Obtaining citizenship in Costa Rica

Obtaining citizenship in Costa Rica is of interest to many foreigners who want to live in a country with amazing nature and many sunny beaches. There are several ways to become a resident of Costa Rica.

Obtaining citizenship by birth of a child

This is the fastest and easiest way to obtain a Costa Rican passport. By law, a child born in Costa Rica is automatically a citizen of Costa Rica. After you receive all the documents, birth certificate, etc., you can apply for your citizenship as the parents of a newborn. This procedure takes about a month.

After you have received all the documents, you can leave the country for two years. But if you do not return within two years to Costa Rica, then your documents will be canceled.

It should be noted that you will receive a passport, but you will not become a full-fledged citizen of Costa Rica only after 7 years.

Marriage

Obtaining citizenship in Costa Rica through marriage is a fairly common method. The foreigner who wants to obtain a residence must be married to a citizen or citizen of this country.

But there are some (internal) requirements: those who receive resident status must live in the state for at least one day a year.

In this case, the marriage must be registered (officially) in the Civil Register of this country. After that, the register is obliged to provide a copy of the marriage certificate (official), well, if required, so to speak, if necessary.

Type of residence: if the marriage lasts less than two years, then a temporary residence is issued. If the spouse has been married for more than two years, then the temporary resident will be assigned permanent status. After three years of staying in the country as a temporary resident, such a spouse has the opportunity to request another residence – permanent.

It is worth noting that a temporary resident can work (he is issued a work permit).

Rentier

Such a program is suitable for people who are guaranteed to receive income for the next five years from investments or from some other sources.

To receive, it is necessary that the income meets certain requirements: these requirements apply to any applicant, be it a married couple, a single person or a spouse with a child who are dependent.

Regardless of the social status of the dependent, the primary applicant must have a guaranteed, and monthly, income for a period of at least five years (that is, 60 months), whether it be income from investments or from other non-productive sources. Minimum USD 2,500 per month.

To prove this profit, you need to submit a document (usually a letter) from a financial organization, which must be certified by a notary. It must state that the applicant has a certain amount in his account, not less than $ 150 thousand, and also that the applicant agrees to transfer $ 2,500 to Costa Rica every month.

When exchanging foreign currency, there are also some requirements:

A person who has received resident status must exchange 2.5 thousand dollars (this amount is 30 thousand per year) for the local currency of the country, at the “column-dollar” rate for the exchange period.

In addition, there are internal requirements, they are as follows: a citizen who has received a resident status must necessarily reside in this state for a total of at least four months a year. It’s worth noting that the time lived does not have to be consistent.

A rentier is issued a temporary residence. After such a person has lived in the country for more than three years, he has the right to request a permanent residence.

Investor

A citizen who has invested at least $ 200,000 in Costa Rica (in the country’s economy). This contribution can be made both in real estate and in any business.

To submit an application, the applicant must submit documents that confirm the investment made for the specified amount or more. If you are investing in real estate, then that property must be registered for $ 200,000 or more.

There are internal requirements. A citizen who received a “resident” is required to reside in the state for at least 6 months a year. However, this time does not have to be consistent.

The investor receives a temporary residence. After three years of residence in the country, he has the right to request a permanent residence.

Pensioner

Such a program is intended for people who have retired and receive income from a pension fund.

There are also requirements for the income of pensioners. A citizen must have an income of more than $ 1,000 per month.

Retirement income may include state pension payments by provincial, federal and local governments of most states, 401K-type fees, private pension payments, etc.

A person who applies for a pension-type residence must receive a pension for life. By the way, some payments that are paid annually can be considered a pension.

Requirements for the exchange of foreign currency. A person who has received resident status must exchange 1 thousand dollars (this is the amount of 12 thousand per year) for the local currency of the country

There are internal requirements. А citizen who has received a “resident” is obliged to reside in the state for a total of at least 4 months a year. However, this time does not have to be consistent.

The investor receives a temporary residence. After three years, he has the right to apply for permanent residence..

Obtaining citizenship in Costa Rica requires the following documents:

• Certificate of good conduct. This document must be certified by a notary and not older than six months at the time of application;
• Birth certificate. This document must be certified by a notary and not older than six months at the time of application;
• Passport (valid);
• Eight passport photographs (must be fresh);
• If spouses submit a request, a copy of the marriage certificate is required. The copy must be certified and be no later than 180 days after the application is submitted;
• A document that confirms registration at the Consulate in order to apply for a residence. For some countries (USA, UK, and Canada), online registration is allowed, in addition to the usual one.
• Pensioners and Rentiers must additionally provide a letter confirming the receipt of income, while it must be certified.
• Investors must submit a document confirming that they have invested in this state at least 200 thousand dollars. In addition, all documents accompanying the contribution are needed.