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HomeArchiveHow do you become a Costa Rican citizen? New rules apply

How do you become a Costa Rican citizen? New rules apply

Foreigners legally residing in Costa Rica and wanting to become citizens must go to the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) in San José as part of a new regulation.

Beginning this week all interested residents can choose one of five types of citizenship procedures: Naturalization for those over 25 years old, born in Costa Rica and child of foreign parents; naturalization for those over 25 years of age; born abroad from Costa Rican parents; naturalization per residence for those who have lived for at least twenty years in Costa Rica; naturalization by marriage with a Costa Rican national; and naturalization for residence.

Detailed information on each procedure may be found at TSE’s website: www.tse.go.cr  (Spanish only).

The naturalization office is open to the public on weekdays from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The new regulation was published last month in the government’s newspaper La Gaceta.

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