How to import a Chinese electric car into Costa Rica (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-11-01 · General information, not legal advice. We do not clear customs in Costa Rica. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

Yes, a left-hand-drive electric car can enter Costa Rica, and pure-electric cars pay reduced tax under Law 9518 as reformed by Law 10209. The reduction is shrinking on a fixed timetable. An association-sourced report puts selective tax at about 7.5% and customs value tax at about 0.25%, up to June 2028. IVA rises one point a year. A bill filed in September 2026 would repeal the incentives, and it has not passed. Used electric cars get the incentives only up to five years old. Right-hand drive is banned.

Key facts

Other taxes may apply. We did not find an official total for one car.

The law says the stages run for 36 months each, and full tax applies after year 12. They were set from the 2022 reform, so they do not restart for your car. The date that counts for your car is a question for your customs agent.

The pending bill

La Nación reported on 23 September 2026 that the Finance Ministry filed file 25.797, which would repeal Articles 9 and 11 of Law 9518. Those articles hold the staged exonerations and the spare-part relief. It is a proposal, and we found no vote or later status. La República reported that the text must go through the whole process and can change. Because a car ordered now can take months to arrive, ask your agent about the bill before you sign.

Rules for the car

The law firm copies above are not the Gazette. We used them because the official portal did not return readable text.

Pure electric means what the law covers. We did not check how plug-in hybrids are treated, so do not assume these rates apply to them.

Charging

Costa Rica differs from most of the region here. The national utility's fast network offers CCS1, CHAdeMO and GB/T DC, according to Delfino in October 2025. China-market cars charge on GB/T DC. We did not find what AC standard applies to a China-market car at home or at other networks, so ask which plug your exact car has.

Models to ask about

China guide prices, not delivered prices. All are pure electric and left-hand drive in China-market form.

Send your country, model and version through the inquiry form. We tell you whether we can supply that car before any contract.

How an order works

1. Ask a Costa Rican customs agent which tax stage and rates apply on your arrival date, and what file 25.797 has done by then.
2. Register in EXONET if you will claim the exoneration.
3. Get a quote from the licensed Chinese export company named in the contract. For a used car, check the build date against the five-year limit.
4. Sign. Nothing is paid before it is signed, and payment goes only to the company account on the invoice.
5. Your agent clears the car and you pay the taxes assessed. Then complete technical inspection and registration.