Costa Rican Permanent Residency for Parents of Costa Rican Children

Welcome to another video of the Quatro Legal Immigration Series. Today, we will discuss permanent residency as a parent of a Costa Rican child.

This type of category is a permanent category. This means that you will be legally allowed to work in Costa Rica. With this process, you won’t have to wait for three years to change to permanent compared to the rest of the temporary residencies.

The main requirement for this category is a birth certificate, proving that you are listed within the birth certificate as father or mother. There is a very important detail to take into consideration. It is absolutely required that the child is actually born. It is not possible to start the process before the birth, even if you or your partner is due in a couple of weeks or days. Sadly, a lot can happen during a pregnancy and even during birth. If the infant is not born or is born dead, it won’t be possible for the process to go through. If later on in life a tragedy occurs and something happens with a Costa Rican child, the status can be revoked.

For this type of residency, all applicants will be principal applicants. There are no dependent applicants. Naturally, if you have other children, they can also apply because of their brother or sister, but they will be principal applicants on their respective applications.

If there is an applicant, not the father or the mother, of more than 25 years of age, they won’t be able to apply for the permanent residency. For these cases, they will have to pursue their own path for temporary residency or another type of category. Naturally, if there is an applicant with a disability declared, the age won’t matter and it will be possible to apply for the process.

Required Documents for Permanent Residency as a Parent

All applicants will need to provide the following documents:

1. A birth certificate duly apostilled or legalized.

2. An official translation to Spanish of the birth certificate with the apostille or legalization.

3. A criminal background report duly apostilled or legalized for applicants of more than 18 years of age and with less than six months date of issue.

4. The official translation to Spanish of the criminal background report with the apostille or the legalization.

5. Government fee payment.

6. Passport size pictures for all applicants.

7. A certified copy of the passport for all applicants.

8. A birth certificate issued by the public registry in Costa Rica to prove the bond with the minor.

If the mother or the father have committed serious crimes or have records on the criminal background check, the chances of getting rejected will be higher since that poses a security breach for our country and our customs. In this scenario, the immigration department will have full capacity to decide if they want to approve or reject the application.

After the approval notice comes and you complete the registration process and you hold your DIMEX card in hand, if the applicants spend more than four years out of Costa Rica, the immigration department can revoke the status. Permanent residency as a parent of a Costa Rican will be renewed every two years.

The main requirement for the renewal will be the birth certificate of the minor, or you can also provide the full name and ID number of the child and the immigration department will check online for the birth certificate.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the content, laws and regulations are subject to change. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please contact our office directly. Some images may be AI generated.