Documents Required and the Application process - Prior to your arrival in Costa Rica, you must authenticate these documents at a Costa Rican Consulate:

- Birth certificate
- Police record
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Academic degrees or equivalent
- Certified copy of your passport including all pages
- Birth certificate for each dependent (if applicable)
- Letter from your prospective employer stating the terms and conditions of your contract, the salary you will earn, and your job description.

Other documents you must submit to immigration:

- Application Form - includes, but is not limited to: Full name, citizenship, marital status, occupation, passport information, number of dependents - who must provide the same kind of information, oath stating your desire to obtain Costa Rican residency, income source and the monthly amount, provisional or permanent address of your country of origin and/or Costa Rica, official mailing address for notifications. Note: This application must be duly authenticated by a notary public.
- Legal Representative - You will be required to hire a lawyer who will be your representative in Costa Rica and who will state the reasons why you want to live in Costa Rica and who will provide a mailing address in San Jose, Costa Rica where notifications may be sent.
- Foreign Documents - The documents listed above authenticated by the Costa Rican Consulate.
- Costa Rican Documents:
- Four recent passport sized photos.
- Five sheets of official legal sized paper (papel oficio).
- Police record issued by the Judicial Criminal Registry of Costa Rica.
- Certification of entries and departures from Immigration (mecanizado).
- Photocopy of Costa Rican ID, if married to a Costa Rican citizen.
- Payment of the legal fees and stamps required by law.
- Medical exams required by Health Department (HIV test, venereal diseases, tuberculosis, among others).

Additional documents required to obtain temporary resident status.

- Application form of the Department of Foreigners, authenticated by an attorney and presented to the General Direction of the Immigration Department.
- Fingerprints.
- Guarantee deposit.
- Persons working for companies mentioned above must present a document from the company designating them in their pertinent position. Note: Domestic servants must include a letter of guarantee from the employer, authenticated by a notary lawyer.

--

Information courtesy of American-European Real Estate Costa Rica. Visit their website to find prices and photos for 400+ properties in the most popular areas of Costa Rica.

Got something to add to this section? Spotted something which should be changed? Please let us know!

Click here to return to the contents page for "Costa Rica - an expatriate guide."