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Costa Rica · Family

Costa Rica Special Category for Dependants of Researchers, Teachers, Professionals or Volunteers

16 facts quoted from the official source

Spouse and qualifying dependent children of a researcher, teacher, professional or volunteer in the recognised special category.

Route type
Family
Can bring
dependants
from the official record
Requirements
10
each quoted below
Who qualifies

Who this route is for

Every item below is the government’s own wording, quoted from the official source. Whether you personally qualify depends on your full profile.

10 requirements quoted from the official source.

The conditions that decide it
  • Birth CertificateA legalised or apostilled foreign birth certificate is required.
  • Character and securityA legalised or apostilled criminal-record certificate covering the relevant country of origin or last three years of legal residence is required.
  • Completed Affiliation FormA completed and signed affiliation form is required.
  • Consular RegistrationProof of consular registration is required.
  • Economic DependencyDependency must be established where required.
  • Passport PagesAll pages of the valid passport must be supplied as a certified or authority-compared copy.
  • Qualifying PrincipalThe principal must hold one of the listed special categories.
  • Qualifying RelationThe regulation lists the qualifying dependent relationships.
  • Registered InstitutionThe principal's institution must be registered with the migration authority.
  • Fingerprints Over AgeApplicants older than twelve must provide the Public Security fingerprint record.
Also stated by the source
  • Eligibility summaryArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category for Dependants of Researchers, Teachers, Professionals or Volunteers.
  • Fiscal StampsThe regulation requires the applicable fiscal-stamp payment.
  • Official source basisArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category for Dependants of Researchers, Teachers, Professionals or Volunteers.
  • PhotographTwo recent passport-size photographs are required.
  • Report summaryArticle 137 of the Regulation of Foreigners establishes Special Category for Dependants of Researchers, Teachers, Professionals or Volunteers.
Family

Who you can bring

dependants
Costs & timelines

What the source prices

Validity
1 proven from the official source.
  • Written Legal Stay RequestA signed legal-stay request must identify the applicant, claim, address and notification channel.
How it works

From here to a yes

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Apply with the official sourceThe application itself always happens with the government — the enacting authority linked below. The report points you straight at it.
FAQ

Straight answers

01Who qualifies for this route to Costa Rica?
The official source states: Spouse and qualifying dependent children of a researcher, teacher, professional or volunteer in the recognised special category.
02Can I bring my family?
The official record lists: dependants.

Every answer is quoted from the official pgrweb.go.cr page for this route, last read 2026-07-26.

We checked 16 points against the official source; 16 are quoted on this page. The other 0 are either not addressed by the source or not yet backed by a quote — we would rather show you the edge of the record than fill it with a plausible guess.

See the 0 open points

Fees and processing time are not published in the official source for this route. We publish a number only when the official text states that number.

Not stated in the official source — the official source names no exclusion for this route.

The source

Where every quote comes from

Official government source pgrweb.go.crLast read 2026-07-26 Every quote on this page is from this Costa Rica government page.
Compiled from official sources · pending independent re-check · Last checked 2026-07-26 · Our methodology
 · Compiled by António Mira · How we verify · Not legal advice — rules change; confirm with the official source before deciding.
Same category, same country

Other family routes to Costa Rica

8 other family routes to Costa Rica.

Permanent Residence through First-Degree Costa Rican Family LinkSpecial Category for Dependants of a StudentSpecial Category through a Costa Rican Citizen LinkSpecial Category through a Guardian or CuratorSpecial Category through a Permanent Resident LinkSpecial Category through a Temporary Resident Link
Same category, elsewhere

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201 other countries publish at least one family route. Nearest first.

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