I decided to get a Costa Rica driver’s license. I read several blogs and talked to an American who recently got his. Most of the blogs said it is well worth the money to hire a Costa Rican to help you through this process. However, after reading up on the subject I decided to go ahead and try doing it on my own. Here is how it went…
The first step is to get a “physical.” From what I’ve read it sounds like one of the most important reasons for this is simply to get your blood type. I also read that if you already know your blood type and have some credible documentation you can bring that instead of having a lab do it here. Since I have a Red Cross card with my blood type on it, I brought that with me to the doctor’s office. I decided to get this done before hand so I didn’t have to bother with it at COSEVI (government building that handles driver’s licenses). I went to the doctor’s office and told them what I wanted (a physical for a driver’s license). The receptionist got out a form and asked me a few questions, like how old are you, what is your height, are you right handed, etc. She then went back to get the doctor. When she came back, she handed me the form and I gave her 9,000 colones (a real bargain, since reports say 15,000 is common). That was it! When I got back to my car I took a look at the form. I was surprised to see a whole lot of questions that should have been asked about my medical history, etc. My blood pressure had been filled in without them taking it. There was also the results of an eye test that I never took! I’m not sure if this was standard procedure for this particular doctor, or if he just didn’t want to be bothered on a holiday (Columbus Day), but hey PURA VIDA!
That was Monday. On Wednesday we went to the 11 AM session at the San Jose Temple, which was wonderful by the way. Afterward I took Karen and the kids to the Multi-Plaza (big mall) in Escazu and headed off for Uruca and the COSEVI building. Finding the building was the part made me the most nervous. However, I googled it prior to leaving and actually found it on google maps, so I had a really good idea of where I was going. All of the blogs mentioned that parking is scarce (read non existent), so I pulled down a side street near the building and parked along side the road. There were several people near the front gate trying to get people to come take a physical at a doctor’s office near by. I simply ignored these folks and walked in like I knew what I was doing. There are several buildings and only a couple of signs that point you to the very back of the complex to get your license. I found the line at the back of the complex and waited for about 15 minutes. I then made it up to the security guard who was checking documents before you enter the building. He informed me that new licenses are only done between the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 AM. It was now 3:45 PM. Ugh! so much for doing research, how come none of the blogs I read mentioned that little tid bit?! Anyway, while I was waiting in line I noticed that there is a parking lot at the back of the complex. I decided to get something out of this failed trip and see if I could find the parking lot before heading back. This parking lot can be found by turning up the street before the COSEVI building and driving several blocks. There is a security guard at the gate.
The next day I dropped the kids off at school, and Karen and I headed back to COSEVI. We made it there around 8:30 AM, and drove back to the parking lot. I was a little nervous that they would turn me away, but the nice security guard just wrote down our license plate number and waived us through. The parking lot was nearly empty so we had no problem finding a space. I then got in the same line (as the day before) and waited 10 to 15 minutes to make it up to the the security guard. He looked at my documents and directed me to go up stairs. I then waited in a short line for about 30 minutes. Went into an office where a woman looked at my documents carefully, stamped and signed my copies and then directed me to see the “muchacha” (young woman) at the desk outside of her office. I tried to do that, but she (the muchacha) directed me to the other line that was waiting to see her. After another 30 minutes in this line she was stapling my documents together and doing something on a computer. After taking a few minutes to discuss what she wanted for lunch with a co-worker, she handed me a voucher and directed me back to the front of complex to pay the 400 colones that is required for your first license. After paying the fee at the front of the complex, it was back to the same building where I started. This time, you don’t have to wait in line. You just go right to the front and into the building. There you see a bunch of Costa Ricans waiting in chairs for their chance to renew their licenses. Luckily, you don’t have to wait in this line either! You just go right up to a room with chairs in the middle and cubicles along both sides. You wait for a light bulb to light, quickly go to the light (before someone else waiting in the sea of chairs beats you there), and sit down in the cubicle. Your picture is taken, you sign an electronic tablet, and take your finger print. You then go outside the cubicle and wait a few minutes until your name is called and you go collect your shinny new CR driver’s license!
This whole process took about 2 hours. Not much fun and really nerve wracking. I’m not sure why it made me so nervous but I was actually shaking most of the time. It wasn’t just me either, because I noticed a couple of other Americans who seemed to be just as nervous as I was. Anyway, I survived the ordeal and now can use my CR license instead of my Utah license!
Here is a link to a Google Map that I created showing the location of COSEVI and where to go. http://goo.gl/RJjIR