Why I do not recommend
Countries where “residence is easily achieved”
In the article “How to settle in Costa Rica” I promised to explain why I do not recommend some of the countries where “residence is easily achieved”, such as Paraguay or Argentina.
In short:For a family, the fact that you can get quickly and “cheap” Residence doesn’t necessarily mean you have the best conditions to protect your property, money, and child safety.
Before I settled in Costa Rica, I visited Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. I chose Costa Rica and, after more than 20 years, I did not regret this choice.
But countries are changing, and what was valid 20 years ago may no longer be valid today. That’s why in this article I don’t just rely on my personal experience. The information and comparisons below are verified based on the data and legislation available for the period 2025–2026.
We divided the comparison into four questions that any family who is thinking about leaving are asking:
- If another government comes, does my house stay?
- How much of my savings is left over five years?
- Can my children grow up safely there?
- If the child gets sick, what do I do? And how much does it cost me to stay and function legally?
An important clarification: next to each digit I mentioned the year to which the data relate, not just the year of publication of the source. You will see for yourself that for Costa Rica, we have figures from October 2026, while for many of the other countries the available data are from 2024 or even older.
Illusion in Ads vs. The reality on the ground
Countries where “residence is easily achieved”
On the Internet, each of these countries has a promise that sounds good. The problem is that a relocation decision is not made after advertisements, but by what you find when you check the right to private property, safety, money and the right to stay in the country.
| Country | What do you see in commercials | What Recent Data Show |
|---|---|---|
| Paraguay | Fast residency and "low fees" | Street safety is relatively good, but there are risks related to the judicial system and legal security of property. In 2026, the rules on permanent residence became stricter in terms of proof of income. |
| Equator | Low cost of living and spectacular nature | Violence has increased strongly. In 2025, the homicide rate reached about 50.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, an extremely high level for the region. |
| Columbia | Affordable properties at the beach or in major cities | The evolution of the currency is not the only thing that matters. In 2025, the Colombian peso appreciated by about 15%, while the country continued to face violence and conflicts between armed groups. The homicide rate was about 25.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. |
| Mexic | Affordable costs and a vibrant culture | In the coastal areas located in the restricted area for foreigners, the residential purchase is usually made through a bank fideicomiso. In terms of safety, the data differs according to the source and methodology, so the figures must be interpreted carefully. |
| Belize | English, beaches and the image of a "tax paradise" | The homicide rate remains high, at approximately 21.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. In addition, Belize is subject to international anti-money laundering monitoring and is on the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. |
ce this a trust?
In Mexico, foreigners cannot directly own land less than 50 km from the coast or 100 km from the border. To be able to buy, however, a Mexican bank becomes the owner “on paper”, and the foreigner is the beneficiary. He has practically all the rights: he lives, rents, sells and leaves the property as a legacy.
The contract is usually made for 50 years, with the possibility of renewal, and involves an annual fee paid to the bank. In Romanian, it is as if the bank appears in the land register as the owner, and you have a contract that gives you all the rights to the house.
The system is legal and well regulated; The real risks are the annual costs and the bureaucracy on sale.
Romania also has, since 2011, a similar institution in the Civil Code, called trust but it is used very rarely, especially in the case of housing.
What happens to the right to private property?
If another government comes
Here is the biggest difference between Costa Rica and the countries where the residency is “easily” obtained. It is not enough to be able to buy a house today; The important thing is how well your property right is protected if the government or economic policy of the country changes.
All serious international rankings put Uruguay and Costa Rica on top of Latin America in the rule of law and property protection.
| Indicator | Costa Rica | Uruguay | Paraguay | Argentina | România |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law, WJP 2025 (score 0–1) | 0,68 | 0,72 | — | — | — |
| Property Right, IPRI (Global Place) | 38 to 126 (2025) | 29 (2023) | 86 (2023) | 95 (2023) | — |
| Freedom House 2026, scor total | 91 | — | — | — | 83 |
| Freedom House 2026, Independent Justice (out of 4) | 4 | — | — | — | 3 |
Some things worth knowing:
- Costa Rica has the same score in the rule of law as the USA (0.68). It is over Portugal, Italy and Poland. In 2025, 68% of the analyzed countries regressed to this chapter.
- On ownership, Costa Rica ranks 2nd out of 21 in Latin America (IPRI 2025). The largest subscore is the perception of property protection (8.3 out of 10). The weakest is access to loans (4.8): private property is respected, but mortgage is hard to obtain.
- Nicaragua is the opposite example. In 2025, the US warned its citizens not to invest there, following the adoption of a law that allows the confiscation of land in the 15 km strip from the borders. Also in 2025, the state took over the factory of an American mining company and gave it to a Chinese company.
- El Salvador It reports the lowest rate of homicides in its history, but the government has changed the definition: it no longer counts the corpses in mass graves, those killed by the police and those in prisons. Safety comes with a lack of control over power.
Paraguay: You can pay the land and still lose it
One of the last cases to confirm the risk is from 2026. Paraguay families bought lots in four urbanizations managed by Inmobiliaria Confort and paid in full, in installments. However, the land belonged to Ramón González Daher, sentenced to 15 years for usury and money laundering, to whom the state confiscated his assets.
The families requested the property documents in court and the requests were rejected, because the lands had been confiscated. The press counted more than 100 affected families, but in reality it is said that there are more than 300. On October 6, 2026, they protested in front of Congress.
Lesson: If the seller has problems with justice and you don’t have the title written on your name, you can lose everything, even if you paid in good faith. In Costa Rica, the transfer is made at the notary and enrolled in the Registro Nacional, and the verification of the title before signing is the standard step.
Costa Rica: The state may expropriate, but indemnify you, and the process lasts
Expropriation for public utility also exists in Costa Rica, for roads or public works, but the state compensates you at the value set by the appraisers. If you don’t agree, go to court.
The process is so long that sometimes the state prefers to go around the land. The new road to San Carlos, in the works for over 20 years, had in June 2023 another 185 unresolved expropriations only on the Sifón–San Miguel de Naranjo section, of which 71 in court.
Costa Ricans defend their property, money and freedom with all their energy. In September 2020, the government announced a loan from the IMF accompanied by new taxes on banking transactions. The reaction was so strong that, in a few days, the president dropped the proposal.
For a foreigner, this is also an important aspect: in a country where people react publicly when they think their property or money is threatened, there is also social control over the government’s decisions.
How much from my savings in five years?
When you emigrate with your family and savings in euros, the currency of the country you reach counts as much as your salary. In 2025, Costa Rica had a deflation of about 1%. In 2026, the colón appreciated by approximately 13% against the euro in the last 12 months, the market rate dropped to about ₡511 for one euro, and at the euro bank is currently bought by about₡492. Compared to the dollar, the appreciation was about 9.45%.
| Country | Inflation 2025 | Currency against the dollar in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 31,5% | -41% |
| Columbia | 5,1% | +15% |
| Uruguay | 3,65% | stable |
| Paraguay | 3,1% | — |
| Panama | −0,2% | Use the dollar |
| Costa Rica | −1% (deflation) | Stable (~₡455/$) |
Some things worth knowing:
- Argentine It reduced inflation spectacularly, from 211% in 2023 and 118% in 2024. For those who come with savings in euros, the devaluation of the peso remains a “silent destroyer” of capital.
- Costa Rica It had deflation in 2025, as in 2023, with an economic growth of 4.6%. For 2026, a GDP growth of 3.6% is estimated. Deflation does not, therefore, come from an economy in crisis.
Taxes on foreign income
Costa Rica applies the principle of territoriality: income earned outside the country is not taxed here. From time to time, bills appear that want to change this, including one from September 2026, which would tax passive income from abroad by 15%. On October 7, 2026, the project appeared as “pendients”, that is, it had not even been assigned to a commission.
And here is an important difference: A bill does not mean that the law will change. In Costa Rica, many projects remain blocked, rejected or archived and never become law. If a project no longer corresponds to social reality or if certain provisions come into conflict with the Constitution, it may not move forward. That is why it does not make sense to treat every project submitted to the Parliament as a rule that is to come into force.
In Costa Rica, a tax law goes through months or years of debate and does not apply retroactively. There is no need to be scared, just to be informed. In Romania, tax laws change very quickly, often through emergency ordinances, sometimes even from the middle of the year, without adaptation time. And the law is not retroactive on paper, but a re-employment may force you to pay VAT for years, for money you have never collected.
The irony of the day: Panama, which boasts of being a “tax haven”, and is on the European Union’s fiscal blacklist (update of February 2026). Belize is on the gray list.
How much does residency cost, country by country
We have collected the official migration fees, per person, necessary to obtain permanent residency. I did not include apostilles, translations, notary fees or the lawyer.
| Country | The road to permanent | Official fees ≈ USD/person |
|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | directly permanent | ~101 |
| Argentina | temporary, then permanent | ~130 |
| Costa Rica | 3 años temporales, luego permanente | ~250 |
| Ecuador | temporary 2 years, then permanent | ~595 |
| Columbia | visa M, then visa R, plus cédula | ~915 |
| Paraguay | temporary 2 years, then permanent | ~916 |
| Panama (specific countries) | Provisional permit 2 years, then permanent | ~1.050, más impuestos alte |
| Mexic | temporary, renewal, then permanent | ~2.530 |
| Belize | a year of stay, then permanent | ~450–3.060, according to nationality |
Important
- Taxes are not the argument against all countries where residency is easily achieved. Uruguay and Argentina are cheaper than Costa Rica on taxes. In the case of Argentina, the problem is the currency; Uruguay is among the good countries in the comparison anyway.
- In Costa Rica, the file fee is the same for everyone. The only amount that differs is the security deposit: the equivalent of a plane ticket to the country of origin in the peak season. It is not a fee, but a guarantee, and it is returned if you quit residency or become citizens.
- In Paraguay, the temporary residence fee is 25 minimum daily wages, that is, almost a full monthly minimum wage of a Paraguayan, and is paid twice until permanent. A family of four reaches ~3,665 dollars in taxes alone.
- Paraguay Trap: For permanent residence, solvency is mainly proven with Paraguayan documents: local health insurance, contract covered by the Ministry of Labor or tax returns. The irony is that in 2025, 59.4% of the workers in Paraguay worked informally. Those who do not integrate into the formal economy remain stuck at temporary.
- Conditions cost more than taxes: Ecuador demands a monthly income of ~1,446 dollars, plus $250 for each family member. Panama is demanding a $200,000 deposit or deposit. Belize demands a whole year in the country, with a maximum of 14 days of absence.
- Record: Costa Rica asks for one, from the country of origin. Paraguay demands the record from the country of origin, plus Interpol and the record from the Paraguayan police, and at the permanent four records.
Can my children grow up peacefully there?
Here I have to be honest, according to the homicide rate, Paraguay and Argentina are better off than Costa Rica. The argument against them is private property, justice and currency, not street safety. In safety, the real traps are Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.
| Country | Homicides per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|
| Ecuador | 50.9 (historical record) |
| Columbia | 25,8 |
| Honduras | 23,2 |
| Belize | 21,8 |
| Brazilia | 19,2 |
| Costa Rica | 16,8 |
| Panama | 12,9 |
| Uruguay | 10,3 |
| Paraguay | 6,1 |
| Argentina | 3,7 |
| El Salvador | 1.3 (narrow definition) |
| România | ~1,1 (2023–2024) |
How does Costa Rica actually stand in terms of safety
Costa Rica is no longer the country without problems since 15 years ago. The homicide rate rose from 11.6 in 2010 to 16.8 in 2025, and the main cause is drug-trafficking: the country has become a transit point for cocaine destined for the US and Europe.
But the violence is very focused. Half of the homicides take place in only 27 of the country’s 478 districts, and the main reason is the settlement of accounts between groups. Most of the victims are involved in these groups, but there are also collateral victims, usually in the areas where the confrontations take place. From what can be seen in the local press, many of them are relatives of those involved, caught in attacks that were not intended for them.
Oij maps by provinces, which you can find in my articles “Analysis by provinces”, shows the same thing: the red dots are the urban centers and, in Limón, the corridor to the port. In areas like in Fortuna, where they have lived for over 20 years, family life is quiet.
The 2026 trend: Decreasing
In 2026, homicides are down from 2025. At the end of July they were 13% less than in the same period last year (453 versus 521), and OIJ estimates that the year will end under 800, the best result since 2022.
That doesn’t mean the problem is gone. It just means that, after the dramatic increase in recent years, in 2026 the direction has changed.
Perception: How People Feel
Homicides say how serious it can be. Perception says how quietly you live from day to day. The Numbeo index, built from user responses, shows an interesting picture for 2026.
| Country | 2020 | 2026 | direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 76,1 | 71,9 | in decline |
| Brazilia | 68,9 | 64,0 | in decline |
| Argentina | 61,8 | 63,2 | slightly growing |
| Ecuador | 50,9 | 61,9 | Strong growing |
| Columbia | 54,8 | 61,3 | growing |
| Chile | 45,2 | 60,7 | Strong growing |
| Paraguay | 49,6 | 59,5 | growing |
| El Salvador | 68,0 | 56,4 | strong decreasing |
| Costa Rica | 56,3 | 53,9 | in decline |
| Mexic | 54,0 | 52,9 | relatively stable |
| Uruguay | 53,8 | 52,5 | Stable |
| Panama | 47,2 | 42,8 | in decline |
| România | 27,6 | 32,8 | growing |
By perception, Costa Rica is better than “easy” countries: Paraguay, Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia. The index is built from user responses, so it’s useful for trends, not accurate rankings.
And Romania?
Statistically, Romania has about 15 times less homicides than Costa Rica. It is one of the things that leavers underestimate.
But the Romanian press in recent years has brought to attention cases of a rare brutality here, and the perception of insecurity has increased by about 20% compared to 2020.
The difference is of the following type: in Romania violence is rare, but it can be unpredictable; Costa Rica is more common, but much of the lethal violence is linked to certain areas and certain conflicts.
Romania starts from a much safer level, but the trend of perception is increasing. Costa Rica still has a problem, but the trend is decreasing.
It matters not only where a country is today, but also where it goes.
Transparente Fecha
In Costa Rica, OIJ publishes near real-time homicides, no more than 24 hours late, on provinces, cantons and types of crime. In Europe, official statistics are coming years late: Eurostat published the figures for 2024 in April 2026.
In Costa Rica you can see the figures from yesterday, by neighborhoods and by types of crime. In Europe, read about the year two years ago.
A state that shows its problems in real time, even when it does not honor it, is a state you can trust.
If the child gets sick, where do I treat him and how much does it cost me?
Costa Rica: Caja (CCSS) + Medismart
Affiliation with Caja is mandatory for residents, and the monthly contribution depends on the income and the category of residence. In exchange, you get access to consultations, analyzes and medicines in the public system, and the contribution also includes the pension component.
In Romania you pay the contribution to the public system, but for certain services, medicines or for faster access to specialists you frequently end up with co-payment or private.
A few weeks ago, when I went to pick up my medicine, the doctor had already seen my tests and called me directly into the office. I left there with new treatment, scheduled analyzes and control, all on the same day, without paying anything. In my case, only drugs for a month would cost the pharmacy more than the contribution to Caja, and consultations and tests come on top of that.
This is the part that works very well: family medicine, emergencies, medicines and analyses. The problem occurs especially when you need a specialist or a planned operation.
As of March 2026, the internal audit of CCSS counted 1.44 million cases on the waiting lists, with an average of 441 days for an operation and 540 days for a specialist. In 2026, Caja completely eliminated pre-2019 cases, but the problem of waiting lists and the lack of specialists did not disappear.
That’s why I think the most practical solution is to use both: CAJA for treatment and long-term follow-up, and the private one when you need tests, consultations or a specialist faster.
I use Medismart for this part. It costs up to about 7,000 colonists per month and offers you discounts that can reach 80% on certain consultations and analyses. You have access to a private network that also includes Hospital Metropolitano, and for me the important difference is the time: I don’t have to wait for months to do an analysis or see a specialist.
That’s what I did this time too. I did my tests and consultations in private, then I went with the results to the clinic in Caja. The doctor saw them, gave me the prescription for the drugs and I still remained under their supervision. Basically, I used the private for speed, and the CAJA for treatment and monitoring.
This seems to me to be one of the good parts of the Costa Rican system: you don’t have to choose between public and private. You can use them together, each one for what he does best.
Uruguay, Panama, România
- Uruguay: The Fonasa Plus Mutualistas hybrid system works well: you pay a contribution, choose a mutualista and have access to the services offered by it. But be careful for families who come with elderly parents: many Mutualists no longer receive new entries after 60-65 years and can ask for a medical examination.
- Panama: The private system is very well developed. Pacífica Salud Hospital in Panama City is affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, through consultancy and international medical standards.
- Romania: We have extraordinary doctors, but a public system with outdated infrastructure that pushes the middle class towards subscriptions and private services. Romanian readers know this better than any statistics.
Bureaucracy
- Brazil She is the world champion of the tax bureaucracy: an average company lost about 1,500 hours a year just to pay its taxes (World Bank, 2019). Now it is in full tax reform, with a transition that will end in 2033. During this period two systems coexist, which makes things even more complicated.
- Costa Rica It is not fast, but it is predictable. Institutions rather work on prevention, and officials are actually trying to help you.
A small story tells a lot. Last November, I called Senasa, from JSO, to ask what papers a puppy coming to Costa Rica should have.
The clerk told me very clearly: the dog’s health card or passport, chip, vaccines and make sure they have the QR code. Perfect. I asked if I needed anything else.
“What country does it come from?”
“Romania”, I answered, very serenely.
He missed an exclamation, “h**o de p**a!”
There was a pause and then, very nervous, he told me to forget what he had told me about the QR code. For Romania, things were a little more complicated.
I had to go to the General Directorate of Animal Health, with the dog’s documents, the chip, the vaccines and the analyses, with the documents oversigned by the Ministry of Agriculture, and at the end I also had to do the superlegalization or the apostille, as the case may be.
Why? Because that awesome QR code doesn’t solve much. There is no system whereby institutions can check documents with each other just by scanning the code.
I was silent. he was right…..
And this is Costa Rica: Sometimes you have the impression that everything has been digitized, until Romania appears and you discover that you have to walk the documents through three institutions and find someone to oversign them.
Conclusion: Check everything, all the way
Costa Rica is not perfect. He has a real narcotic-related violence problem and long waiting lists for specialists. But it also has things that I consider essential when you move an entire family: protected property, functional justice, a stable currency and a state that, even when the numbers do not benefit it, publish its problems.
Don’t stop at the first lines that sound good or the beautiful pictures on the internet. Before you move a whole family, check:
- Official Migration Site: All the steps to the permanent residence, not just the first fee.
- What the state requires for renewal or permanent residency: In Paraguay, for example, after two years there are requirements regarding proof of income from the country.
- How to register property: Who keeps the register and what needs to be checked before you give the money.
- the safety figures from the official local source and the year to which they refer.
- Currency and inflation: What happens to your savings in the local currency.
- Health System: What do you get concretely for what you pay for and how long you have to wait.
- Taxes on foreign income, including the bills under discussion.
Go to the official migration website of the country you are interested in and read everything, until permanent residency. Look for local press, not just expat groups. Ask people who have been living there for years, not just someone who has moved in for six months and is still on their honeymoon.
And, if you can, go personally for a few weeks before you make the decision.
The figures help you eliminate countries where the risks are too high for what you are looking for. But the final choice does not make a table.
You do it, after you sit there, go to institutions, see how things work, talk to people and ask yourself very simply:
“Could I live here ten, twenty years?”
That’s what I did before I chose Costa Rica. And after more than 20 years, I still don’t regret the choice.
Sources
- World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2025
- International Property Rights Index, Costa Rica 2025
- Bloomberg Línea, IPRI 2023 in Latin America
- Freedom House, Costa Rica 2026 and Romania 2026
- TVN/AFP, US warning on Nicaragua
- ÚLtima Hora, families affected by the RGD case
- Crhoy, the expropriations on the road to San Carlos
- Crhoy, the reaction to the 2020 IMF proposal
- Bloomberg Línea, Inflation in Latin America 2025
- Valora Analitik, Colombian Peso in 2025
- Semanario Universidad, Costa Rican’s Economic Growth in 2025
- La República / PwC, Project 25.796
- Harneys, EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, February 2026
- Migraciones Paraguay, DGME Costa Rica, Uruguay Legal Residencia, Tasas Migratorias Argentina, Ecuador visas, Países specific Panama
- ÚLtima Hora / CADEP, Informality of work in Paraguay
- Insight Crime, Homicides of 2025
- Observator CR, Homicides until July 31, 2026
- Observator CR, Concentration of Homicides on Districts
- Statbase / Numbeo Crime Index, Costa RicaandRomania
- Eurostat, Homicides and Sex Violence in the EU, 2024
- Semanario Universidad, CCSS waiting lists audit
- Uruguay, Mutualistas and Age Limit
- Johns Hopkins, Pacifica Salud
- Taxup, Brazil tax reform
Behind OpenZone are two people: a Costa Rican native with deep roots in the local history, and an expat who has been settled here for over two decades. Together, we combine native knowledge of the system with firsthand experience of the very process you’re going through right now.
