Here is advice the embassy itself gives and that most families never see: if the Costa Rican parent is travelling to Costa Rica anyway, registering a child born in the United States is much faster done there in person at the civil registry — and it costs nothing either way.
Quick facts
Another detail that saves a difficult day out: for the consular route, it is not necessary to bring the child to the consulate in the ordinary case. The Costa Rican parent attends with their valid identity card and a copy of both sides.
The two routes
| Route | What it needs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In Costa Rica, in person | Apostilled certificate, official translation | Much faster; no cost |
| At a consulate here | Apostilled certificate, parent’s card | Forwarded to the civil registry |
| Identity card afterwards | Application through the consulate | Free; up to two months |
| Card expired over ten years | Two Costa Rican witnesses | With their valid cards |
| Certifications | Some available online | From the civil registry |
Whichever route you take, the American birth certificate must be apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state that issued it, and translated by an official translator in Costa Rica.
How to file
- Order the child’s U.S. birth certificate from the state vital records office.
- Have it apostilled by that state’s Secretary of State.
- Decide whether a trip to Costa Rica is likely, since that route is faster.
- Arrange the official translation with a translator in Costa Rica.
- For the consular route, book the appointment and attend with your identity card and a copy of both sides.
- Apply for the child’s identity card and then their passport.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, apostilled.
- Official Spanish translation.
- Costa Rican parent’s valid identity card, with a copy of both sides.
- Two passport photographs with a white background where a card is applied for.
- Expired identity card or a copy of the birth certificate where renewing.
- Two Costa Rican witnesses where a card has been expired over ten years.
Where to file
At the civil registry in Costa Rica, or at the consulate covering your state, which forwards the file there.
No offices currently listed.
Additional notes
Plan it around a trip home
If a visit to Costa Rica is on the horizon, doing the registration there turns months into days and costs the same: nothing.
The card is free
The identity card carries no fee, so the only outlay in most family files is the apostille and the translation.
Collection is in person
Once the card arrives back at the consulate, it must be collected personally.
Keep the apostilled original
You may need it again for the passport or for later procedures. Order a second certificate while you are at it.