Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by a Costa Rican citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Costa Rican passport and ID
Costa Rican citizens can have an identity card and a Costa Rican passport.
Live in Costa Rica for life
Costa Rican citizens can enter and live in Costa Rica indefinitely, including after living abroad, without a residence permit.
Study in Costa Rica
Costa Rican citizens can study in Costa Rica without immigration permission.
Work in Costa Rica
Costa Rican citizens can work in Costa Rica without immigration permission and have the right to choose their work freely.
Get help abroad
If detained abroad, Costa Rican citizens can ask to contact a consulate.
In a hospital emergency, a consulate can contact relatives and help coordinate documents or a possible return.
Rent or buy property
Costa Rican citizens can rent or buy property and make contracts without immigration permission.
Vote and run for office
Costa Rican citizens can vote from age 18 and stand for public office, with some limits.
Abroad, they can vote at a polling centre if registered to vote there and holding a valid identity card.
Use public healthcare
Costa Rican citizens can use public clinics and hospitals under the same insurance and contribution rules as other people living in Costa Rica.
Access social support
Costa Rican citizens may qualify for social security support, including pensions and disability, maternity or unemployment-related support, depending on the programme and their contributions.
How to apply
Applying adult notarial adoptionApplying adult notarial adoption
Find a notary
Find a notary in Costa Rica to handle your adoption.
Find a notarySearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I find a notary for adoption and inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada in Costa Rica?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the notary and the Civil Registry.
See required documentsArrange your adoption
Ask the notary to handle your adoption and prepare a certified copy of the adoption records.
Find adoption helpSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does a notary handle an adult adoption for inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada in Costa Rica?”
Have the form filled
Your notary fills in the birth declaration form for your registration.
Find form helpSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does a notary fill in the birth declaration form for inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada in Costa Rica?”
Confirm your wishes
Personally confirm that you want to be registered as Costa Rican.
Find confirmation stepsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I personally confirm my wishes for inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada in Costa Rica?”
Find a registry office
Find a Civil Registry office where you can hand in your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Costa Rica Civil Registry office near your city accepts inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada?”
Hand in your application
Hand in the birth declaration, adoption records and required documents to the Civil Registry's registration section.
Find submission detailsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada to the Costa Rica Civil Registry?”
Wait for registration
Wait for the Civil Registry to register your birth. Respond if it asks for more information or documents.
Find registration detailsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada take at the Costa Rica Civil Registry?”
Get your certificate
Get your registration certificate from the Civil Registry. You can then apply for a Costa Rican passport.
Find certificate detailsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get my certificate after inscripción de nacimiento de persona adoptada in Costa Rica?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificate
Get your original, full birth certificate from the office that registered your birth. This list is for registering the birth of someone adopted by a Costa Rican, not the ordinary citizenship option.
Adoption documents *
For an adult adoption handled by a notary, submit a complete certified copy of the notarial file, including the opening request, identity document copies, the adoption and final deeds, health and police certificates, income and property certificates, and witness and document evidence. If a court outside Costa Rica approved your adoption, submit a complete certified copy of its decision and, where applicable, the certificate for the international adoption or agreement; foreign documents must be originals. For a minor adopted through a Costa Rican court, the court sends the final decision to the Civil Registry itself.
* Only if you are 18 to 25 or your adoption was approved by a court outside Costa Rica.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Limits on political rights
Naturalized citizens must wait 12 months after their naturalization certificate to vote.
Only citizens by birth can be president or vice-president.
Naturalized citizens need 10 years' residence for minister and some judicial jobs; a court can also suspend political rights by sentence or by declaring someone legally unable to act.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Expatriates in Costa Rica
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican local life
Join on FacebookCosta Rica Resources for Expats & Tourists
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican local life
Request to joinMoving to Costa Rica - Questions, Answers, Help and More!
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican local life
Request to joinConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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