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Costa Rica · Family

Temporary Residence as Spouse or Judicially Recognised Partner of a Costa Rican

17 facts quoted from the official source

Temporary residence for a foreign spouse or judicially recognised de facto partner of a Costa Rican citizen.

Route type
Family
Can bring
de facto partner
from the official record
Requirements
8
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.

8 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 from the country of origin or legal residence during the last three years is required.
  • Consular RegistrationProof of consular registration is required.
  • Lawful Status When FilingThe applicant must use the filing route and maintain the immigration position required by the regulation.
  • Passport PagesAll pages of the valid passport must be supplied as a certified or authority-compared copy.
  • Relationship InterviewThe couple may be required to attend the relationship-verification interview.
  • Written RequestThe residence procedure requires a signed written request stating the applicant's details, claim, address and notification channel.
  • Fingerprints Over AgeApplicants older than twelve must provide the Public Security fingerprint record.
Also stated by the source
  • Eligibility summaryThe regulation grants this category for one year under free condition and requires a current qualifying relationship.
  • Fiscal StampsThe regulation requires the applicable fiscal-stamp payment.
  • Free ConditionThe regulation grants the category under free condition.
  • Official source basisThe regulation grants this category for one year under free condition and requires a current qualifying relationship.
  • PhotographTwo recent passport-size photographs are required.
  • Report summaryThe regulation grants this category for one year under free condition and requires a current qualifying relationship.
Family

Who you can bring

de facto partner
Costs & timelines

What the source prices

Fees
1 proven from the official source.
  • Costa Rican PartnerThe spouse or judicially recognised partner must be Costa Rican.checked 2026-07-26
Validity
2 proven from the official source.
  • Initial Validity YearsThe initial temporary residence is granted for one year.
  • Valid Marriage Or Judicial UnionA valid marriage or de facto union recognised by a court must be proved.
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: Temporary residence for a foreign spouse or judicially recognised de facto partner of a Costa Rican citizen.
02Can I bring my family?
The official record lists: de facto partner.

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

We checked 17 points against the official source; 17 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

Processing time is 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 Researchers, Teachers, Professionals or VolunteersSpecial Category for Dependants of a StudentSpecial Category through a Costa Rican Citizen LinkSpecial Category through a Guardian or CuratorSpecial Category through a Permanent Resident Link
Same category, elsewhere

Family routes in other countries

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

Panama5 family routes Honduras3 family routes Nicaragua3 family routes El Salvador2 family routes Guatemala2 family routes Belize1 family route

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