Costa Rica’s 2027 Car Marchamo: What Expats Need to Know

Every November, Costa Rica opens the collection of its annual vehicle circulation sticker, known locally as the marchamo. It combines vehicle property tax, mandatory injury insurance, and other charges into one bill collected by the National Insurance Institute, INS.

For 2027, there is a major change: a new electronic windshield sticker designed to last up to 10 years. The first stage covers vehicles with windshields; motorcycles have a separate pilot program.

You still have to pay every year, but you will no longer need a replacement sticker at each annual renewal.

Here is what to check before handing over money, especially if you are returning from abroad or buying a car for your retirement move.

Key deadlines and rules

• Payment deadline: Pay the 2027 bill by Dec. 31, 2026. The collection opened Nov. 2.
• Late payment: An unpaid bill can accumulate interest and penalties. From Jan. 1, driving without the 2027 Marchamo also exposes you to traffic enforcement.
• Finish the whole job: Confirm that payment went through, the physical sticker was received, and it was attached to the windshield. A bank charge alone does not mean the car is ready to drive.

1. The inspection can hold up your sticker

You can pay the bill and still have no sticker because the car has not passed inspection.

INS guidance allows payment while the technical inspection is pending or expired, but the sticker is released after an approved inspection. Paying the marchamo does not make an expired inspection valid.

Some banks impose a stricter condition. BCR and DAVIbank publish a current-inspection requirement for their payment services. If the car has failed inspection or needs repairs, ask INS how to pay and collect the sticker once it passes.

Buying a car? Before paying for the vehicle, verify its current inspection and marchamo status. Agree in writing who will pay the 2027 bill, which is not due until Dec. 31.

Do not budget only for the purchase price. If the seller says the car “just needs an easy inspection,” ask what work is required and obtain an independent assessment before relying on that promise.

2. Optional insurance is your choice

When collection opened, the INS website automatically selected an additional policy called Más Protección, priced at ₡11,900.

INS announced on Nov. 2 that it would remove automatic selection overnight. Following that announced correction, the policy should no longer be preselected.

Check the final bill anyway. You should pay for this additional policy only if you choose to buy it.

The mandatory motor insurance is called SOA, short for Seguro Obligatorio Automotor. Required insurance for private cars rises 5.4% for 2027. That increase applies to the insurance portion, not the entire marchamo.

If a property manager or friend pays on your behalf, give clear instructions about optional products. Ask for the itemized bill and receipt.

3. Question an unexpected vehicle tax value early

Vehicle property tax is a major part of the marchamo. Hacienda, the Ministry of Finance, calculates it using the car’s assessed tax value, called the valor fiscal.

If that value or the tax calculation appears wrong, request a review through Hacienda’s OVi office in TRIBU-CR. Help is also available at the tax office responsible for your registered tax address.

Keep the assessment, last year’s receipt and evidence supporting the correction you request.

Do not assume that filing a review extends the Dec. 31 payment deadline. Ask Hacienda or your tax adviser how to handle payment while the review is pending.

Checking early gives you time to ask questions before the holiday rush. Do not wait until the last day to discover a charge you need explained.

4. Arrange delivery or pickup before paying

Paying through a bank’s app or website does not put the physical sticker in your hands.

Home delivery: BCR offers delivery through Correos de Costa Rica as well as branch pickup. Confirm the charge, delivery area, expected arrival, and holiday cutoff with your provider. Delivery may be free under some offers; do not assume every provider charges the same amount.

Branch pickup: Confirm when the sticker will be available. A completed payment does not necessarily mean it is ready for collection that day.

Someone collecting for you: Ask the bank or INS what identification and authorization it requires before sending a property manager, mechanic, or friend.

Requirements vary. For example, DAVIbank’s published instructions allow another recipient to be named during payment. For third-party branch collection, they describe an authorization letter or authorized email with telephone confirmation.

If a Costa Rican company owns the car, ask whether a current corporate representation certificate, personería jurídica, is needed. Confirm whose authorization the provider will accept.

If you are abroad, assign responsibility for all three steps: payment, collection, and installation. Ask for confirmation when each is complete.

5. Install the new sticker carefully

The label contains a radio-frequency identification chip, commonly called RFID. It has no GPS and does not track where you drive.

You may install the 2027 sticker now. MOPT, the transport ministry, says you may remove the 2026 sticker or leave both during the transition.

1. Choose the spot first. INS recommends the upper center of the windshield, on the inside. Keep the label visible from outside and clear of dark tint or equipment that blocks it.
2. Clean and dry the glass. Follow the cleaning and installation instructions supplied with the label.
3. Stick it once. Do not fold it, peel it off, or try to reposition it. Removal damages the label and makes it unusable.
4. Arrange replacement through INS. If the label is damaged or you replace the windshield, contact INS about the replacement procedure and charge before attempting to move it.

A simple renewal checklist

1. Check the inspection. Verify that it is approved and current.
2. Review the bill. Visit the official INS marchamo website, input the plate number, and check for fines, taxes, and optional insurance.
3. Resolve questions early. Ask the responsible institution about any disputed charge and how to handle payment before the deadline.
4. Pay with time to spare. Allow for bank processing, collection, delivery, and holiday cutoffs.
5. Save the documents. Check your email address during payment. The circulation document is now delivered digitally; save it with the payment receipt. Drivers no longer need to carry the printed circulation document.
6. Attach the sticker. Make sure it is installed before driving in January, and keep it in place for future renewals.

For other requirements, see our driving guide for expats.

The new sticker should save work in future years. For this first renewal, check the bill, finish the inspection, and make sure the sticker actually reaches the car.