International Living Community

I have used YourBestAddress for several years now. They are in South Dakota. They will hold your mail till you tell them to ship it; or you can upgrade (not expensive) to a scan / shred service. www.yourbestaddress.com. Their customer service is outstanding. If you need to retain US citizenship in a non-income-tax US state, they can help with that for SD. Usually, my mailbox is a sufficient address for businesses i deal with , but some banks don't like it--they flag it as a mailbox--so when i opened a new credit card, YourBestAddress offered the use of a residential address for me to use for that single purpose.

There are a lot of businesses where people help you relocate, yet I don't have someone in perticular I can recommend. Have you done research on Costa Rica to see which areas could be the best fit.
https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/maps-of-costa-rica/
https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/
https://internationalliving.com/best-places-to-live-in-costa-rica-five-top-expat-havens/

You may want to look into the online version (which would be cheaper) of the conference. It is a good way to get lots of info and start to figure out if Costa Rica is right for you. Are you looking for a rental or to purchase a property? I know some real estate agents I could recommend depending on the area you are interested in.

Feel free to give me some more details into what you are looking for by sending an email and I can try helping you more. 🙂
bbottone@internationalliving.com
Bekah Bottone, IL Correspondent in Costa Rica

Hi Katherine,

Good questions.

There are not a lot of organized expat groups to choose from in Uruguay. A good strategy might be to just get to know some English-speaking expats and locals, and then gradually find individuals who share your values and interests.

The only organized English-speaking expat group in Uruguay that I know of is Punta del Este Expats. They meet once a month. It’s common for expats from other areas to attend their monthly meeting.
https://puntadelesteexpats.com/

Also, small group Spanish classes is another way to meet English-speaking locals (the teachers and staff) other English-speaking newcomers to Uruguay (your fellow students), as well a learning some Spanish. Through the school, you may also learn of locals who are learning English and may enjoy practicing with you.

Piriapolis is a smaller town outside of Punta del Este that you may find interesting.

The Internet is generally very good in Uruguay, with fiber-optic lines in many areas. With my basic home Internet plan, my plugged-in computer has a 408 Mbps download speed and a 31 Mbps upload speed.

Good luck to you,
David

(P.S., We have a new "Uruguay" category on the International Living Community page, whuich is the first place I look for new messages each day.)

HI Steve, I replied to the same question above. Please see the answer. Chip Stites, Italy Correspondent. IL Magazine.

Julie and Warren Knox have traveled across multiple countries with their pets. You might find their tips helpful too: https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/may_2023/4094026/