REGISTRATION OF A COSTA RICAN CHILD BORN ABROAD
Requirements
1. Request letter signed by the Costa Rican parent, including:
- Email address for notifications
- Contact phone number
2. Copy of the valid Costa Rican parent’s ID card (both sides)
3. Completed registration form (this is a draft version)
4. Birth certificate:
- If born in Germany: original, apostilled. It is recommended to request the international or multilingual version.
- If born in another country: equivalent certificate, also apostilled.
- If the certificate is not in Spanish, an official Spanish translation must be provided.
- The translation must also be apostilled.
5. Copy of the valid passport of the foreign parent (personal information page)
Procedure
Preliminary document submission:
All required documents must be sent to the following email for review:
CLOAKING
Consular appointment:
Once the documents are reviewed, an appointment will be scheduled for the Costa Rican parent to complete and sign the birth declaration.
The presence of both parents is not required.
Submission to the Civil Registry:
The Consulate will forward the application to the Civil Registry of Costa Rica.
The original birth certificate will remain in the custody of the Registry.
On the day of the appointment:
- Bring both the original and copies of all required documents.
- Both parents may attend; however, the presence of the Costa Rican parent is mandatory.
- The minor does not need to be present.
- The procedure is free of charge and must be done in person.
The Consulate sends applications monthly to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Once the application is received in Costa Rica, the processing times are:
- 22 business days if the child is under 10 years old
- 65 business days if the child is between 10 and 17 years old
Options to expedite the process
The applicant may opt for individual mailing of their application:
- By certified mail: include German postage stamps worth €7.20
- By courier service: cover the cost of shipping
Consular Fee
- The procedure is free of charge
Legal Basis
- Political Constitution of Costa Rica, Article 13
- Law No. 3504, Organic Law of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and Civil Registry, Article 48
