kg and a height of 75cm, should use rear-facing car seats.
Toddlers aged 1-4, weighing between 10-18kg and measuring 75-110cm in height, can use forward-facing car seats equipped with a harness system.
Children older than 4, weighing over 18kg, and taller than 110cm can use booster seats, securing themselves with the standard seatbelt.
Valid International driver’s license and Passport.
You must be 18 years of age to drive a vehicle, but you must be 21 years of age to be eligible for car rental.
While you can opt out of the CDW coverage in some countries, it is a mandatory insurance in Costa Rica. Proof of third-party insurance (required)
It is illegal to hold a mobile phone in your hand or support it with another part of your body, for example, between your head and shoulder, when you’re driving. You can only use your mobile when you’re driving if you are phoning 911.
There is a legal obligation in Costa Rica to be restrained when motoring and this applies to drivers and passengers
As an expat in Costa Rica, you can drive on a driving license from any state outside the EU/EEA for up to a year provided the driving license is current and valid. However, on taking up ‘normal residence’ in Ireland you must either exchange your driving license or apply for a driving license in Ireland.
How to Exchange your foreign driver’s license to an Ireland Driver’s License
If you have a driving license issued by an EU/EEA member state, you can drive in Ireland as long as your existing license is valid. If you wish to exchange your driving license for an equivalent Irish driving license, you must do so within 10 years of your driving license expiring.
Where a driving license has been issued on foot of an exchange from a country that Ireland does not have an exchange agreement with then Ireland cannot exchange the driving license.
To complete an application, you will need to submit:
• Fully completed application form for a Driving license D401
• Current or most recent EU/EEA driving license (if your license has expired by less than ten years or does not have a category start date you will need to provide an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the relevant licensing authority)
• If you do not have your most recent driving license in your possession, you will need to present an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the appropriate licensing authority and must complete the lost or stolen license declaration on the application form and have it witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána
• Certified translations are required for all letters of entitlement / driver statements which are not in English or Irish
• Photographic I.D.
• Proof of your personal public services number (PPSN)
• Evidence of address dated within the last six months is required if your current address is not recorded on your permit and it differs from that provided to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) if and when you applied for a PSC
• Evidence of residency entitlement, (if you hold a public services card and your place of birth or nationality are within the European Union/European Economic Area, it is adequate to present the PSC)
• Fully completed NDLS medical report form, dated within one month, if required in your case
• Evidence of certificate of professional competence (CPC), if required
• If exchanging a Northern Ireland license it must be accompanied by the counterpart
• Application fee of €55
Reciprocity Agreements
Ireland has reciprocity agreements with all EU members and a list of other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and South Africa. The Canadian province of Ontario was recently added to the list and rest of Canada is expected to follow shortly.
Visit the National Driver’s License Service for updated information:
the National Driver’s License Service.
Note: Information may not be up-to-date. Please check official government information for latest laws and regulations.
We offer the following car brands and any other car brand available in Costa Rica
Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford,Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, MG, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Rolls-Royce, Skoda, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo
"I highly recommend ExpatRide for anybody looking for a car after making the big move!"
– Andreas from Denmark, Audi A4
”The service we received was amazing! Out of everything we've had to do with our move overseas, getting our new car was the easiest and most stress-free."
Our partner is Costa Rica’s leading expat lease company
Whether it is for business or personal use, they can find the ideal specification and terms to suit your needs.