How can I authenticate legal documents?

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All documents that are in a different language than Spanish need to be translated into Spanish and must be properly legalized.

The original document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, and the Spanish translation must be made by a sworn translator, notarized by a notary public and legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon.

Once the legalization process is completed for both the translation and the original document, the documentation can be authenticated by the consulate.

 

If the documents come from a country that is a member of the Apostille Convention, the documents must be apostilled to be accepted in Costa Rica.

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How can I legalize documents if I am from a third country?

 

The legalization of a document through a third country is necessary when it is issued by authorities of a nation in which Costa Rica does not have diplomatic or consular representation.

The procedure is to be completed as follows:

1. The interested party must choose a country of his/her convenience (taking into account distances, costs and facilities for completing the procedure) as an intermediary nation or "third country", which must have diplomatic or consular representation in the nation that issues the document. Costa Rica must also have a diplomatic or consular office in that nation chosen as an intermediary or "third country".

2. Once this "third country" is located, the document that needs to be legalized is presented to the Ministry or Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of the government that issued it for its corresponding authentication; after which it is transferred to the embassy or consulate of the "third country" in the nation that issued the document.

3. The document is then presented to the Ministry or Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of the "third country" for the proper legalization of the signature of the consular official. Once this procedure has been carried out, it is taken to the Costa Rican mission in that country for authentication.

4. The document is submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica for final legalization, after which it has effect in the country.

 

Note: It is important to remember that the person concerned must choose the third country, according to their convenience for the procedure. It is also responsible for contacting the diplomatic or consular representation of the selected third country, in the nation where the document was issued, in order to confirm whether they perform such procedure (or if they provide such a service or if they proceed to legalize such documents). Because some nations do not accept legalizations via third country.

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How can I prove my economic solvency?

 

It is established as a mandatory requirement for the approval of visas the submission of documents for the applicant to prove economic solvency to sustain himself/herself for the duration of the stay or permanency. Some or any of the following documents must be provided to prove the economic solvency of the solicitant:

 

1. Prove possession of real and personal property. Provide current and valid certificates issued by the Real Estate Registry.

2. Financial Reports. Necessarily, the average balance of the last three months must be provided. The certificates must contain the current balance and account history (debits and credits).

3. Employees. Employees must provide current order and/or letter from employer with letterhead and company stamp, indicating gross and net salary, years of service and position.

4. Farmers. Provide evidence by means of invoices and sale contracts of agricultural products.

5. Merchants. Provide evidence of the existence of the business such as patents, tax receipts, operating permits and licenses. If you have employees provide the form issued by the Social Security Fund (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social) which contains the list of them.

6. Retirees. Provide evidence of pension such as receipts, and a certification issued by competent authority stating period of time and date of retirement.

7. Full-time students. Provide certification of academic records. Provide evidence of economic solvency of their parents or legal guardian in conformity with the points above-noted. In case of sponsored students, attach a certification of the institution providing the grant. This document must specify the amount, term, and expenses the scholarship includes.

8. Certifications of Authorized Public Accountants, in case of providing an income certificate of this kind, the worksheet from the public accountant as well as the original invoices and contracts that led to the certification should be submitted. This evidence must be provided along with the one mentioned in point 1. and/or point 2. This information will not be valued individually.

 

Cash or affidavits cannot be provided neither to the Consulates nor to the General Directorate as evidence of financial solvency.

The proofs of solvency provided will be evaluated as a whole. Therefore, the applicants must provide all they are able to.

Either the General Directorate, in case of visas of the third group, or the Commission for Restricted Visas, in case of applications for visas of the fourth group, should analyze and evaluate the proofs of economic solvency submitted, and could require, in some cases, additional documents if the submitted proofs are not considered enough.

The proofs of financial solvency, if in a language different than Spanish, must be translated. All documents provided must be duly legalized.

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Do I need to go personally to the consulate to apply for the visa??

 

Yes, once the required documents are obtained, the applicants must request an appointment and assist personally to the consulate in order to apply for the visa.

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What is the visa fee and how can I pay?

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The cost of the visa is 52$ and it can be paid either by making a deposit or money transfer directly through an account in Costa Rica or by making an international money transfer in USD. The payment information will be provided by the consulate.

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What do I need to know about the visa?

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The approval of the visa can take up to 3 months, and it is valid for a single entry; the person can stay in the country for a maximum of 30 days, extendable to 90 days.

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Useful Links

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Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto de Costa Rica: https://www.rree.go.cr/

Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería: https://migracion.go.cr/

Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones: https://www.tse.go.cr/

Información de viaje a Costa Rica: https://www.visitcostarica.com/es