Marriage to a Costa Rican does not automatically grant citizenship, and it is a different route from citizenship by descent. TSE’s naturalization-by-marriage checklist describes two years of marriage to a Costa Rican and presence in Costa Rica for the same period. The authority must assess the evidence and approve the application.
The Short Answer
Marrying a Costa Rican does not make you Costa Rican. It opens a naturalisation route, which is an application you have to make and the authority has to approve.
TSE’s checklist for naturalisation by marriage describes two years of marriage to a Costa Rican together with presence in Costa Rica over the same period, supported by documents it specifies. The marriage must be registered in Costa Rica.
The most common error is treating this as the same thing as spouse residency. Residency and nationality are different applications to different authorities, and holding a DIMEX does not establish citizenship eligibility. The detail is below.
Citizenship is separate from spouse residency
A DGME residency application and a TSE nationality application serve different purposes. Do not substitute a residency checklist for the marriage-naturalization requirements, or assume receiving a DIMEX establishes citizenship eligibility.
Confirm the qualifying period
Prepare your marriage date, registration record and travel history. The TSE regulation contains rules for calculating presence, including situations where a spouse naturalized after the marriage. Ask the authority to assess absences and unusual circumstances rather than applying a blanket rule that any trip resets the clock.
Documents and validity
The official checklist includes the initial application, identity documentation, birth certificate, criminal-record certification and notification details. It says the marriage must be registered in Costa Rica. Foreign documents require the specified authentication and translation.
Do not apply a universal six-month expiry. TSE’s checklist gives a three-month presentation window for the criminal record and addresses the stated validity of other foreign records, with a three-month rule when no validity is stated. Read the exact provision for each document before ordering it.
Build a document schedule
- Confirm which procedure applies to your circumstances.
- Check the issuing authority and authentication chain for each foreign record.
- Keep names and dates consistent with the civil records.
- Prepare evidence of presence requested by TSE.
- Keep copies, submission receipts and notification details together.
Budget and processing expectations
Distinguish the government procedure from document, translation and professional-service costs. Request an itemized estimate if you engage assistance. A provider’s estimated completion date is not a TSE decision or guarantee.
If you are also arranging permission to live in Costa Rica, read our fuller guide to residency and citizenship through marriage separately. Keep each application’s requirements and deadlines distinct.
Official sources reviewed September 7, 2026. Use the linked authority’s current requirements for your case. Images are illustrative examples, not official documents, offices or approvals.
Which Citizenship Route Applies to You
Costa Rican nationality is reached by several different routes, and people regularly start down the wrong one because the family story sounds like it fits. These are the separate paths, each with its own rules and its own authority:
- By descent — through a Costa Rican parent. The parent’s own nationality history and your age both matter.
- By birth — for people born in Costa Rica.
- By marriage — naturalisation through marriage to a Costa Rican, with its own qualifying period and evidence.
- By naturalisation after residency — the route most foreign residents eventually take, with requirements and timelines set out in full.
Two things worth knowing whichever route applies:
- Dual citizenship — whether you would have to give anything up.
- The citizenship test — where it applies and what it covers.
And the distinction that causes the most wasted effort: nationality and residency are handled by different authorities and are not the same application. If you need permission to live here while a nationality question is resolved, that is a separate matter — see permanent residency.