Visa
Family visa in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's family route lets the spouse or recognised partner of a Costa Rican citizen get temporary residence, and first-degree relatives of citizens apply for permanent residence. Both partners must prove they know each other and live together, and permanent residence follows three consecutive years.
- Official names
- Residencia temporal: cónyuge de ciudadano costarricense (Law 8764 articles 73 and 79(1)); Residencia permanente: familiares de primer grado de costarricense (article 78(2)); Categoría especial por vínculo con ciudadano costarricense, residente permanente o residente temporal
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- The spouse of a Costa Rican citizen can get temporary residence if the marriage is registered with Costa Rica's Civil Registry and the couple proves mutual knowledge; an unmarried partner needs a judge's recognition of the de facto union (articles 73 and 73 bis).
- First-degree relatives of a Costa Rican citizen can ask for permanent residence directly: parents, minor children or adult children with a disability, and minor siblings or adult siblings with a disability.
- Other links run through special categories: children aged 18 to 25 and unmarried siblings aged 18 to 25 of a citizen; the spouse, parents and children up to 25 of a permanent resident; and dependent parents and children up to 25 of a temporary resident. Adults in these groups must be economically dependent.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Money tests
- DGME's list sets no income or savings figure for the spouse of a Costa Rican or for first-degree relatives; the economic test applies to the categories that ask for it, and we found none for these two.
- Where dependence is the test (adult children and siblings of citizens, children of permanent residents, parents and children of temporary residents), the holder shows it with an accountant's certificate, a pay slip or another accepted proof, and a sworn statement is accepted if none is available.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Documents
- Every applicant files the signed request, two passport photos, passport page copies, an apostilled birth certificate and a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or the country where they lived legally for three years. For a spouse, the file adds a copy of the Costa Rican spouse's identity card.
- A marriage celebrated abroad must be registered with the Costa Rican Civil Registry, and its certificate apostilled or legalised for dependants of other categories. For a de facto union, the judicial resolution recognising it is certified by the court. Relatives of a citizen add a Civil Registry certificate of the link issued within the last two months.
- Both spouses attend DGME for an individual interview that confirms the details, and book a separate interview with social work about living together; if one does not speak Spanish fluently they bring an interpreter. Immigration police may check what you say.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Timing
- You apply at DGME's service platform or a regional office, and spouses book the social-work interview through the 1311 call centre or DGME's website. People already in Costa Rica on a visitor stay can switch category in the country; the law lets non-residents do so for a fee.
- DGME's list gives no processing time for spouse or family applications, so it is unknown. A person admitted as a tourist who stays beyond the limit before applying may have to pay a charge and has 90 days to finish the application (article 91).
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Fees
- The application for temporary residence as the spouse of a Costa Rican costs US$50, and so does the application for permanent residence. A visitor switching to a residence category inside the country also pays a change-of-category fee of US$200.
- DGME's change-of-category list sets a fee of US$200 and a further fee of US$50, which is not charged for a move from temporary to permanent residence; the permanent residence application has its own fee of US$50, and the page does not say how the fees combine. The law also sets a fee of US$30 for the residence card and a fee of US$30 for the document that proves legal residence.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- The first spouse residence is conditional and temporary, for one year under the migration law, renewed each year by proving you still live with your spouse. Failing to prove it can bring an expulsion order.
- Temporary residents must show continuous CCSS enrolment to renew, and may do paid work only where DGME authorises it. Permanent residents may do any paid or intellectual work.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- After three consecutive years of proven cohabitation, the foreign spouse gains permanent residence (article 73). DGME's list also says a temporary resident married to a Costa Rican who proved cohabitation each year and renewed for three years can apply for it.
- First-degree relatives of a citizen skip the temporary stage and can apply for permanent residence directly, and a foreign person with a spouse and first-degree relatives who have all held temporary residence for three consecutive years can apply as a family.
Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). Checked 16 October 2026.
Tax
- Marrying a Costa Rican does not change the day test for income tax: you are treated as domiciled if you spend more than 183 days in the fiscal period, counting arrival and departure days.
- Costa Rica taxes income from work or business done on its territory whatever the person's nationality or residence. In its 2026 salary tax table, the credits are CRC 2,590 for a spouse and CRC 1,710 for each child.
- Residents are asked to join the CCSS, the national health and pension insurance; the 2026 employee contribution on salary is 10.83%.
Sources: Procuraduría General de la República, Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica. Checked 16 October 2026.
Your passport
If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport
What differs for each passport, from the same sources. A line that says there is no difference means the sources we read name none.
United States passport
- US citizens enter without a visa, and a US-issued birth or marriage certificate needs an apostille: the State Department apostilles federal documents, while states certify the documents they issue. DGME wants a criminal record certificate that covers the whole country by name, ID number and fingerprints.
- A US citizen who marries a Costa Rican remains subject to US citizenship-based tax: worldwide income goes on the US return, and the 2026 foreign earned income exclusion is up to $132,900. There is no US-Costa Rica income tax treaty or social security agreement on the lists we read.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, US Department of State, Internal Revenue Service, US Social Security Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Canada passport
- Canadians enter without a visa. Birth and marriage certificates are apostilled by the province that issued them if it is Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan, and by Global Affairs Canada for federal documents, at no fee; the RCMP's fingerprint-based check meets DGME's whole-country criminal record rule.
- Canada has a tax information exchange agreement with Costa Rica (in force 14 August 2012) but no tax treaty or social security agreement, and a Canadian's tax residence turns on residential ties, such as a home or a spouse in Canada.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, Global Affairs Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Department of Finance Canada, Government of Canada, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 16 October 2026.
Australia passport
- Australians enter without a visa (Smartraveller's archived page gives under 90 days; DGME's guidelines say up to 180). DFAT apostilles birth certificates and National Police Checks for A$105 per document, and the AFP certificate costs A$57 online or A$114 with fingerprints.
- Australia has a tax information exchange agreement with Costa Rica (in force 4 February 2013) but no tax treaty or social security agreement on the lists we read, and the ATO decides tax residency from your circumstances, including family ties.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), DFAT (Smartraveller), Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Treasury, Department of Social Services, Australian Taxation Office. Checked 11 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- New Zealanders enter without a visa. Costa Rica is an apostille country: the Department of Internal Affairs charges NZ$37 per birth or marriage certificate (15 working days, or NZ$120 extra for 5), and the Ministry of Justice criminal record check aims at 20 working days.
- New Zealand has no tax treaty or social security agreement with Costa Rica on the lists we read, and Inland Revenue's own tests decide whether you stay a New Zealand tax resident.
Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Ministry of Justice (New Zealand), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Costa Rica.
The country
More on Costa Rica.
Questions about Family visa in Costa Rica.
Can I get Costa Rican residence by marrying a Costa Rican citizen?
Yes, as temporary residence for the spouse of a citizen. The marriage must be registered with Costa Rica's Civil Registry and the couple must prove they know each other and live together. An unmarried partner needs a judge's recognition of the union.
How long before the foreign spouse of a Costa Rican gets permanent residence?
Three consecutive years of proven cohabitation. The first residence is conditional and temporary, renewed each year by proving you still live with your spouse; after the third year it gives access to permanent residence.
Which relatives of a Costa Rican citizen can apply for permanent residence directly?
Parents, minor children or adult children with a disability, and minor siblings or adult siblings with a disability. They show the link with a Civil Registry certificate issued within the last two months.
What interviews does Costa Rica require for a spouse residence application?
Both spouses attend DGME for an individual interview that confirms the details, and a separate social-work interview about living together. An interpreter is needed if one does not speak Spanish fluently, and immigration police may check the answers.
What are the government fees for Costa Rica's spouse residence?
Temporary residence as a citizen's spouse costs US$50 to apply, and the permanent residence application lists US$50. Switching from a visitor stay inside the country costs US$200. The law adds US$30 for the residence card and US$30 for the residence document.
Can the partner of a Costa Rican permanent resident get a family visa in Costa Rica?
Yes, through the special category for people linked to a permanent resident: a spouse or de facto partner recognised by a judge, parents, and children up to 25 (adult children must be economically dependent).
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, published in La Gaceta (Alcance 148, 17 November 2025); Internet Archive copy. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Preparing a document for an apostille certificate, US Department of State, Office of Authentications, Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 15 June 2026 (page updated 13 December 2024), opened on 16 October 2026.
- Regularización migratoria: general requirements and residence categories, Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Internet Archive copy. Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 20 June 2026, opened on 16 October 2026; DGME's live site was not compared.
- US citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- United States income tax treaties, A to Z, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
- US international Social Security agreements, US Social Security Administration. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Authentication of documents: frequently asked questions, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 10 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: the Apostille Convention took effect in Canada on 11 January 2024; no fee charged.
- Authentication of documents: requirements, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 10 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: which documents go to Global Affairs Canada and which to Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan.
- Criminal record checks: where to go, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Checked 10 October 2026. Certified (fingerprint-based) criminal record checks from inside and outside Canada; no date shown.
- Tax treaties in force, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Entry into force of the tax information exchange agreement between Canada and Costa Rica, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Social security agreements, Government of Canada. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Determining your residency status, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Costa Rica travel advice and advisories (Smartraveller, archived copy), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Notarial services and fees (fee schedule from 1 January 2026), Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 October 2026 (updated 30 September 2026): apostille A$105 per document; payment in Australia by card only.
- Documents we can legalise, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 June 2026 (updated 4 March 2026): includes birth certificates and National Police Checks; originals, or copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public.
- Apply for a National Police Certificate, Australian Federal Police (AFP). Checked 11 October 2026. No date shown. A$57 online (digital certificate); A$114 with fingerprints, which must be posted and take 15 to 30 business days.
- Income tax treaties in force, Australian Treasury. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Tax information exchange agreements, Australian Treasury. Checked 11 October 2026.
- International social security agreements, Australian Government, Department of Social Services (Internet Archive copy). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Australian resident for tax purposes, Australian Taxation Office (Internet Archive copy). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Use your NZ documents overseas: country list, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs. Checked 11 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026; Costa Rica is listed as 'Apostille'.
- Getting an apostille in New Zealand, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit. Checked 11 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026: NZ$37 per certificate, 15 working days, urgent service NZ$120 extra and 5 working days, form BDM460, a New Zealand notary public where notarisation is needed. It does not say whether police or criminal record certificates need an apostille.
- Criminal records: request your own Criminal Record Check, Ministry of Justice (New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026. No update date shown. Online request; the Ministry aims to respond within 20 working days and says about 90% are answered in under a week. The page gives no cost and does not mention apostilles.
- Tax treaties: double tax agreements and tax information exchange agreements, Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Social security agreements, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Tax residency status for individuals, Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764 (articles 73, 77 to 82, 85 to 89 and 251 to 256), Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (copy published by ICODER). Checked 16 October 2026. Copy with SINALEVI annotations opened on 16 October 2026; later amendments not checked beyond those the copy shows (the latest is Law 10493 of 5 June 2024).
- Income Tax Regulation (Decree 43198-H), article 10: who counts as domiciled, Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Income Tax Law (Law 7092), articles 1 and 15, Procuraduría General de la República, SINALEVI (official legislation database). Checked 15 October 2026.