Step Four: Cedula Appointment

Once an applicant for Legal Residency has received an Official Resolution and complied with all requirements an appointment is granted for a cedula or national identification card. The objective of this step is to receive the cedula and stay current on requirements.

Costa Rican Resident Cedula

Upon presentation of the resolution and required documents in the last step the immigration department grants an appointment for a cedula. The appointment form indicates that date along with any additional requirements. Presently there is a fee of about $56, which must be paid each time a cedula is issued.

It is a good idea to either come early to the appointment and pay the fee at the immigration branch of the Banco de Costa Rica or the day before at any other branch. Paying the fee too far in advance can cause problems due to the variable exchange rate.

On the day of the appointment the residency applicant has their picture and fingerprints taken electronically. The process is relatively fast, however the wait can require several hours.

Cedula processing is handled in the subdivided section of area three at the immigration office. Upon arrival the applicant gives their appointment letter and deposit slip to the official at the door. Names are called over the speaker by the agents while applicants wait in a small area. It is important to listen carefully to the speaker system.

Once the process is completed the applicant gets a cedula receipt with a black and white proof of the photo at the top of the page. Receipt of the cedula requires at least another month, and either another trip to immigration or arrangements to send the cedula to a post office box in Costa Rica.  This can be arranged at the immigration post office, which is near the bank branch at the rear of the immigration complex.

Ongoing Requirements

The first cedula is valid for one year, and arrangements for renewal must be made one month prior to expiration. Renewals  are processed by the immigration office in La Uruca and select branches of the Banco de Costa Rica.

Those with temporary status under a retirement program are required to present receipts that demonstrate annual currency conversion in Costa Rica, and permanent residents are required to have entered the country once per year. All residents are required to remain current on their payments to the caja system.

After living in Costa Rica for three years residents are allowed to apply for permanent status. This step is especially important for those under the Rentista program as failure to do so would require another large deposit after five years