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THE CONSULATE

CONSULAR SECTION, EMBASSY OF COSTA RICA IN OTTAWA, CANADA

Costa Rican Citizens
Visas
Youth Mobility Between Costa Rica and Canada
Temporary and Permanent Residences
Payment Method

Costa Rican Citizens

Costa Rican identity card is the main identification document for Costa Ricans; therefore, this will be required for your applications of passport, permits for minors, certificate of delinquency, and any other procedure that you want to do as a Costa Rican citizen.

NEW IDENTITY CARD

You have to be present at the Consulate to apply for a new Identity Card, it has no cost and you have to make an appointment in advance.

To apply for a new identity card you have to submit on the day of your appointment the following documents:

  • Current Costa Rica identity card or Minor Identity Card (TIM) issued by the Civil Registry of Costa Rica, or Costa Rican birth certificate, with no more than one year of issuance.

  • Two recent photographs, size 4.0 cm wide x 4.5cm tall with white background.

  • In case that you are applying for your first identity card or your current identification card has already expired, you would need to come to the appointment with 2 witnesses that have a valid Costa Rican identification card, to confirm your identity. Only one witness will be required if the person is your mother or your father, grandparent or brother/sister.

  • In case that you don´t have any witnesses in Canada or if they can´t come with you the day of the appointment,  you can provide us with the information of: full name, identity card number, address in Costa Rica and telephone number of two Costa Rican witnesses, preferably relatives. The Civil Registry will contact them in Costa Rica for them to confirm your identity.

Once we receive your application, it will be sent to the Civil Registry of Costa Rica. Processing time may take up to 3 months.

NEW PASSPORT

Appointment required. To request an appointment please call 613-562-2855 or send an e-mail to embcr-ca@rree.go.cr

Requirements:
On the day of the appointment the following requisites must be provided:

1. Original of the valid Costa Rican Identity Card.

2. Original of the passport to be renewed.

3. If the application for new passport is due to theft, loss or destruction, you must submit the police complaint or the Declaration of theft, loss or retention” form.

4. Consular Registration form.

5. Receipt of deposit for 76 US$ to be made at any branch of the  TD Canada Trust, in the account N°02296-004-7304961, under the name of “Embassy of Costa Rica, Consular Services”. Cash payments are not accepted at the Consulate.

The passport will be ready in approximately two weeks from the day of request, and has to be claimed personally by the applicant at the Consulate.
The passport has a validity of ten years and cannot be revalidated.

PASSPORT FOR MINORS

Appointment required. To request an appointment please call 613-562-2855 or send an e-mail to embcr-ca@rree.go.cr

Requirements:

1. Both parents must attend the appointment with the minor.

2. In case that one of the parents is not in Canada, the parent who is not able to attend the appointment, must go to the Immigration Direction in Costa Rica, or to another Costa Rican Consulate, to authorize the issuance of the passport, prior to the appointment at Ottawa Consulate. In the event that the minor has an active permanent exit permit, the passport can be processed at the Consulate with the presence of only one parent, as long as the conditions of the active exit permit are not modified.

3. Both parents must present on the day of the appointment the valid and original Costa Rican ID, and in case of foreign parents, they must present a valid passport.

4. Birth certificate (with no more than one year of issuance) or the Minor Identity Card issued by the Civil Registry.

5. Original of the passport to be renewed, when applicable.

6. If the application for new passport is due to theft, loss or destruction, you must submit the police complaint or the “Declaration of theft, loss or retention” form.

7. Consular Registration Form.

8. Receipt of deposit for 76 US$ to be made at any branch of the TD Canada Trust, in the account N°02296-004-7304961, under the name of “Embassy of Costa Rica, Consular Services”. Cash payments are not accepted at the Consulate.

The passport will be ready in approximately two weeks from the day of request, and can be claimed personally by the parents of the applicant at the Consulate or sent via registered mail or courier paid by the applicant’s parents.

The digital passport has a validity of six years and cannot be revalidated.

TRAVEL PERMITS FOR MINORS TO EXIT COSTA RICA
Who requires this permit?

Any Costa Rican national under the age of 18 years old.

Any foreigner, with a temporary or permanent residence in Costa Rica, under the age of 18 years old.

The travel permit has to be filled out at the nearest Consulate in person and by appointment only. It has no cost.

Requirements at the Consulate if only one parent is present at the Consulate and the other parent is in Costa Rica:

1. If the parent signing the Temporary Exit Permit is a Costa Rican citizen, a valid Costa Rica identity card must be presented on the date of the appointment.

2. If the parent signing the Temporary Exit Permit is a foreigner, a valid passport is must be presented on the date of the appointment.

3. To fill out and sign the form that will be provided at the Consulate.

No Temporary Exit Permit will be processed without the parent’s proper and valid identification document.

Travel permits for minors issued by one or both parents at a Costa Rican Consular office abroad, are temporary permits with maximum validity of 30 days, starting from the day of issuance. That travel permit can be used for one or several exits, during the authorized period of time, provided it is specifically requested by the parents.

Permanent permits are issued only by a personal request of both parents at the General Direction of Immigration office, in Costa Rica. 

Once the parent completes and signs the official form, this information is sent to the General Direction of Immigration office in Costa Rica, where the parent who is in Costa Rica, or the authorized third person, as applicable, must go to finalize the process of issuance of the travel permit for the minor to exit Costa Rica. This person will receive a copy of the exit permit, which is additionally registered in a database.

Requirements to be completed at the Immigration Directorate of Costa Rica by the parent who is in Costa Rica

The following documents should be submitted, on the day of the appointment at Immigration Costa Rica:

  • Birth certificate of the minor, with no more than one year of issuance, or the Minor Identity Card, issued by the Civil Registry of Costa Rica.
  • In the case of foreign minors with residency in Costa Rica (temporary or permanent), a certified copy of the birth certificate duly authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. If the document was issued in other language than Spanish, it must be accompanied by an official translation.
  • Valid, identification document of the parent.
  • Passport of the minor
  • Two passport photos of the minor

When both parents live abroad, they must also present a copy of the identification card of an authorized third person in Costa Rica, who must go to the General Direction of Immigration office in Costa Rica, to finalize the process of issuance of the travel permit for the minor to exit Costa Rica.

The authorized third person present at the General Direction of Immigration office in Costa Rica must submit:

  • Passport of the minor.
  • Birth certificate of the minor, with no more than one year of issuance or the Minor Identity Card (for minors from 12-18 years), both issued by the Civil Registry of Costa Rica.
  • Two passport photos.
  • Original and copy of the valid Costa Rican Identity Card, Residence Identity Card or passport, as appropriate.

TEMPORARY TRAVEL DOCUMENT

The Direction of Immigration authorizes the issuance of temporary travel documents only in cases of extreme urgency/emergency.

The requirements to apply for a temporary travel document are:

  • Application for a temporary travel document form.
  • Original or photocopy of your valid identity card (in case of loss of the original) or Birth Certificate issued by the Civil Registry, with no more than one year of issuance.
  • 2 recent Passport photos (4.0 cm x 4.5cm).
  • Photocopy of the old passport personal information page or Declaration of theft, loss or retention” form.
  • Receipt of deposit for $US32
  • Deposits have to be done at any branch of the TD Canada Trust, in the account N°02296-004-7304961, under the name of “Embassy of Costa Rica, Consular Services”.
  • Travel itinerary
  • In case of medical emergency: medical report.
  • For exceptional cases: document to prove the need of the temporary travel document.
  • When the applicant is a minor, the legal representatives must present the Birth Certificate  (with less than one year of issuance) or the identity card for minors issued by the Civil Registry, the Application for a temporary travel document for minorsform signed by both parents, and photocopy of the valid identity document of both parents; the  “Authorization for temporary travel document for minors” form (as applicable) signed by both parents. If one of the parents is in Costa Rica, he/she must go to the General Direction of Immigration office, in Costa Rica, to complete the application and photocopy of the valid identity document of both parents.

REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN COSTA RICAN CITIZENS BORN ABROAD.

If you are a born Costa Rican citizen and your child(ren) were born in Canada, you can register them to have Costa Rican citizenship. The process varies according to the age of your children at the moment of registration.  If is under 18 years old, the declaration must be done by the Costa Rica(n) parent(s). If you wish to make the registration, review the following to options to do it:

  • The Costa Rican parent, who is planning to travel to Costa Rica, could do the process personally at the Civil Registry. In order to do that, the Birth Certificate has to be legalized by the Costa Rican Consulate, then it has to be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, and officially translated into Spanish (refer to section Legalization of Documents for full details for legalization process). Finally, the documents have to be submitted at the Civil Registry personally by the parents, in order to continue the process of inscription as Costa Rican citizen.
  • The second option is to request to start the process of inscription at the Consulate. In this case the parents have to be present at the Consulate to make a birth declaration, submitting the Canadian Birth Certificate, valid Identity Card of Costa Rican parents; or valid passport in case that one of the parents is foreigner. This process of inscription is free of charge.

If the interested person to be registered as Costa Rican citizen is between 18 and 24 years old, the declaration must be done by him/her. As in the previous case, the interested person have two options to request the registration, either to do it directly in Costa Rica (for which the Birth Certificate must be legalized, see legalization section), or request an appointment at the Consulate to make de birth declaration.

If the birth declaration is made by the interested person after 25 years old, the birth may be registered, but the Costa Rican citizenship is not granted.  For that, the interested person must request a naturalization procedure, at the Civil Registry in Costa Rica.

MARRIAGE REGISTRATION OF A COSTA RICAN CITIZEN MARRIED ABROAD

Costa Rica citizens who wish to register their marriage celebrated abroad, have two options:

  • The Costa Rican citizen, who is planning to travel to Costa Rica, could do the process personally at the Civil Registry. In order to do that, the Marriage Certificate has to be legalized by the Costa Rican Consulate, then it has to be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, and officially translated into Spanish (refer to section Legalization of Documents for full details for legalization process). Finally, the documents are submitted at the Civil Registry personally by the Costa Rican citizen, in order to begin the process of inscription of the marriage in Costa Rica.
  • The second option is to request the process of inscription at the Consulate. In this case you will have to be present at the Consulate to make a marriage declaration, submitting the Canadian Marriage Certificate, valid Costa Rican Identity Card and valid passport of the foreigner spouse.  This process of inscription is free of charge.

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF DELINQUENCY FROM COSTA RICA

If you live outside Costa Rica and need to get your Certificate of Delinquency, you need to make a specific request to the Consulate.

Requirements:

  • Photocopy of the valid Costa Rican identity card on both sides.
  • Original signed letter of request sent to the Consulate, in which the applicant must state:
    • Full name of the person requiring the certificate and their contact information (address, email and phone number)
    • Costa Rican identity card number or passport number (only in case of foreigners who lived in Costa Rica)
    • Place and date of birth.
    • Full name of both parents.
    • Full name, identity card number and telephone number of the person in Costa Rica who is authorized to pick up the certificate of delinquency.
    • If the person requiring the certificate is a foreigner, he/she should indicate the period of time he/she stayed in Costa Rica.

Once your letter of request with all the requirements is received, the Consulate transmits it to the Judicial Register of the Supreme Court, in San Jose. It is suggested to pick up the document 5 working days after you send your application, at the following address: San José, Barrio González Lahman, North side of the Supreme Court, Building Annex A, 1th floor. Tel. (506) 22-95-36-49 ó 22-95-36-82.


In order to legalize the document in Costa Rica, for it to be valid in Canada, it has to be authenticated by the following offices:

  • Supreme Court of Costa Rica, Avenue 6 y 8, between streets 19 y 21 San José
  • Authentication Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. Avenue 7-9, Street 11-13, San José, Costa Rica. Tel. Tel. 2223 7555. Ext. 136,188 o 220.  Fiscal fee: 625 colones.

CERTIFICATION AND TRANSLATION OF THE COSTA RICAN DRIVER’S LICENSE

To start with your procedure you should send to the Consulate the following documents:

  • Original and color copy of the Driver’s Licence issued by the Ministry of Transportation of Costa Rica.
  • Photocopy of the identity card on both sides.
  • Receipt of Deposit for US$40 (consular fee) to be done at any branch of the TD Canada Trust, in the account N°02296-004-7304961, under the name of “Embassy of Costa Rica, Consular Services”.
  • A prepaid envelope, with the receiver’s address. Once your driver’s license is certified and translated, it will be returned by post.
  • Letter of request with your contact information.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a passport to go to Costa Rica?

A valid passport is mandatory to enter Costa Rica. For Canadians it is accepted a passport with a minimum of one day of validity from the entry date to Costa Rica. For other nationalities, please refer to the Visa section on this website.

Can I enter Costa Rica with a one way ticket?

All visitors must have an entry and exit ticket, whether it is by air or by land, as the case may be, as a requirement to enter the country. For more information, visit the Visa section on this website for all entry requirements.

Are credit cards accepted in Costa Rica?

All major credit cards are widely accepted. You will find ATM machines distributed throughout the country.

What documents are required to enter with a pet to Costa Rica?

All pets traveling to Costa Rica must have an International Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats, issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency specifically for Costa Rica. Please refer to the BRINGING YOUR CAT OR DOG TO COSTA RICA section on this website

Do I need a visa to go to Costa Rica?

Depending on your country of origin you may enter Costa Rica without a visa. Canadians do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica. For more information, visit the Visa section on this website.

Do I need an international driver´s license to drive in Costa Rica?

You are allowed to drive with your normal driver’s license for three months.

What kind of inoculations do I have to take to Costa Rica?

Costa Rican authorities will demand that all travelers coming from the following countries have a yellow fever vaccination certificate:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of  Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. South and Central America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Paraguay, Surinam and French Guyana.