Ship a Car to Costa Rica from USA
Ship a Car to Costa Rica from USA
Call 1-858-547-0840 For Phone Quote
Shipping a Car From USA to Costa Rica
Wondering how to go about shipping a car from the USA to Costa Rica? Ship Overseas can guide you through it. We know it can seem confusing and overwhelming at first, but not when you rely on a company with nearly four decades of experience in this field! Thanks to our skill and attention to detail, you will enjoy a smooth, seamless experience for shipping a car to Costa Rica.
Let’s start you off with a free quote. We will just need the Year/Make/Model of your car, Pickup Zip Code or Departure Port, and Destination Country, in this case, Costa Rica. Ship Overseas offers weekly sailings (RoRo only) from four ports in the USA to one port in Costa Rica.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car to Costa Rica?
The costs to ship a car from the U.S. to Costa Rica are as follows:
- Starting costs from East Coast: $970
- Starting costs from Houston, TX: $1260
As these are estimated costs only, many factors will impact the final price you will pay, including:
- The area of the USA from which your car is being shipped. It costs less, in general, to ship from the East Coast than the West Coast.
- The method you choose to get your car to the U.S. port. Some people choose to take their own car to the port, which is less expensive. But others live too far from the nearest port and choose to have our truck drivers transport their car from their home to the port, which is more expensive.
- The size of your vehicle. You will pay more to ship a larger car than a smaller one. So you will pay less to ship a compact car, for instance, than an SUV.
Very helpful, quick response to questions. Shipped my car to Costa Rica, no issues what so ever. I had shipped cars previously with other companies but Ship Overseas helped with the best solution which for my needs was RORO. I will definitely ship with them again, thanks again SHIP Overseas..
Robert M.
00:03 17 Mar 22
We shipped our vehicle from Hawaii to Belgium. We contacted several companies online. Miron from Ship Overseas was the first to get back to us. This was our first time shipping a vehicle internationally and we had no idea what the entire process was going to be like. Some of the reviews we read said the company wasn't very responsive or communicative. We had quite the opposite experience. Miron communicated with us every step of the way. Communication was extremely important to us as this was quite a complicated process. Miron answered all our questions and provided all necessary details of the process. He was also very upfront with the fees and even advised us of what fees to expect here in Belgium. Our car made it to Belgium on schedule without any hassle. Miron's contact here in Belgium was also very thorough. I recommend Miron from Ship Overseas 100%.
Kakay T.
11:01 29 Aug 23
Highly recommended. Paul, Miron, and team were very thorough/detail oriented. It was my first time having a car shipped from Europe which I purchased. He made sure I had all the paperwork needed. They also arranged transportation both to and from the ports.
Dave M.
13:11 03 Jul 23
I feel bad as I see a lot of people writing bad comments about this company. I've NEVER had a problem with them. NEVER.(Regarding the negative reviews..)Ship overseas is not an insurance provider, but rather a shipping company -- you must make sure to get insurance when shipping your vehicle so that no damages occur to it. They don't own the ship, nor workers, and of course as a result cannot guarantee the people on the ship won't damage your car.ShipOverseas is my go-to when I have to ship my cars. Which sounds funny to say, but I've actually shipped my car multiple times with them.Jack, one of the agents and owner is always very helpful, and does a great job of putting in trust in clients by making sure you understand the process in detail.I've transported my CLA45 AMG from the US to Belgium, without a problem, and have shipped it back, and am now buying a new car and shipping it back!You could say I'm somewhat of a (very happy) repeat customer – Photos for reference!
Emil H.
23:21 24 Apr 23
We highly recommend Shipoverseas services! Not only are they specialized in shipping gas/diesel motor operated cars but also specialize in shipping EV vehicles as well. We used there International shipping services to ship a 2022 Porsche Taycan to Dubai. The car arrived in less than a month in perfect shape, same as leaving our location. We worked with both Jack and Gary, both were great communicating and providing a timely status update. We will definitely be a regular customer! Thank you Jack and Gary!
Sam K.
15:51 09 Feb 23
Thank you Miron and Ship Overseas Team for helping me ship my car to Finland. I appreciate your response when I needed answers. Also many thanks for helping me find an agent in Kotka, Finland.I will definitely refer your company to my friends and colleagues.
Yacine M.
08:01 14 Oct 22
This Company’s dedicated professionals helped me sort through the all of paperwork and I had my vehicle within the timeframe promised.
L. C.
03:08 19 Sep 22
Very professional when it comes to shipping my vehicle to Central America
Kendra G.
19:39 12 Aug 22
We got a really good services. Jack always answers your so many questions with a short delay , for sure in the day , most of the time in the hour ( and in the minute too ). Really good communication. That's why we choose Ship Over Seas from the other company quotes we received. Good services , good prices , that's the criteria for our choice we don't regret at all. Thanks again.
JF G.
18:10 03 Jun 22
The company made it easy to ship my car overseas. No fuss and no problems!
Abe R.
08:40 18 Apr 22
Shipped my car to Nigeria . It was fast and easy . Best part they handles majority of the work . Very convenient and definitely will go through them again .
Heather :.
14:24 12 Apr 22
Very reliable agents. Thanks for being there for us!
BRAND VIEW (BVL AGENCY L.
18:07 21 Mar 22
Great and fast service. I ship my car from Baltimore to Wiesbaden Germany only took 5 weeks and the process was fast and easy
Carlos P.
00:18 19 Mar 22
Shipped my car from NC to Puerto Rico. They took care of the transport of my car from NC to the port in FL, and then on the ship from FL to PR. The staff was very responsive to all communications I sent, especially while my car was in transit. I always knew exactly where my vehicle was. Very kind and helpful staff, especially when I was just calling to inquire in the beginning. Will use them again if I ever need to ship my car back stateside.
Brittany B.
01:51 18 Mar 22
Nigeria. Thanks
Humphrey Osazee O.
08:51 17 Mar 22
Super business partner, fast and correct shipment of my car.ThanksDany
dany L.
19:14 16 Mar 22
Shipped my vehicle from Newark, NJ to Southampton, United Kingdom safely and quickly. All the complicated paperwork was laid out clearly for me to figure out the process. I was able to drive my own car in England a few weeks after dropping it off in the US. Would recommend!
Cai Y.
14:11 16 Mar 22
Very good service. I was shipping for the first time and they helped me with everything that needed to be done.
Luka B.
06:53 16 Mar 22
Thank you for shipping my car
Hareb A.
04:34 16 Mar 22
We shipped our car to Uganda from California and the services were exceptionally good 👍, regular feedback and updates were excellent and provided a peace of mind.
Fred K.
01:34 16 Mar 22
I used Ship Overseas back in 2019 to ship my 2008 Harley Softtail from Galveston Texas to Belgium. I forget exactly how long it took, perhaps in the two month range. However, the bike did eventually arrive and was completely ready for me at pickup. They even handled all the import paperwork etc. My only complaint would be that somehow the bike had accumulated almost 100 extra miles on it from when I dropped in off, and picking it up. Perhaps they needed to run it around the boat a few 1000 times. Also, there were a couple of parts missing from my saddle bags. Lesson: NEVER leave anything that can't be bolted to the object you are shipping. Otherwise, great service and a very good shipping experience.
Vincent P.
22:41 15 Mar 22
Shipped my car from the Netherlands to the US(via Belgium), everything went smoothly. The whole thing was relatively painless.
Daniel S.
22:12 15 Mar 22
Everything was ok. Thanks!
Carlos Paz S.
20:24 15 Mar 22
ShipOverseas was a great partner in shipping a Chevy Bolt EV to Helsinki Finland. The representatives provided easily understood descriptions of the roll on-roll off process, required paperwork, payments, etc. We drove the car onto the Galveston, TX dock with an accompanying guide. It was 100% smoothly accomplished. The car was transferred in Germany without problems (it is an electric vehicle with some unique starting characteristics) and offloaded near Helsinki, Finland. The photo shows incredibly clean conditions at the destination despite weeks at sea. I can highly recommend ShipOverseas for safe, economical, and successful vehicle shipping.
Leora E.
20:05 15 Mar 22
Our company, Jackson Creek Mfg., Inc. has used Ship Overseas, Inc. numerous times to ship vehicles overseas and have always received excellent service. Great company to work with!
Warren B.
20:00 15 Mar 22
Used to ship from NY to Germany. Process was easy and straightforward. Saved money versus buying a second vehicle overseas. Would use again.Good communication throughout. Thank you.
John W.
19:19 15 Mar 22
Vehicle was shipped without any issues, easy process.
Michal D.
19:16 15 Mar 22
If you never had your car shipped before, I can tell you that it can be a very fearful, and stressful event, but I can vouch 1st hand that this agency took all the thought fear and stress away! We moved my XT-5 from DFW to overseas (Bahrain). We didn't have any issues, and it was relatively fast considering it's been shipped across the seas. I will 100% recommend this company to anyone and everyone. Hassle-free and delivers what was promised. I'll definitely be using them whenever we decide to return stateside!
Ehte P.
19:08 15 Mar 22
i shipped an 89' Land Rover Defender from italy to the US without troubles, they took care of all docs and around 60 days later the car was at the port in VA. i'd definitely use them again in the future.
Magnum Opus C.
19:07 15 Mar 22
I shipped two cars from Savannah to Germany. Super easy process and the rates were better than anyone elses that i was getting for the same route. Would recommend them to anyone for their shipping needs. They helped along the way to get the documents needed and explained the process clearly so i knew exactly what needed to be done to have my cars on the boat that I needed them to be on. Pickup on the other side was easy as well with who shipoverseas was partnered with where my vehicles arrived. They were in contact with me often so i knew that the vehicles were on time and when to have everything ready. I will certainly be in touch again when it's time to return from my oversea travels. Thanks for the smooth process!
B H.
20:06 24 Feb 22
Timely service and my car arrived in the same condition I dropped it off in. Great job!
Johnnie V
18:42 22 Feb 22
Myron took great care of me on shipping 2 vehicles to Germany. Accurate quotes and great communications.
Michael Birlin (.
11:42 22 Feb 22
It was an easy an quick process
Rudolf de J.
09:19 22 Feb 22
Ship overseas helped me ship my car to senegal when some companies refused to do so in the heat of corona virus.thank you for your professionalism.
Kade M.
03:44 22 Feb 22
My car purchase and shipping to the Middle East was full of challenges and complications, however the one thing that was 100% smooth was the part handled by Miron from Ship Overseas. Great service and communication from beginning to end. Highly recommend.
William E.
03:35 22 Feb 22
This company and team were tremendously professional & also the least expensive company I found. I researched quite a few before settling on ShipOverseas. I’m glad I chose them, they were able to deliver my vehicle to my destination port in Korea when others said they could only deliver to one port in Korea and for less money. I will definitely use them again and recommend anyone shipping anyone to consult with ShipOverseas.com. Well done!
Robert Gibson (.
03:06 22 Feb 22
These guys are super, fair priced and very helpful.
Mike C.
00:28 22 Feb 22
I have used them few times and they on point great service and always answer all my request in timely manor.
Moe A.
14:09 21 Feb 22
Hello Tere! Last summer I sent my car to Estonia. I was scared little bit because it was my first time ( maybe even last!) to do this kind of thing. But it went very smoothly - unexpectedly . Most difficult thing was driving myself to the port, but I did it! I could order somebody from Ship Overseas, but it cost money. And paperwork was pretty normal. The same day, I left to the airport, I got phone call that they sent car title to my old address. Wow! I thought that this title goes directly to the Estonian port, but I was wrong. They sent this very important paper over to my son.It arrived on time when I was ready to show car documents to the toll office. Everything ended very well ! Thanks to Ship Overseas. And , by the way, sending my car to Estonia was much, much cheaper than other companies offered. I am thankful !!!
Lydia K.
13:24 21 Feb 22
Ship Overseas did a great job. There's no reason to use anyone else.
Taylor B.
13:22 18 Feb 22
Ship Overseas is a 6 star organization. They have answered all my shipping questions and provided rapid thorough service each and every time. Look no further, Your overseas shipper search is over.
VanniGio V.
08:20 18 Feb 22
Very trustworthy company, they were always available to resolve issues with the correspondant at destination, no surprises, my Boat arrived as promised
HSA
03:51 18 Feb 22
Overseas is the best definitelyNo complaints i received my suv without scratch no missing parts
Donald B.
00:59 18 Feb 22
First time I sent a vehicle with this company, and I will be using them to sent another one, they were very helpful.
Joash E.
00:14 18 Feb 22
Shipped several cars with this company to Nigeria.Exceptional service. Drawback is the vehicle hauling that wasn't reliable. Granted no fault of ship overseas.Ship Overseas is my go to shipper.
sylvanus M.
22:17 17 Feb 22
Great and reliable service. Thank you. Will always use your company.
Ricardo Q.
18:59 17 Feb 22
Used this company 3 times for an overseas PCS. Would do it again if I had to.
Michael M.
18:33 17 Feb 22
Great service at a reasonable cost !!!
Ronald R.
18:28 17 Feb 22
I have worked with this company for many years. We started shipping cars overseas in 2004. They are the BEST! They take a serious interest in making sure your car gets where it needs to go and will walk you through all the steps to make it a smooth move! We have shipped many cars to the UK and Germany as well as several to Bahrain, I cannot imagine using anyone else. Jack, Paul, Miron and April all made my job a lot easier for over 18 years
Joanie D.
18:26 17 Feb 22
Shipped twice with them. No idea what I was doing, but they were helpful, always available to answer questions, and made it very easy.
J J
18:14 17 Feb 22
It has been a great and exciting experience to have our car being shipped from New Mexico to Spain.
Fernando M.
18:03 17 Feb 22
everything is fine, gladly again
Beat Thomas S.
15:27 11 Feb 22
Om my GOSH! Words can't express how grateful I am for the experience I had with Ship Overseas. Living and working overseas can be a challenge but when I called they knew exactly what to do. Other shipping companies gave a long list of the things I needed, the paperwork, questions, and the costs. Overseas got me situated in one phone call. It was fabulous!!
Vitania Q.
18:21 10 Feb 22
Ship Overseas has great rates and staff! After using them to ship my car to Germany I knew I would use them when returning to the US as well. I did get quotes both times from numerous companies but no one could beat Ship Overseas. Shipping is a breeze with them and their staff are great at getting back to you in a timely manner!
Hallie Q.
17:41 10 Feb 22
So far, I'm well pleased with the service I've received from Ship Overseas. Whenever I had a question, it was answered quickly and thoroughly. Thanks!
Christopher M.
16:55 10 Feb 22
Everything went very smoothly with no problems!
John O.
15:28 10 Feb 22
They handled my car's transport 100% positive. It was not their fault that my radio was stolen somewhere along the path, port houston, Sirius leader, or port Limon, God only knows.
Tim P.
15:27 10 Feb 22
Excelente experiencia en todos los aspectos
Jorge Luis L.
15:09 10 Feb 22
I've used their service five times. I'm very satisfied. They are very reliable.
gigolok529
14:49 10 Feb 22
Meet the Spanish Speaking Team
Departure and Arrival Ports
The departure ports from the USA to Costa Rica include:
- Newark, NJ
- Baltimore, MD
- Houston, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
There is only one arrival port in Costa Rica and that is Puerto Limon, a prominent port located on the eastern coast of the country.
Vehicle Age Limit
There is a 12-year age restriction for Costa Rica.
Documents Required to Ship a Car to Costa Rica
The two documents required to ship a car to Costa Rica include:
- Original Title
- ID
Salvage Titles
Costa Rica does not accept salvage titles.
Shipping Cars for Military
At this time, we do not ship cars for the military to Costa RicaHow
How Long Does it Take?
It takes four weeks for your car to sail to Costa Rica.
Additional Information
- As a tourist, you are afforded the right to drive the vehicle for three months without paying taxes. The time begins when you enter the country, not when the vehicle enters the country. For example, if you enter Costa Rica on the 1st of October, but your vehicle enters on the 1st of November, you will only have two months to drive the vehicle, not three. This is very important to keep in mind.
- You will be required to pay a local tax, and some additional fees, all of which add up to around $90.00 US (normally this is all part of the customs procedure). At the end of three months, you have the right to extend the right to drive the vehicle for an additional three months.
- You have to leave the country prior to the three-month limit, anywhere for 48 hours. When you re-enter, they will re-stamp your passport, which will allow you to drive the vehicle for three additional months. If you wait until the three-month period is up, theoretically you are required by law to pay the taxes on the vehicle.
- A clear Title of Ownership with no Liens on the Title.
- If you bought a car new, then your name must be listed on the front of the Title as the registered owner.
If the vehicle has been sold, then both the Seller and Buyer have to sign the back of the Title in the spaces as detailed on the back of the Title. - For safety reasons, the vehicle cannot have more than a ¼ tank of gas.
- There are 3 main reasons people ship cars to Costa Rica.
- A Costa Rican Resident bought a car in USA and needs to import it
- An American, who retired and now resides in Costa Rica, needs to ship their car
- A traveler just wants to ship their car from USA to CR and drive back.
- The first two situations will have to pay import duty. The traveler won’t have to pay import duty.
Vehicle Import Tax
To learn the latest vehicle import tax amount for Costa Rica, please ask your Customs broker.
Destination Handling Charge
The destination handling charge for shipping a car to Costa Rica is $200.
Vehicle Import Duty For Costa Rica
If you are in the USA, contact the Costa Rica Embassy by phone.
Embassy of Costa Rica
2114 S St NW
Washington, DC 20008
If you are in Costa Rica, please visit the Costa Rica Aduanas Website
Offering weekly sailings from ports in the USA to Costa Rica
Our shipping vessels depart on a weekly basis from U.S. seaports to the ports of Puerto Limon and San Josein Costa Rica.
To get it there, you can choose from these two options:
RoRo Shipping – These vessels are specifically designed to ship wheeled cargo such as cars and motorcycles. In order to choose this option, your vehicle must work because it will have to be driven onto the ship via a ramp.
Container Shipping – Vehicles are placed in a container for transport. Under this option, you have two more choices to make: shared or exclusive. More on all this later.
Puerto Limon
This is the capital city and main hub of Limón province and the second-largest city in Costa Rica. The city itself is home to 55,000, and the port is located on the eastern coast of Costa Rica. It’s easily accessible, which makes it such a popular port for car shipments from the USA and elsewhere.
San José
The capital and largest city of Costa Rica, San Jose is situated in the mid-west portion of the Central Valley. Not only is it the seat of the national government, but it’s also a major transportation hub. The metro area is home to more than two million and is a popular tourist destination. We ship cars here all the time so we know the process inside and out.
Shipping Method for Shipping a Car to Costa Rica
Our shipping vessels depart on a weekly basis from all four U.S. seaports listed above to Puerto Limon. We do not offer container shipping from the U.S. to Costa Rica, only RoRo shipping.
RoRo Shipping (Roll-On/Roll-Off)
Is your car still in working order? Do you plan to ship a single vehicle to Costa Rica? RoRo shipping is a cost-effective and efficient method with reliable departure and arrival dates. All vehicles are tied to the deck with no exposure to the ocean, giving your vehicle the best protection from the elements.
Roll-On/Roll-Off is our most popular option, as well as the most convenient and affordable. Only wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles, cars, motorhomes, campers, trailers buses, construction vehicles, and boats can use it, provided they can be driven onto the ship of their own power. Once loaded onto the vessel, each vehicle will be tied down securely.
