Step Two: Residency Application

Prior to presenting an application for Legal Residency it is necessary to obtain the Required Documents, which is normally a lengthy process. The objective of this step is to present an application to the immigration office and receive an Official Resolution.

Immigration Agency Office in the San Jose suburb of La Uruca

Avoid presenting anything to the immigration office until all the required paperwork has been collected, properly translated and authenticated. Applicants for residency are allowed to submit applications directly to the immigration office in La Urca, which is a suburb of San Jose.  It is no longer required to apply for residency through a Costa Rican embassy.

Residency Application Instructions

Each type of residency application has specific requirements, however all applications must include the followings items.

1. Cover Letter: The letter must be in Spanish and addressed to the direction of immigration. It must contain the complete name of the residency applicant, nationality, profession, complete names of an applicant’s parents, date and signature of the applicant. It should also contain a San Jose area fax number where the applicant can receive notifications. An attorney in Costa Rica should be able to prepare this letter for under $50.

2. Certified Copy of Passport: Immigration officials who accept applications can also certify a photocopy, however it is necessary to bring a photocopy of each page including the cover. Those with passports containing many pages may prefer to simply get a new passport. An attorney must certify the passport when the person presenting the application is not the residency applicant.

3. Receipt from Ministry of Public Security: This is a small receipt issued by the police in Costa Rica after an applicant presents for fingerprinting and Background Investigation.

4. Passport Sized Photographs: Three head shot photographs are required with the application.

5. Deposit Slip: The application fee is $50 plus a a few colones for each page in the immigration application. The amount is subject to change, and one approach is to carefully count the number of pages, bring cash to the immigration office and ask the official who controls access to the application area for the current formula. The deposit can be made at the local branch of the Banco de Costa Rica at the immigration complex.

6. Application Form: Passport sized photos should be paper cliped to the completed form. Notice there is a space to indicate present immigration status. Ideally an applicant should be current on the 90 day tourist visa and not be in the “illegal” category as of the date of the residency application.

Handling the Application

Dealing with Immigration is not for the faint of heart, and those who lack fluency in Spanish normally need to hire a professional to handle their application or at least bring a bilingual person for visits to immigration office.

Presenting a Residency Application does not require an appointment, however it is necessary to arrive before 12pm on a weekday and get get a number at “Area 3″, which is where applications are processed.

Reception at "Area 3"

An agent at the door of area three briefly checks documents before assigning a number. This official refuses entry to those who with incorrect documentation or obvious errors on their application, however will generally allow incomplete applications to proceed.

Residency applications typically require a delay of more than one year to process. In the interim expect to Play the Waiting Game.

Incomplete applications can cause substantial delays, increase expenses and often require multiple trips to the immigration office or perhaps years to resolve. A clear understanding of the application process is required, especially when preparing an application without professional help.