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Understanding the Requirements for Residency in Costa Rica

Applying for residency in Costa Rica is a significant step that requires careful preparation. To streamline your application process, it is crucial to understand the types of supporting documents that you will need to present with your immigration application. These documents serve as proof of your identity, relationship status, and background, and must meet specific criteria for acceptance by Costa Rican Department of Immigration authorities.

Required Supporting Documents

The core documents necessary for your residency application include your birth certificate and marriage certificate, if applicable. These documents need to be original or certified copies, and they should be apostilled to ensure their validity in Costa Rica. Additionally, U.S. citizens are required to provide an FBI background check, while Canadian applicants must submit an RCMP check. It is also essential to include pension or income letter certifications to demonstrate your financial stability.

Document Processing and Apostille

To navigate the complexities of document preparation, consider utilizing professional immigration processing services. Our office has partnered with document processing companies in the United States and Canada and you can order those services directly on this page.

Order documents and Apostille here:

Canada RCMP and Apostille

Get an authenticated RCMP Criminal Record Check with an apostille for use outside Canada.
$350

USA FBI and Apostille

Get an FBI Criminal Record Check with apostille. This is for people who need US background checks for international purposes.
$250

Canadian Vital Statistics Apostille

Apostille Canadian vital records for the first certificate
$220

USA State Vital Statistics Apostille

Obtain a US vital records and have it Apostilled
$260

Document processing Center

For a full list of documents and apostille services available from our document processing partners in the United States and Canada click here: