For most foreign families, Costa Rica residency means proving a monthly income, making an investment or holding a job offer. There’s another route that many people don’t know about: having your baby in Costa Rica.
Under Article 13 of the Costa Rican Constitution, a child born in Costa Rica to foreign parents is Costa Rican by birth once registered as such. Article 78 of the General Law of Migration and Foreign Nationals lets foreign nationals with a first-degree blood relationship to a Costa Rican citizen apply for permanent residency.
In practice, this means:
- The baby’s parents can apply for permanent residency based on their tie to a Costa Rican citizen.
- The baby’s minor siblings can apply as well.
- There’s no minimum income or investment requirement, unlike the retiree (pensionado), passive-income (rentista) or investor categories.
Where to give birth? Our recommendation: Hospital CIMA
For international families we recommend Hospital CIMA in Escazú. It’s one of the country’s leading private hospitals, with extensive experience treating foreign patients, bilingual staff and high-quality obstetric and neonatal care. For a family arriving from abroad, that medical peace of mind matters as much as the immigration outcome.
The process, step by step
1. Family assessment (before you travel)
It all starts with a clear picture of your family: previous marriages or divorces, children from earlier relationships, name changes, custody and parental authority. These details decide which documents you’ll need, and they’re far easier to sort out from your home country.
2. Documents from your home country
Starting 2 to 4 months ahead, each applicant should gather:
- A valid passport.
- A birth certificate, ideally the full or long-form version, apostilled.
- A criminal background check for each adult, issued within the last 6 months and apostilled.
- A marriage certificate and any divorce decrees, all apostilled.
- For children from a previous relationship: a special power of attorney and consent from the other parent covering residency, stay in Costa Rica and international travel, notarized and apostilled.
3. Arrival in Costa Rica
We keep a record of each person’s entry stamp and handle consular registration with your embassy or consulate, which can only be done after you’ve entered the country. We also book fingerprint appointments early, because availability is often a bottleneck.
4. Birth and registration of the baby
After the birth we follow up right away on registration with the Civil Registry. The goal is to get the baby’s Costa Rican ID number and birth certificate as soon as possible. Next come the baby’s Costa Rican passport and the minor exit permit, which every Costa Rican minor needs to leave the country.
5. Residency applications
Once the baby is registered, we file the parents’ applications, then the minor siblings’, each as a separate file. Official translations are done in stages, only as each document is needed, so you don’t pay for them up front.
6. Approval, CCSS and DIMEX
Once residency is approved, the resolution usually sets a deadline (for example, 90 days from notification) to complete the process. That means paying the guarantee deposit and government fees, enrolling in the Costa Rican social security system (CCSS) and getting your DIMEX, the residency ID card.
What experience has taught us
- Immigration can move faster than expected. An early approval starts short deadlines, sometimes after the family has already left Costa Rica, so we plan the post-approval stage before approval arrives.
- Get parental consents signed before you leave home. Fixing them from Costa Rica is much slower and more expensive.
- Any name or surname mismatch between documents is explained up front, with an identity consistency file.
- If you’ll use the baby’s birth certificate abroad, plan for what that country requires. Some European countries ask for details the Costa Rican digital certificate doesn’t show, such as the child’s sex. In that case we request special physical certificates and apostille them close to your travel date.
Frequently asked questions
Will my child automatically be Costa Rican?
Your child can be Costa Rican by birth but must be registered with the Civil Registry, which we handle right after delivery.
What about my baby’s other nationality?
That depends on your home country’s law. Many countries recognize dual citizenship, and for that you’ll need the apostilled Costa Rican birth certificate.
Can I work in Costa Rica with this residency?
Permanent residency allows you to work without category restrictions. We confirm the specific conditions in each resolution.
Do I have to stay in Costa Rica for the entire process?
Not necessarily, but some steps require you to be here in person, such as fingerprints, the passport appointment and the DIMEX appointment. That’s why we build a calendar from day one.
How long does it take?
It depends on the case and on Immigration’s workload. We’ve seen approvals come through much faster than clients expected, so it pays to be prepared.
How MAGMA Legal supports you
We handle the whole process, from preparing documents before you travel to getting your DIMEX. We work in clear stages, with a dedicated WhatsApp group, a digital file organized for each family member and a deadline tracker so no critical date slips.
Expecting a baby and considering Costa Rica? [Book a consultation with MAGMA Legal →]
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration requirements, deadlines and fees may change; each case must be assessed on its own facts.