The Costa Rica Map: 14 decisions for a permanent move, in 30 days
Your move to Costa Rica, decided and written down. 14 decisions, in order, in 30 days.
Stop researching. Start deciding. Each decision fills in a section of your written plan, saved to your account.Stop researching. Start deciding. Each decision fills in a section of your plan, and when you finish you have a written plan in ten sections, saved to your account.
Written by Brennan Vitali, CFP®.
It's the order I use when I plan this move, because it makes the later decisions easier.
$297 until Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 pm Costa Rica time (1:59 am Eastern on Sunday), then $497. 30-day refund.
CFP®
professional, and founder of Vitality Wealth Planning
Since 2019
in financial services, starting at Schwab
1,100+
people have taken my readiness quiz
Decision 1
is free to read before you buy anything
Watch first
The map in 50 seconds.
It's new, so there are no reviews yet. Here's exactly what's inside instead, starting with the route: 14 decisions, and the order matters.
Why the order matters
The hard part is the order.
Most of the people I talk to have been researching this move for a year or more. They've read the forums and joined the Facebook groups. They know a lot. What they don't have is a set of decisions, made in the right order.
Here's one example.
As of September 2026, Pensionado residency needs permanent pension income. IRA and 401(k) withdrawals generally don't count.
That's why a lot of people living off a portfolio end up looking at Rentista instead.
That's why residency comes fourth. First you work out what kind of move this is, who's coming, and whether your money supports the life you have in mind. You can't pick a residency category until you know which of your income counts. You can't decide whether to rent or buy until you know your residency category and what your money supports.
The lesson walks through how the categories work. Which one fits you is a question to confirm with a licensed immigration attorney before you file anything.
It's the full lesson, start to finish.
What changes
From researching to decided.
BeforeYou know a lot, and you've decided almost nothing.
With the mapYou work through the decisions that are yours to make, and write each one down as you go.
BeforeA year of Facebook groups, YouTube and open tabs.
With the mapOne map, 14 decisions, in order. It always shows you the next one.
BeforeYou keep circling, because the order isn't clear.
With the mapYou know why the order matters and where you are on it.
BeforeYou can't tell which questions need an attorney, a CPA or an advisor.
With the mapYou walk into those meetings with your own questions written down.
BeforeYou research alone.
With the mapYou can bring questions to a live monthly Q&A with me, through April 2027.
Who built it
Built by a CFP® professional.
I'm Brennan Vitali, a CFP® professional and the founder of Vitality Wealth Planning, a registered investment adviser. I've worked in financial services since 2019. I started at Schwab. I've spent significant time on the ground in Costa Rica.
The 14 decisions in this map are the ones I walk through when I plan this move, in the same order.
Over 1,100 people have taken my readiness quiz. Most of them never booked a call with me. I built this so they could do the work on their own.
This is education. It explains how each decision works and gives you worksheets to apply it to your own life. It isn't advice on your accounts, taxes or legal setup, and I don't set up legal structures or file paperwork. Licensed professionals do that. By the end, your plan includes a list of what to confirm with them.
What's inside
The 14 decisions, in order.
Four phases, in the order they need to be made. The map always shows you the next one.
Phase 1
Foundation
- 1What kind of move is this?Free to read10 min
- 2Is everyone who's coming actually in?9 min
- 3Can your money support the life you have in mind?11 min
Phase 2
The structural decisions
- 4Which residency pathways fit your income?12 min
- 5Where will you live?11 min
- 6Rent or buy, and in what structure?12 min
- 7What happens with Medicare?12 min
- 8How will you cover healthcare in Costa Rica?13 min
- 9Medication, ongoing care and long-term care11 min
Phase 3
The money decisions
- 10Where does each month's income come from?13 min
- 11What do you owe the IRS from abroad?14 min
- 12What happens to your US accounts?12 min
- 13What happens if you get sick or die there?13 min
Phase 4
Commitment
- 14What is your sequence?16 min
A 30-day pace
A suggested pace: decisions 1 to 4 in week one, 5 to 8 in week two, 9 to 12 in week three, 13 and 14 in week four. Go faster or slower. It saves as you go, and if a week starts and you haven't reached its decisions yet, I'll email you a short note.
What you finish with
A written plan in 10 sections, saved to your account.
Every decision fills in a section. When you finish, it's all written down in one place.
- 01Household snapshot
- 02Why you are moving, and what kind of move it is
- 03Your residency pathway
- 04Your location shortlist
- 05Healthcare, Medicare and insurance
- 06Your income and cash-flow map
- 07US tax and reporting
- 08Your accounts and banking
- 09Estate, legal and family continuity
- 10Your move sequence and open questions
What a finished worksheet looks like
Here's section 1 of the plan, filled in.
This is an example. The answers belong to a fictional couple, and they aren't a recommendation. The questions are the real ones.
My Costa Rica Plan: section 1. Household snapshot
Example: a fictional couple
Who's moving
| Name | Age | Role (you, spouse, child, parent...) | Citizenship(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pat | 62 | You | US |
| Sam | 60 | Spouse | US |
Who stays behind, and what they need from you
Pat's mother lives in Ohio. She'd like a call every week and a visit each summer.
What you already have in Costa Rica
- Nothing yet
- We've visited
- Property
- A Costa Rican company (S.A. or SRL)
- A Costa Rican bank account
- A residency application or approval
Target move date
March 1, 2027
Where this section stands
- Decided. I can carry this out myself
- Decided, but a professional should confirm it
- I want help carrying this out
- Not decided yet
Yours saves to your account as you type. Every one of the ten sections works the same way, and you can leave one half-finished and come back to it.
And here's the whole plan at a glance.
The same fictional couple, all ten sections, a line or two each. It isn't a recommendation, and your plan depends on your own answers.
Section 1: Household snapshot
Pat and Sam, 62 and 60. Pat has retired; Sam works part-time until next spring. Pat's mother in Ohio gets a weekly call and a summer visit.
Section 2: Why you are moving, and what kind of move it is
A permanent move, and both of them are in. The main reason: a slower, healthier daily life on a budget that works.
Section 3: Your residency pathway
Looking at Rentista, because most of their income comes from investments. To confirm with an immigration attorney before filing.
Section 4: Your location shortlist
A shortlist of two Central Valley towns and one on the Pacific side. A scout trip is planned for February.
Section 5: Healthcare, Medicare and insurance
How they plan to handle Medicare, written down with their reasons. CAJA after residency, with a private plan quote to compare.
Section 6: Your income and cash-flow map
A monthly budget, when each of them starts Social Security, and how much comes from savings each year.
Section 7: US tax and reporting
They keep filing US returns. Questions for a cross-border CPA are listed for a spring meeting.
Section 8: Your accounts and banking
Which US accounts they keep, which bank they open in Costa Rica, and how money moves between the two.
Section 9: Estate, legal and family continuity
Wills and powers of attorney to update so they work while living abroad. Questions for an estate attorney are listed.
Section 10: Your move sequence and open questions
The next 90 days: the attorney, the CPA meeting and the scout trip. Sorted: six sections decided, three to confirm with a professional, one where they want help.
Everything you get
What's in the map.
- 01
The 14 decisions, in order
The same fourteen decisions I walk through when I plan this move, in four phases, with a suggested 30-day pace. Each one is broken into short steps, and the map always shows you the next one.
- 02
Your written plan
Ten sections that fill in as you decide, ending with your sequence: what happens in the first 90, 180 and 365 days, and what's decided, what to confirm with a professional, and what you want help with. Saved to your account as you type.
- 03
The professional questions list
For every decision, what to confirm with an immigration attorney, a US CPA or a financial advisor, on one page you can print. You walk into those meetings with your own questions.
- 04
Live Q&A with me
Monthly on Zoom, through April 2027. The next one is Thursday, October 29 at 12:00 pm Costa Rica time (2:00 pm Eastern). Send questions ahead or ask live, and every session is recorded for buyers. It's education on how things work, not advice on your own situation.
- 05
The worksheets
62 interactive worksheets: region scorecards, a cost-of-living planner, an insurance comparison, a residency one-pager, and estate and account checklists. They turn "I should figure that out" into an answer on the page.
- 06
The library
60 lessons for when a topic comes up for your household: moving as a couple, with kids, on your own or with a business, plus culture, health and money.
- 07
Updates as the rules change
You keep access to the course for as long as I offer it. I update lessons when I learn a rule has changed.
30
days to decide
The refund
Do the first four decisions. Then decide.
Read decision 1 free, before you pay anything. If you buy, do the first four decisions, then decide. If the map isn't worth it to you, email me within 30 days of purchase and I'll refund the full price. No questions, no forms, and you don't have to finish anything first.
The refund is about whether the map was worth it to you. It isn't tied to any result.
Who it's for
- You're moving to Costa Rica for good, and you want to plan it yourself.
- You've been reading about Costa Rica for months, maybe years. You're ready to turn it into decisions.
- You're retiring on savings and investments and want to lay out the money side before you commit.
- You're moving as a couple, on your own, with kids, or with a business to run.
- You'd like to work through it at your own pace before you talk to anyone.
Who it isn't for
- A plan for a vacation home or a part-year stay. The map is built for a permanent move.
- A substitute for an attorney or a CPA. They confirm the legal and tax pieces.
- Personal advice on your specific accounts, taxes or legal setup.
- A relocation service. I don't set up legal structures or file paperwork. Licensed professionals do that.
- A community or a coaching program. It's written, and you work through it on your own schedule.
If you'd rather have someone handle the money side with you, book a Zoom call.
When you finish
You'll know what's done and what you want help with.
Decision 14 is your sequence. In it, you sort every section of your plan into one of four lists:
- 1Decided, and I can do it.
- 2Decided, but I'll confirm it with a professional.
- 3I want help carrying it out.
- 4Not decided yet.
If most of your plan lands on the first two lists, you can take it from there. If that third list is long, we can talk about whether I'm the right person to help on the money side.
Working with me is a separate thing, with its own agreement. There's a link inside if you want to talk, and you don't need it to finish the map.
Questions
Is this financial advice?
No. It's education. Nothing in it is individualized investment, tax, legal or immigration advice, and buying it doesn't create an advisory relationship with Vitality Wealth Planning. The lessons explain how each decision works and the worksheets help you apply that to your own situation. Advice on your own accounts only happens inside a client relationship with VWP, and tax filings and legal documents stay with your CPA and attorney either way.
What if it isn't for me?
Email me within 30 days of purchase and I'll refund the full price. Reply to your welcome email, or write to brennan@planwithvitality.com. No questions, no forms.
Why is it $297 right now?
$297 until Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 pm Costa Rica time (1:59 am Eastern on Sunday), then $497. 30-day refund.
How long does it take?
There are 14 decisions, and each takes 9 to 16 minutes to read. That's about 3 hours in all, plus time on the worksheets. There's a suggested 30-day pace, four decisions or so a week, but you go at your own speed and can come back to any part.
Do I get access forever?
You keep access to the course for as long as I offer it, and I update lessons when I learn a rule has changed. The live Q&A runs monthly through April 2027. Access stays tied to the email you paid with.
What happens after I buy?
You get access right away. Checkout is on Stripe, and an account is created with the email you pay with. Later, you sign in with a code I email you. There's no password.
What happens on the live Q&A?
It's an hour on Zoom, monthly through April 2027. The next one is Thursday, October 29 at 12:00 pm Costa Rica time (2:00 pm Eastern). I answer the questions sent ahead first, then live ones. Every session is recorded and goes on your map, so you can watch later if you can't make it.
Can I ask about my own situation?
You can ask anything, and I'll explain how it generally works and what to confirm with a professional. I can't tell you what to do with your own accounts on a group call. That's advice, and it needs a separate agreement where I can see your numbers. The tax and legal calls belong with your CPA and attorney.
Do I have to keep to the 30 days?
No. It's a suggested pace. Your progress saves, and the map keeps your place.
What if I come to a live session and then want a refund?
The 30-day refund still applies. Coming to a session doesn't change it.
Can I do this with my spouse?
Yes. Decision 2, "Is everyone who's coming actually in?", is built for exactly that conversation. It's one purchase, and you use it together.
I already live in Costa Rica. Is this for me?
The map is built for people planning a permanent move. If you're already there, it's probably not the right fit. If you want to talk through your situation, you can book a call.
Is this just a way to get me on a call?
I get why you'd ask. I'm a CFP® professional and a wealth advisor, so some people may want help afterward. Plenty won't. The map is built to be finished on your own, and nothing in it is held back to push you onto a call. If you do hire me later, VWP is paid for that advice, so I have a reason to want you to. That's why the map is built to stand on its own. If you want help later, you'll know exactly what with.
Why not keep researching for free?
You can. Most of the facts are out there somewhere. What isn't out there is the order, and one place where your answers add up to a plan. That's what the $297 buys.
Start with decision 1. It's free to read.
If the way it's laid out helps you, the rest is there when you want it. $297 until Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 pm Costa Rica time (1:59 am Eastern on Sunday), then $497. 30-day refund.
Full refund within 30 days of purchase. Secure checkout by Stripe.
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