What to Do With Your Belongings
Before You Relocate to Costa Rica

The Right Mindset for Downsizing

The prospect of sorting through decades of accumulated possessions is one of the most emotionally complex parts of the relocation process. Many retirees postpone the decision about their belongings — and in doing so, make the move feel more overwhelming than it needs to be.

The most useful reframe: you are not losing your possessions. You are choosing what to carry forward into the next chapter. Most retirees who have gone through the process report that the lightness they feel on the other side — owning less, needing less, living more — was one of the unexpected gifts of the move.

Five Categories for Everything You Own

Before you pack a single box, sort every category of your possessions into one of these five destinations. This framework prevents the paralysis that comes from trying to make individual decisions about thousands of items.

What to Absolutely Bring With You

Medications — 3-Month Supply

Most medications are available in Costa Rica, but your exact brand or formulation may not be. Bring a 90-day supply and use that time to establish care with a local physician who can prescribe local equivalents if needed.

Electronics

Electronics are significantly more expensive in Costa Rica than in the United States. Bring your laptop, tablet, smartphone, e-reader, and any small appliances you depend on. Also bring power adapters — Costa Rica uses standard U.S. 110V outlets, so most electronics work without a converter.

Sentimental Items

Photographs, small family heirlooms, objects with specific personal meaning. These are the items that make a new space feel like home — and the items most commonly left behind by retirees who later wish they had brought them.

Prescription Eyewear and Hearing Aids

Bring spare pairs of prescription glasses and extra hearing aid batteries. Both are available in Costa Rica, but the selection and process of obtaining them takes time you would rather not spend in your first weeks.

What to Leave Behind

Furniture

Shipping furniture to Costa Rica is almost never worth the cost. The combination of international shipping fees, Costa Rican import duties, and the logistics of delivery to Puerto Viejo typically exceeds the replacement value of most household furniture. Magnolia Reserve residences are fully furnished.

Your Car

Vehicles are expensive in Costa Rica — import duties can add 50–70% to the vehicle's value. Shipping a U.S. car is possible but costly and logistically complex. In Puerto Viejo, most residents find they rarely need a car. The town is walkable, taxis are inexpensive, and Magnolia Reserve organizes transportation for excursions and medical appointments.

Winter Clothing

Puerto Viejo maintains temperatures between 75 and 85°F year-round. Heavy coats, wool sweaters, snow boots, and cold-weather gear have no place in a Caribbean retirement — and take up space and weight that is better used for items you will actually need.

Large Appliances

Washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers — leave these behind. Magnolia Reserve provides laundry service, and fully furnished residences include all essential appliances.

Your Most Important Documents

Your documents are irreplaceable and must travel with you — not in a shipped container. Create both physical and digital copies of the following and keep them organized in a dedicated folder that travels in your carry-on luggage:

• Passport (and copies)
• Birth certificate (and apostilled copy)
• Social Security card and award letter
• Medicare card (even though it does not cover abroad — it may be needed for U.S. visits)
• Complete medical history and current medication list
• Marriage certificate if applicable
• Vehicle title if selling your car
• Financial account information
• Insurance policies
• Will and power of attorney documents

The Pensionado Import Duty Exemption

One significant benefit of the Pensionado visa: holders are exempt from Costa Rican import duties on household goods up to $7,500 in declared value when first arriving. This exemption applies once and must be used within the first year of residency.

For retirees who do have specific items they want to ship — specialty medical equipment, musical instruments, meaningful furniture — this exemption can make the cost of shipping significantly more manageable. Work with a Costa Rican customs broker to navigate the process correctly.

What Magnolia Reserve Provides

All Magnolia Reserve residences arrive fully furnished and equipped. You do not need to bring towels, linens, kitchenware, or furniture. What you bring is what makes the space yours — photographs, a favorite lamp, the books you have been meaning to read, the objects that carry meaning.

Our concierge team maintains a relationship with a vetted international shipping company and assists residents in navigating the Pensionado import exemption process. From the moment you arrive, the logistics of settling in are handled — so your attention stays on the experience of being here, not the administration of it.