Citizeo
Pathway

Costa Rican Citizenship by Birth

Costa Rica Citizenship
Pathway overview

At a glance

Birth in Costa Rica can lead to Costa Rican citizenship, but the rule depends on the parents. A child of a Costa Rican parent is Costa Rican by birth; a child of foreign parents must be registered by a parent while under 18 or personally choose and register before age 25.

Type
Citizenship by birth
Who it covers
People born in Costa Rica who meet the parent or registration rule
Core records
Costa Rican birth record, parents' citizenship, and any registration record
What to know
Children of foreign parents must choose and register before the age deadline
What it gives
Once the birth and citizenship are correctly recorded, this route establishes Costa Rican citizenship by birth.
Main limit
This is not unconditional, automatic citizenship for every child born in Costa Rica.

Summary

Being born in Costa Rica can lead to Costa Rican citizenship by birth, but the result depends on the parents.

A child born in Costa Rica to a Costa Rican mother or father is Costa Rican by birth under Article 13(1) of the Constitution. A child born in Costa Rica to two foreign parents is also eligible to become Costa Rican by birth, but citizenship must be chosen and registered: a parent can do this while the child is a minor, or the person can do it personally up to age 25.

This distinction is important. The route should not tell every person born on Costa Rican soil that citizenship was automatic. Someone born there to foreign parents who was never registered before turning 25 generally needs to examine the TSE's separate naturalization procedure for over-25 applicants born in Costa Rica.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

One of the following must fit:

The Civil Registry will need to confirm the birth record, the parents shown in that record, and any required declaration choosing Costa Rican nationality.

For a child of foreign parents, age changes who may make the choice. Before age 18, a parent or legal representative makes it for the child. From 18 until the 25th birthday, the person makes the choice personally. Because the constitutional deadline is tied to age, a person near 25 should obtain instructions directly from the TSE instead of waiting for other family documents to be collected.

The foundling rule is a separate constitutional protection for an infant found in Costa Rica whose parents are unknown. It should not be used merely because a parent is absent, undocumented, or missing from a family file; the Civil Registry must decide whether the legal category is actually met.

If you were born in Costa Rica to foreign parents and are already 25, this registration route has expired. The TSE lists a separate naturalization process under Law 1916; do not use the under-25 pathway.

What This Route Allows

Once the birth and citizenship are correctly recorded, this route establishes Costa Rican citizenship by birth. It can allow the person to obtain a Costa Rican identity card when old enough, apply for a Costa Rican passport, live in Costa Rica without an immigration permit, and use the other rights of a Costa Rican citizen.

For a child of foreign parents, the registration does more than issue paperwork: it records the constitutionally required choice of Costa Rican nationality.

Citizenship by birth is also relevant to later family cases. A properly registered Costa Rican citizen may be able to transmit citizenship to a child born abroad under the separate Article 13(2) route, subject to that child's own timely registration. The Civil Registry record, rather than an informal belief about status, is therefore important across generations.

What This Route Is Not

This is not unconditional, automatic citizenship for every child born in Costa Rica. A child of two foreign parents needs a timely choice and Civil Registry registration.

It is not the right route for a foreign-born child of a Costa Rican parent, who falls under the separate descent rule in Article 13(2). It is also not the over-25 naturalization process for someone who missed the deadline.

Citizenship status should not be inferred only from a hospital record, an old stay in Costa Rica, or a family account. The TSE's Civil Registry must confirm what is registered.

Nor is this a naturalization application for a parent. Registering a qualifying child does not automatically make either foreign parent Costa Rican and does not replace any immigration status the parent may need.

Next Steps

  1. Obtain a current copy of the Costa Rican birth registration and check how the parents are recorded.
  2. If a parent was Costa Rican, gather that parent's Costa Rican identity or citizenship record.
  3. If both parents were foreign and the person is under 18, ask the TSE or the responsible Costa Rican consulate for the current opción de nacionalidad requirements for a parent acting for a minor.
  4. If both parents were foreign and the person is 18 to 24, contact the TSE promptly about making the choice personally before age 25.
  5. Follow the TSE's current form and evidence list. Identity, parentage, and civil-status documents issued abroad may need legalization or an apostille and an official Spanish translation.
  6. If the person is already 25, use the TSE service for naturalization of a person over 25 who was born in Costa Rica to foreign parents, rather than presenting the case as automatic citizenship.
  7. After registration is complete, follow the TSE's instructions for the first Costa Rican identity card and the competent authority's passport process.

The exact filing channel depends on where the family is located and on the registration needed. Ask the TSE or the responsible Costa Rican consulate which person must appear, whether an appointment is required, and whether any record must first be corrected. Do not send original civil records to an unofficial intermediary.

Compare your options

Other routes in Costa Rica.

Sources