Eligibility quiz
Do you have a spouse or partner in Costa Rica whom you have lived with?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in Costa Rica
You can live in Costa Rica for more than 90 days and up to two years, with renewal for an equal period.
Your immigration identity card/Renovacion-DIMEX.aspx), called DIMEX, confirms your status and how long it is valid.
Study in Costa Rica
You can study in Costa Rica if the immigration authority gives you permission.
Work in Costa Rica
You can work in Costa Rica only in paid or money-making activities specifically authorized by the immigration authority.
Use public healthcare
If you have public insurance and your coverage is in good standing, you can use public medical services, including EBAIS, clinics and hospitals.
How to apply
Applying from inside Costa RicaApplying from inside Costa Rica
Find your office
Find the immigration office that serves the place where you live in Costa Rica.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Costa Rica immigration office serves your city for residencia por dependencia?”
Download the application form
Download the personal information form, called the formulario de filiación, for your residence application.
Find the formSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the Costa Rica residencia por dependencia formulario de filiación?”
Fill in the form
Fill in the form legibly in block letters and sign it.
See how to complete itSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Costa Rica residencia por dependencia formulario de filiación?”
Write your application letter
Write a letter with your full name, nationality, age, occupation, address and a way to contact you about the application. Sign it in front of the immigration officer or have a lawyer certify your signature.
See how to write itSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I write an application letter for Costa Rica residencia por dependencia?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the immigration office.
See required documentsPay the application fees
Pay the equivalent of US$50 in colones into Banco de Costa Rica account 242480-0 in your name. Also pay the charges of ¢125 and ¢2.50 per page in your name, and keep the receipts.
See how to paySearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Costa Rica residencia por dependencia application fee and document charges?”
Register with your consulate
Register with your consulate and get confirmation of your registration. Ask the consulate what it requires.
Find registration instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get consular registration for a Costa Rica residencia por dependencia application?”
Register your fingerprints
If you are over 12, register your fingerprints with the Ministry of Public Security and get confirmation of the registration.
Find fingerprint instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I register fingerprints for Costa Rica residencia por dependencia?”
Book an appointment
Call the immigration call centre on 1311 to book an appointment to hand in your application.
Find appointment instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book an appointment for Costa Rica residencia por dependencia?”
Go to your appointment
Bring your completed application, passport and original documents to your immigration office. Ask the office how it accepts your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where do I hand in a Costa Rica residencia por dependencia application in your city?”
Attend your interviews
You and your spouse or partner must each attend an individual interview with an immigration officer to confirm your information.
See interview instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do the Costa Rica residencia por dependencia interviews for spouses or partners work?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for immigration to decide and respond if it asks for more information. You can check your application using the office where you started it and your case number.
Check your applicationComplete your residence documentation
If your application is approved, follow the immigration office’s instructions to complete your residence documentation. You must separately obtain permission before you work or study.
Find documentation instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I complete my Costa Rica residencia por dependencia documentation after approval?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificate
Get your birth certificate from your country of origin.
Marriage or partnership records
Provide your marriage record, or a court decision recognising your partnership, certified by the court that issued it. If you married outside Costa Rica, register your marriage with Costa Rica’s Civil Registry first.
Proof of your relationship *
Provide documents showing that you and your spouse know each other. Include them with your application.
* Only if you are applying through your spouse.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Address and identity documents
Report address changes and give the authorities a valid address or electronic contact for notices.
Keep a valid identity document and carry and show your identity and immigration documents when authorities ask.
Insurance and renewal costs
Keep your public insurance coverage in place continuously; it is generally checked when you renew.
Renewal generally costs US$25, with some exemptions.
These include minors, refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless people, adults with disabilities, frontier workers and Indigenous frontier people.
Overstay penalties
Leave when your authorized stay ends unless an extension or change of status has been granted.
An irregular stay brings a US$100 fine per month or an entry ban lasting three times the length of the irregular stay.
Work and study limits
You must have immigration authority permission to study or do paid or money-making work, and follow the limits of that permission.
Residence can be lost
Your status ends if it expires without renewal, or if you lose the family or resident connection it depends on.
Failure to meet renewal conditions, departure or abandonment can also affect it under immigration rules.
Authorities can cancel it or remove you for false information, prohibited conduct or breaking the law.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Living in Costa Rica: Expat Community
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican visas
Join on FacebookExpats moving to Costa Rica
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican visas
Join on FacebookMove to Costa Rica – Everything You Need to Know
English Facebook group for people living in Costa Rica interested in Costa Rican visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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