Residency Requirements Costa Rica

There are certain residency conditions that must be met when applying for residency in Costa Rica. JAROS Costa Rica will be happy to assist you in getting your dossier together so that you can obtain your residency as soon as possible. Take (OUR FREE EVALUATION) right now, and we will be happy to assist you!

Eligible individuals may include their spouses and children under the age of 18 as dependents, as well as older children with disabilities. Dependent children between the ages of 18 and 25 may also be included if they are shown to be continuing their education.
In the case of a family group, each member must have his or her own file. Parents must sign applications on behalf of their minor children.

If you have difficulty submitting a certain document, such as a birth certificate or a criminal record certificate, you must submit an affidavit explaining why it is not possible to submit it.

Criminal Record Check:

All applicants over 12 years of age are required to meet the following requirements. This document cannot be more than 6 months old, unless otherwise specified on the document. It must be issued by the applicant's country of origin or by the country where he/she has resided legally in the last 3 years. In addition, it must have the corresponding apostille. In case the country of origin is not part of the Apostille Convention, the document must be presented at the Costa Rican consulate located in the country of origin. Finally, be sure to have the document authenticated at the Department of Foreign Affairs in San Jose, Costa Rica.

    If your home country’s criminal record contains incidents, Costa Rican Immigration reserves the right to reject your application due to your criminal history. That is entirely outside of the control of (JAROS)

    Residency Application:

    A letter detailing all documents will be drafted and the application form will be completed and legally authenticated by a Costa Rican attorney. You will grant us a specific power of attorney as your immigration representative to file the documentation on your behalf.

      The power of attorney is only to represent you during your immigration process does not have any valid legal any other proceedings.

      Full Birth Certificate:

      The birth certificate must be complete refers to the (LONG FORM), ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS ONLY and must be apostilled. If your country of origin is not part of the Apostille Convention, you must present it at the Costa Rican consulate in your country of origin. Then, be sure to authenticate it at the Department of Foreign Affairs in San Jose, Costa Rica."

      Consular Registration:

      The consular registration is waived if the country of origin does not have a consulate or embassy in Costa Rica. We can assist you in contacting your country's consulate in Costa Rica.

      Color photocopy of the passport.

      In this case, the information page with photo and the pages with entry stamp and visa. They must be notarized. All applicants, including minors, must comply with this requirement.

       

      Fingerprint Registration:

      Fingerprint Registration: Must be done personally by the applicant in San Jose, Costa Rica. We will guide you through the process of registering your fingerprints.

      Eight recent passport-sized photographs.

      Required for an applicant, spouse, and any dependents.

      Note:

      • All prices are subject to change without notice.
      • Taxes are not included in the price.

      All foreign documents must either be apostilled or authenticated.

      If your home country is not a party to the Apostille Convention, you need to submit your documents to the Costa Rican consulate in your country of origin.

      Then make sure to authenticate them at the Foreign Affairs department in San Jose, Costa Rica.

      All documents must be translated into Spanish here in Costa Rica by an Official Translator registered with the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs

      So now you have your Residency in Costa Rica! Remember, that after a certain period of time you will need to proceed with your Residency Renewal.

      Click here for more information about the Apostille Convention and check if your home country is a party to it — notable exceptions include Canada and China.