I offer one to one consultations for people looking to secure ancestral citizenship in Europe so if you'd like to reach out, you can find the sign up link on our IL website. Look for Global Citizen.

Regarding Poland, there is technically no limit on how far back you can go to find an ancestor who qualifies you for residency. The problem is that Poland only came into existence as a modern nation in 1920. That means that your ancestor must either have been alive and Living in Poland when the Polish Republic was declared, or they must have lived on territory that subsequently became the Polish Republic before 1920. For example, many ethnic polls left what was then the Russian Empire or the Austro Hungarian Empire prior to 1920, but qualify as Polish ancestors. Not all countries do that.

If and when you have your Polish citizenship recognized come up your wife would be eligible for a family reunification visa. This is required by European Union law. However, the only way to qualify for it would be to move to a European country as an EU citizen and then apply for her visa once you are settled. She won't be able to get the visa if she's still living abroad.

Although Costa Rica is getting more and more expensive, I have met plenty of people living on a fixed income over the past few years.

The postcards section at IL shares the experiences of others who have made the move and is a great way to check out success stories. https://internationalliving.com/category/daily-postcard/

I suggest spending a month and staying in each of the places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary. I will be talking about them at the San Jose Conference in July 2024. Are you planning on joining us online or in person?

The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet.

An important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others.

The beaches
Hot and humid, and I love them!
Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain.

Lake Arenal
Cooler (temperature) than the beach.
Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake.
Tronadora is much windier.
La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer.

Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel.

I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb.
https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF)

The Central Valley
Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available.

I met three people living in the Atenas/Grecia area on my last editorial trip in April 2024. Karen lives on $2000 a month, Mike on under $1400 a month (he spends six months here as he is Canadian), and Lynda spends about $1500 a month. This shows that living in Costa Rica can be affordable, hopefully giving you peace of mind about your financial situation.

I suggest posting in Facebook groups to ask questions and get more on-the-ground information. I post in the groups in the areas I will visit to connect with people for my editorial trips and find specific places to visit. Most of the time, people are very helpful.

I am not sure which areas you are most interested in, but you can start by checking out these groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/209258083597577
https://www.facebook.com/groups/128010388878472
https://www.facebook.com/groups/579515763190243
https://www.facebook.com/groups/178568066214136
https://www.facebook.com/groups/450171628439598

I suggest searching Facebook for the town/city you want to visit to see what results appear. Facebook is widely used down here for community sharing and support.

Let me know if you have any additional questions about Costa Rica.

Bekah Bottone, IL's Costa Rica Correspondent

David, thank you so much!!!! : )
I will research all of the links you have provided.
And I do appreciate you mentioning vetting the residency specialist re: capacity/experience with helping Americans with banks. I wouldn't have thought of that!
You gifted me with invaluable info.
Many, many thanks!
Katherine

My name is David Hammond, I have been living in Uruguay for several years. You can find medical and psych services here, but they will all be in Spanish.