Marriage to a Costa Rican citizen can support an application for temporary residency. It does not automatically grant residency or citizenship. Use DGME’s official regularization page, opening Residencia Temporal and the category for a marital relationship with a Costa Rican.
Marriage to a citizen or dependency on a foreign resident?
These are different routes. This guide concerns a Costa Rican spouse. If your spouse is a foreign resident or is applying under an economic category, use the dependent-residency guide and the principal applicant’s category rules.
Register the relationship correctly
DGME says a marriage to a Costa Rican celebrated abroad must be registered with Costa Rica’s Civil Registry. For a recognized de facto union, its category list calls for the corresponding certified judicial resolution. Do not assume simply living together provides the required recognition.
Check the registered names and relationship evidence before filing. Ask which current certificate the office requires for your situation, particularly if the relationship or a previous marriage was recorded abroad.
Document checklist
DGME requires the general application documents in addition to the marriage-category items. Prepare your signed request, passport evidence, photographs, civil and background records, and the correct authentication and Spanish translation where applicable. The general residency checklist explains those checks without imposing a blanket six-month rule on every document.
The marriage list specifically includes a copy of the Costa Rican spouse’s identity card, certified by a notary or compared with the original by the receiving official. It also requires evidence demonstrating the spouses’ knowledge of each other. Prepare truthful, relevant records and follow the office’s instructions.
The marriage interview
DGME says both spouses must attend the interview to confirm the information, and both must sign. Its page describes booking through 1311 or the immigration website. If either spouse does not speak Spanish fluently, an interpreter must accompany them to support the interview.
The authority may verify the information further when necessary. A marriage certificate alone does not remove the interview and verification requirements. Keep the appointment notice and ask what documents to bring.
Fees and planning
The category list specifies a US$50 application payment or its colón equivalent at the stated BCCR reference rate. This is not a complete price for the application, DIMEX or professional help. Check other applicable payments and the instructions for your filing situation before paying. Foreign documents and translations can create separate costs.
There is no guaranteed approval time in this guide. Keep your filing receipt and respond to DGME notices. Re-ordering every document automatically while a properly filed application is pending is not a substitute for following the authority’s actual request.
Approval, renewal and citizenship
After approval, follow the resolution and first DIMEX documentation instructions. At renewal, DGME’s spouse-category checklist includes showing continued marital cohabitation. Review the renewal guide before the card expires.
Permanent residence and naturalization are separate applications. Do not confuse the permanent-residency time route with TSE’s naturalization-by-marriage rules. See citizenship by marriage for that distinct procedure. Confirm any work permission against your approved category and resolution.
Contact CRIE for help reviewing your category and records.
DGME marriage and general requirements checked September 7, 2026. Images are illustrative.