Costa Rica is offering a special fingerprinting service in downtown San José this morning, giving foreign residents and immigration applicants an opportunity to complete an important requirement without scheduling a separate fingerprint appointment. The Ministry of Public Security announced that its Police Records Department will provide walk-in fingerprint registration from 7 a.m. until noon, exclusively for people completing immigration procedures with the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration (DGME).
The service is available at the former Banco Crédito Agrícola de Cartago building, located on the south side of San José’s Central Park. Officials emphasized that the special opening is limited to immigration-related fingerprinting and that applicants must meet specific requirements to receive assistance.
To qualify, applicants must present an official resolution from DGME confirming they have an immigration appointment scheduled within the following month. For today’s event, that generally means people with appointments in November 2026. The walk-in service is intended for applicants who do not already have a fingerprint appointment scheduled through the regular system. Anyone who arrives without the required immigration documentation will not be served.
You should also bring a valid original identification document and be prepared to provide their full residential address in Costa Rica, including the province, canton, district, neighborhood and nearby landmarks. Authorities have also established a limit on group sizes, saying groups of more than five people will not be accommodated during the special session.
Fingerprint registration is a standard requirement for several immigration procedures in Costa Rica, including residency applications and renewals, refugee applications and certain special immigration categories. The process allows authorities to record an applicant’s fingerprints as part of Costa Rica’s identity verification and immigration screening requirements.
For many expats, completing the fingerprint process can be one of the more time-consuming steps in obtaining or renewing legal immigration status. High demand for regular appointments has resulted in some applicants waiting weeks or months before completing the procedure.
The government has responded by organizing occasional weekend fingerprinting sessions, including similar events in July, August and September. These sessions are designed to help people with upcoming immigration appointments complete their paperwork without waiting for a regular fingerprint appointment.
The fingerprinting procedure is free, and applicants do not need to bring passport photographs. However, they must meet the eligibility rules and present the required documents. Those unable to attend today’s session can schedule a regular fingerprint appointment through the Ministry of Public Security’s online system. Applicants generally need to select their identification type, enter their personal information and choose an available appointment.
The ministry also provides phone assistance for people who cannot use the online system. Officials reminded applicants that today’s service is available only during the announced morning hours and that appearing at the office does not guarantee assistance if the required documents are missing.
For expats with immigration appointments approaching, the special opening offers a chance to complete a necessary procedure before the scheduled visit to immigration authorities.
