Since 2022, more than 750 thousand Costa Ricans have used the document, which has been awarded internationally for its level of security

 Security measures encourage Costa Ricans to travel to 150 countries without applying for a visa

Today, more than 750 thousand Costa Ricans have a biometric passport valid for 10 years, a project implemented in March 2022. Its Costa Rican design, security measures and verification have added up to Ticos being able to enter more than 150 countries without a visa application, according to the latest passport index from Henley & Partners. During this year, it is expected that the increase in passport applications will continue, so the General Directorate reminds the user to carry out their procedure on time, either at Immigration offices or through the Bank of Costa Rica and VES-Correos de Costa Rica. During the month of January 2024, 36,760 passports were requested. The Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Mario Zamora Cordero, highlighted the benefits of the biometric passport for Costa Rican travelers on their trips abroad for tourism, visiting relatives, etc. studies or business. "With this document, Costa Rica is also at the forefront in terms of security and international cooperation, due to the traceability of biometric passport information. This also allows the agility of immigration procedures at air terminals, which results in a common benefit," said Minister Zamora. The passport has a chip with biometric data and personal information, holographic effects, micro text, security threads, embossed patterns, laser and other visible images, as well as security elements not visible to the human eye. These security measures are intended to prevent the falsification and alteration of information, being high-tech. Each personalized chip provides advantages in cases of loss or theft of the document, and allows the streamlining of border procedures when traveling due to its easy verification, through the ICAO Public Key Directory, which was established so that governments have access to public key information when it is necessary to validate and authenticate electronic passports (e-passports).  of which we have been members since September 2023. Likewise, the process of delivery of the document was strengthened, through the Migratory Document System, which not only captures the data of the person for the preparation of the document, but also determines that the delivery is made in a very personal and exclusive way to the person who holds it, by capturing the fingerprint for identity verification with the use of mobile devices. The advances in security that this biometric passport possesses have earned it the award for the "Best New Passport" by the High Security Printing (HSP) Latin America program, but above all so that Costa Ricans can travel more securely, with a document that has more than 60 características de seguridad. El pasaporte biométrico tiene un costo de $75 más 250 colones y una vigencia por 10 años. Encuentre requisitos y formas de sacar cita en el sig