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Born in Costa Rica

A child of foreign parents born in Costa Rica is Costa Rican by birth once registered as such with the Civil Registry.

Passport108 visa-freeof 218 countriesPapers ready inUp to 11 daysafter the birthDual citizenshipLimitedHealth care84/100
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  • The visa your passport needs for Costa Rica
  • Whether it's open to you
  • What the baby's passport adds to yours
  • Health compared with home
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Who qualifies:No exceptions; foreign parents register the child as Costa Rican (done at birth registration, or by the child up to age 25).

For your baby

  • Citizen from birthA Costa Rica passport of their own
  • 108 countries visa-freeof 218 countries
  • Free to live, study and workIn Costa Rica, for life
Constitución Política de la República de Costa Rica (Imprenta Nacional) Constitución Política de la República de Costa Rica, art. 13(3) · checked Nov 3, 2026

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Whether having your baby in Costa Rica gives you residence or a faster route to citizenship.

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How to start

Baby's papers: up to 11 days or more after the birth
  1. 1
    Get to Costa Rica legallySign in to see the visa your passport needs.Prepare your Visiting Costa Rica application Most parents stay about 3 months: airlines limit late-pregnancy flights.
  2. 2
    Register the birthAt the local civil registry, with the hospital's birth record. Up to 11 daysHospital births are entered by the Civil Registry within 8 business days; once registered, a certificate is issued immediately (online or at any TSE office).Official source
  3. 3
    Get the baby's passportApply with the birth certificate to Costa Rica's passport office.
  4. 4
    Pass on your own citizenship
    • Costa Rica limits dual citizenship: check before the baby takes another.

Where a Costa Rica passport goes visa-free

107 of 218 countries
Europe44
  • Andorra
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Faroe Islands
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Vatican City
Asia9
  • Brunei
  • Georgia
  • Hong Kong SAR China
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Tajikistan
  • Uzbekistan
Africa5
  • Botswana
  • South Africa
  • St. Helena
  • Tunisia
  • Zambia
Middle East4
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Türkiye
  • United Arab Emirates
North America3
  • Bermuda
  • Greenland
  • Mexico
Latin America18
  • Argentina
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Falkland Islands
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Honduras
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
Caribbean18
  • Anguilla
  • Aruba
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Caribbean Netherlands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Curaçao
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Grenada
  • Haiti
  • Montserrat
  • Sint Maarten
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines
  • Turks & Caicos Islands
Oceania6
  • Cook Islands
  • French Polynesia
  • Kiribati
  • Micronesia
  • New Caledonia
  • Samoa

Visa-free or free movement, from official entry rules. Stays and conditions vary.

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The official costs of having your baby there: visa, birth, stay and passport.

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Health for mother and baby

  • Mothers' deaths in childbirth24 per 100k births
  • Infant deaths (under 1)9.1 per 1,000
  • Newborn deaths (first 28 days)7.3 per 1,000
  • Births with a skilled attendant99%
  • Health care coverage score84 / 100
World Bank (WHO, UN IGME estimates), latest 2023.

Currency

Costa Rican ColónCRC
1 US dollarCRC 455
Against the US dollarStronger+16.2% in value, 2020 to 2025 (official yearly average).

Today's rate: ExchangeRate-API. Trend: World Bank.

We'll connect you with an advisor

A licensed advisor can help you through this phase in Costa Rica: the visa, the hospital, registering the birth and the baby's passport.

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Information from official sources, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official page before you travel.