Obtaining Costa Rican citizenship can be done through several routes: birth, descent, marriage, and naturalization. Here’s a breakdown of the main paths:
1. By Birth
- Anyone born in Costa Rica automatically acquires Costa Rican citizenship, regardless of the parents’ nationality.
2. By Descent
- If one or both parents are Costa Rican citizens, their child can obtain Costa Rican citizenship, even if born outside Costa Rica. This often requires some documentation to prove the connection to the Costa Rican parent(s).
3. By Marriage
- Foreigners married to Costa Rican citizens may apply for citizenship after two years of marriage and legal residency in Costa Rica. Documentation proving the marriage, residency, and the spouse’s Costa Rican citizenship will be required.
4. By Naturalization
- Foreign nationals can apply for naturalization after living in Costa Rica for a specified period:
- For Central Americans, Spaniards, and Latin Americans: three years of continuous residence.
- For all other nationalities: five years of continuous residence.
- Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency in Spanish, a basic understanding of Costa Rican history and values, and proof of financial stability.
Application Process and Requirements
- To apply for citizenship, you must provide the following:
- A clean criminal record.
- Proof of continuous legal residence.
- Evidence of stable income or financial solvency.
- A written and oral Spanish proficiency exam (for those applying through naturalization).
- A basic knowledge test of Costa Rican culture and history (also for naturalization applicants).
After meeting the requirements, the application is submitted to the Civil Registry (Registro Civil), and the process can take from several months to over a year, depending on circumstances.
Dual Citizenship
Costa Rica allows dual citizenship, so you may retain your original nationality while becoming a Costa Rican citizen.
For the latest and most specific requirements, it’s best to consult the Costa Rican Directorate of Migration or seek assistance from an immigration lawyer.
As part of the citizenship process, apostilles for important documents will likely be requested. This can be a daunting process if you’re not familiar with the do’s and don’ts of how to correctly submit paperwork to the correct government office. Many of our clients aren’t sure of what’s required and have had the frustrating experience of obtaining an apostille and finding out after providing it to the other country, that they didn’t get exactly what the other country needed. We know how to avoid this. We know the specific questions to ask to assure that the apostilles obtained are done in the way required. If you don’t ask the right questions, there’s a chance you will not obtain the correct documents. Florida Notary Public, LLC DBA Apostille FLA is well versed and experienced and can help. Please reach out when you need help to simplify the process. Mindy Strum is a Certified Apostille Agent with 10+ years as a notary public in the state of Florida. Florida Notary Public, LLC DBA Apostille FLA provides apostille services from each state and the USDOS.
