¿ME REGALA? (me ɾe-ga-la): According to the Diccionario de la Lengua Española (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy), the verb regala” means “to give someone something without receiving anything in return.” The verb regalar is closely linked in meaning to the word regalo which means “present” or “gift.” If you own

One of the institutions the OMAVAD Foundation is supporting is the Integrated Center of Adult Education (CINDEA). What is the CINDEA? The CINDEAs are education centers which are part of the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). They are for people who are 15 years old and older who didn’t finish

PULPERIA (pool-peh-ree-ah)  Pulperías are typical grocery stores commonly found in many Latin American countries, namely: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They date back to as far as the XVI century in South America and many struggle to survive in today’s highly

Are you looking at opening an account in Costa Rica? I’ll tell you based on my experience what are the options and certain preliminary recommendations for the process. When I got my first job, I saw the need to open a bank account to get my paycheck deposited into. I

PARQUEAR(SE) (paɾ-kay-aɾ-se) ¿Parquear, estacionar o aparcar? Such is the question! Parquear is a verb used also in Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico and has the same meaning: ”to park.” The verb estacionar is mostly used in the Southern Cone countries such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, whereas aparcar is

The solidarity tax, also known as the “tax on luxury homes,” was created by Law No. 8683 on November 19, 2008 and had been in effect since October 1, 2009. The official title of this tax is the Solidarity Tax to Strengthen Housing Programs. This tax was created to fund

(ESTAR) CON TODA LA PATA (es-taɾ kon to-ða la pa-ta): Estar and ser are usually the first verbs one is taught when learning Spanish. This makes a whole lot of sense because both estar and ser are the infinitive forms of the English verb “to be” which you learned when

The following is a list of commonly asked questions regarding obtaining residency in Costa Rica: Is it true that there are various residency categories? That is correct. One cannot simply apply for residency; one must apply for one of the many distinct residency categories our law offers. An applicant must

Have you ever thought about creating a will in Costa Rica? If you have children or properties in Costa Rica, a will is the best way to guarantee that your assets and children can be fully protected when you have passed. While this is true, many people do not like

DAR PELOTA (A ALGUIEN) (daɾ pe-lo-ta a al-ɣjen): The expression dar pelota implies that someone is flirting with someone, taking notice of someone, or paying attention to someone. Interestingly, pelota and bola are both used, sometimes interchangeably, to refer to a football/soccer ball. While these terms are both synonyms, one