Giving birth in Costa Rica and citizenship by birth

Does Costa Rica have birthright citizenship?

Yes: Costa Rica grants citizenship to every child born on its soil, with one legal catch that birth-tourism ads skip. Citizenship comes through registration, not by itself. The parents' status, visa and length of stay play no role.

Article 13(3) of the Constitution makes a child of foreign parents born in Costa Rica a Costa Rican by birth if the child is registered as Costa Rican at the wish of either parent while a minor, or at the child's own wish until the age of 25. In practice, parents do this when they register the birth with the Registro Civil, the country's civil registry. It is run by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which in Costa Rica handles both elections and births, marriages and deaths.

If for some reason the child was not recorded as a citizen when the birth was registered, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has a separate procedure called opción de nacionalidad, an option for nationality. It is free, but the official processing period is up to 285 working days, well over a year. It is far simpler to get it right straight after the birth.

This citizenship cannot be taken away. Article 16 of the Constitution states that Costa Rican nationality cannot be lost or renounced. The parents gain no citizenship from the birth: their route is permanent residence through the child, followed by at least 7 years of official residence.

Who giving birth in Costa Rica suits, and who it does not

Costa Rica works well as a place to live and poorly as a fast passport for the whole family. The child becomes a citizen straight away, while the parents face at least 7 years before their own passport. That is 3.5 times longer than in Mexico and more than twice as long as in Uruguay.

It suits families ready to move for the long haul. Parents get permanent residence through the child with no prior period of living in the country, and that status lets them work for an employer or for themselves. It suits remote professionals and entrepreneurs with income from abroad, because Costa Rica taxes on a territorial basis. And it suits anyone who wants a second passport for a child without an investment programme and without giving up their first citizenship.

It does not suit those who plan to fly in, give birth and leave with passports for the parents: a child's birth does not shorten the naturalization period. Nor those who are not ready to live in the country and pay contributions to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, which runs public healthcare and pensions, for all those years. Nor those who will not learn Spanish: there is no citizenship without the language and history exams. And it is harder for citizens of Belarus and Kazakhstan, who need a visa rather than a stamp at the border.

Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Brazil or Uruguay: where do parents get a passport fastest?

In all five countries the child becomes a citizen by place of birth. The difference is how long the parents wait, and here Costa Rica sits near the bottom: 7 years of official residence against 2 years in Mexico and from 1 year in Brazil. Only Panama is slower, since parents there must first wait for the child to turn five.

If the goal is a passport for the parents, Costa Rica loses to Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay. Its strengths lie elsewhere. The child's status is protected by the Constitution rather than by decrees, neither the child nor the parents have to give up their previous citizenship, and the political system is one of the most stable in the region. A wider comparison is in our review of giving birth abroad for citizenship.

How much does it cost to give birth in Costa Rica?

A private hospital birth package in the capital starts at 905,000 colones, about 2,000 US dollars. That is the hospital's share, not the full bill: doctors' fees are not included. The colón (₡) is Costa Rica's currency, and in 2026 one dollar buys about 450 colones.

A benchmark for 2026 comes from one of the large private hospitals in the San José suburbs. A natural birth with an epidural costs 905,000 colones, a caesarean 1,050,000 colones (about 2,300 dollars) and a caesarean for twins 1,460,000 colones (about 3,200 dollars). Prices include VAT. The package covers 24 hours in a private room, the delivery room, supplies, medication, newborn care, vaccines and screening. It excludes the fees of the obstetrician and other specialists, and any costs from complications or the unexpected.

The public social security system runs the country's hospitals and does care for pregnant women, but it bills uninsured patients for treatment. The Defensoría de los Habitantes, the state ombudsman, has publicly criticised this practice. So it makes sense to budget from a private clinic and ask two or three hospitals and your doctor for a quote in advance.

Example calculation. A couple enters as tourists, has the baby and applies for permanent residence, attaching sworn statements on caring for the child so as not to pay for the change of category. Government fees for two: 2 × 50 + 2 × 128 = 356 dollars, about 161,000 colones. Without those statements, add another 2 × 200 = 400 dollars. That excludes social security insurance, translations, apostilles and support. Add the natural birth package and the family's minimum budget starts at roughly 2,350 dollars plus doctors' fees.

Do you need a visa to give birth in Costa Rica?

Russians do not need a visa: under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2018 and in force since 25 May 2019, they can stay in Costa Rica for up to 90 days. Ukrainians have it easier still, with up to 180 days visa-free.

Entry rules are set by the Directrices Generales de Visas, the general visa guidelines of the General Directorate of Migration. The current version was published on 17 November 2025 in supplement 148 to La Gaceta, the official gazette. It sorts countries into four groups, and for families from the former Soviet Union the picture looks like this.

The border officer sets the exact number of days and is not obliged to grant the maximum. Count from your entry date: the birth, the child's registration and the residence application all have to fit inside. A residence application is accepted only while your permitted stay is still valid, otherwise the process starts with a violation.

The legal line. At the border, state the purpose of your trip honestly, give your real address and present only genuine documents. Giving birth in Costa Rica is a lawful purpose, and there is no reason to hide it. A false address, sham residence or forged papers lead to refused entry, cancelled status and criminal cases, not to time saved.

How to get the baby's documents after the birth: step by step

The paperwork for the child in Costa Rica is free and quick if you do it in the right order. The step people forget: without an exit permit, a Costa Rican child cannot leave the country, even with both parents.

An apostille is a stamp that certifies a document for use in other countries. Costa Rica, Russia and Ukraine are all parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so no consular legalisation is needed.

Dual citizenship for the child. Russia allows dual citizenship but requires notification. Under Article 11 of Federal Law 138-FZ on citizenship, the notice goes to the Interior Ministry within 60 days, and for a minor the parents file it. Different rules and deadlines apply to families who live permanently abroad, so check them before you travel. Ukrainian citizens should ask their consulate in advance how to register Ukrainian citizenship for the child.

How do parents get permanent residence and Costa Rican citizenship?

Parents of a Costa Rican child get permanent residence with no prior period of living in the country: Article 78 of Law 8764 (Ley General de Migración y Extranjería, the general migration law) lists them directly among permanent residents. Citizenship comes no earlier than after 7 years of official residence.

Permanent residence through the child

The right to residencia permanente por vínculo con costarricense, permanent residence through kinship with a Costa Rican, belongs to a citizen's parents, minor children and minor brothers and sisters. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are not on the list: they need another basis for a residence permit.

What goes to the General Directorate of Migration, according to the checklist published by the International Organization for Migration office in Costa Rica:

• an application signed in the presence of a public official or with a signature authenticated by a lawyer;
• a receipt for the 50-dollar fee, about 22,600 colones;
• two passport-size photos;
• your own birth certificate with an apostille;
• a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or the country where you lived legally for the last 3 years, with an apostille;
• certified copies of your passport pages, including the entry stamp;
• a Registro Civil certificate of your relationship to the child, no older than 2 months.

Documents not in Spanish are translated by a traductor oficial. If you entered as a tourist, a further 200 dollars, about 90,600 colones, is due for the change of category. The parent of a Costa Rican minor can be exempted from it by filing a sworn statement that they raise and care for the child. Once approved, you collect your DIMEX and register with the Costa Rican Social Security Fund: under Article 7 of Law 8764 insurance is mandatory, and to renew the card you must show coverage for the whole period.

Citizenship by naturalization

Article 14(3) of the Constitution requires 7 years of official residence from foreigners. For nationals of Spain, Central America and Ibero-American countries by birth, the period is shorter at 5 years. A child's birth does not shorten it, but marriage does: the spouse of a Costa Rican can apply after 2 years of marriage and 2 years of living in the country.

Applications go to the Sección de Opciones y Naturalizaciones, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal section for nationality options and naturalizations, under Law 1155 on options and naturalizations. According to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's official checklist, you will need:

• a DIMEX, since a passport is not accepted as ID;
• your birth certificate with an apostille and official translation, no older than 3 months;
• sworn statements from two witnesses who have known you for the whole period and can vouch for your means of living and good conduct;
• proof of income: a salary certificate or a statement from a certified public accountant;
• passed exams from the MEP (Ministerio de Educación Pública, the Ministry of Public Education) in Spanish and social studies;
• a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or last country of residence, issued at national level and no older than 3 months;
• a photo and a timbre fiscal, a revenue stamp, of 200 colones, less than a dollar;
• publication of a notice of your application in La Gaceta, the official gazette.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal service itself is free, and the official processing period is up to 285 working days. Older applicants and people with a permanent medical impediment confirmed by a doctor are exempt from the exams. Article 15 of the Constitution adds two more things: a promise to live in the country on a regular basis and an oath to respect the constitutional order.

What does Costa Rican citizenship give you?

The Costa Rican passport opens 148 destinations without a visa or with a visa on arrival. That is the best result in Central America, but it falls short of the Uruguayan or Brazilian passport.

Short trips without a visa cover the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom (with an electronic travel authorisation), Japan, South Korea (with a K-ETA), the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Mexico and most of Latin America. The United States, Canada and Australia require a visa.

Dual citizenship. Since the 1995 amendment (Law 7514), Article 16 of the Constitution makes Costa Rican nationality inalienable, and Article 15 does not require naturalized citizens to give up their previous passport. The child and the parents keep their Russian, Ukrainian or other passport.

No army. Article 12 of the 1949 Constitution bans the army as a permanent institution, so there is no compulsory military service in Costa Rica.

A route to Spain. Costa Rica is an Ibero-American country. Under Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code, its citizens by origin need only 2 years of legal residence in Spain to apply for Spanish citizenship, instead of the standard 10. For the child this is a strategic bonus for the future.

Taxes. Under its income tax law, Costa Rica taxes income from sources inside the country, and a person becomes tax resident after more than 183 days in the country in a year. How this works for a particular family's foreign income is covered in our guide to taxes in Costa Rica.

The pitfalls: what birth-tourism ads leave out about Costa Rica

The most expensive mistake in the Costa Rican plan is counting the 7 years from the birth. The naturalization clock starts when the parent gains official residence, and the tourist months before permanent residence is approved do not count.

Residence has to be real. The Constitution speaks of years of official residence. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal accepts the DIMEX as proof and has the right to look at the social security contributions, vaccinations and schooling in the country. Article 15 of the Constitution requires a promise to live in Costa Rica on a regular basis. A parent who visits once a year will struggle to prove genuine residence.

Insurance without gaps. Social security contributions have to be paid for every year of residence. Gaps surface when the DIMEX is renewed, and the card will not be renewed without proof of coverage.

Spanish is not a formality. The MEP exams in Spanish and social studies test reading, writing and speaking, plus knowledge of the country's history and values. Start preparing in your first year in the country.

The baby will not fly without a permit. A permiso de salida is required for every Costa Rican minor, including dual nationals. Get a permanent permit while both parents are in the country: it has to be signed in person.

Grandparents are not on the list. Only parents and minor siblings get permanent residence through the child. Other relatives need their own route, such as Costa Rica residence by investment or the digital nomad visa.

Registration, not automation. The child's citizenship arises when the birth is recorded at the Registro Civil. Check that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal extract lists the child as Costa Rican before you apply for residence.

How we help

We take families from preparation to permanent residence and on to naturalization: choosing a clinic and comparing quotes, apostilles and translations, the child's documents, the exit permit, the parents' residence file, social security insurance and preparing the Supreme Electoral Tribunal application. We do not sell medical services: the clinic signs the birth contract with you directly. Legal representation before government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists together with partners licensed locally.

We start with a consultation: we work out a realistic budget and the minimum legal timelines, and we say plainly if another country fits your goal better. The country overview is on our Costa Rica page, a local bank account is covered in personal account in Costa Rica, and document work in translations and apostille. Every other route to a Costa Rican passport, from marriage to residence by investment, is in our article Costa Rica citizenship: every route, and the rules on holding two passports country by country are in our review of dual citizenship. All countries are in the second citizenship section.

What Costa Rican citizenship gives you

How to get Costa Rican citizenship by birth: step by step

FAQ

148 visa-free destinations on a Costa Rican passport