Eligibility Quiz
Do you have a first-degree relative (parent, child, sibling, or spouse) who is a Costa Rican citizen or a legal resident of Costa Rica?
Documents Required
All documents issued outside of Costa Rica must be Apostilled (or legalized by a Costa Rican consulate if your country is not part of the Hague Convention). Documents not in Spanish must be accompanied by an official translation from a translator authorized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Identity and Background Documents
- Birth Certificate: An original, recent copy from your country of origin.
- Criminal Record Check: Issued by your country of origin or where you have lived for the last three years. This document is typically only valid for six months from the date of issuance for immigration purposes.
- Passport Copies: A certified copy of your entire passport, including every page (even blank ones).
- Consular Registration: Proof that you have registered with your home country’s embassy or consulate in Costa Rica.
- Fingerprints: Proof of fingerprinting performed by the Archivo Policial (Ministry of Public Security) in Costa Rica.
Proof of Relationship
- For Parents/Children: The birth certificate of the Costa Rican relative, clearly showing the familial link.
- For Spouses: A marriage certificate issued by the Costa Rican Registro Civil (Civil Registry). If you were married abroad, the marriage must be registered in Costa Rica before you can begin the residency application.
Costa Rica is on our roadmap
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Key Developments
Fines for overstaying a visa in Costa Rica have tripled to $300 per month, significantly increasing the financial risk for family reunification applicants waiting for their status to be legalized.
thecostaricanews.com ↗A new immigration resolution (Nº D. JUR-220-05-2024-JM-ABM) mandates that all residency applications must be submitted perfectly, as minor errors like illegible passport copies or missing apostilles now lead to outright rejection without the possibility of correction.
fragomen.com ↗The General Immigration Directorate (DGME) eliminated the use of physical entry and exit stamps in passports for residents, transitioning to a fully digital tracking system for monitoring legal stay and residency requirements.
fragomen.com ↗