Do you want to study and live in Costa Rica? We are expert immigration lawyers

Our job is to make your move to Costa Rica as SIMPLE as possible, reducing as much as we can the stress that you might have from endless googling and feeling safe that you are working with the best.

That is why ULACIT have partnered with Simple Legal Consulting (SLC) to provide special discount rates to all our international students, but of course, you are free to opt for a different option, is not mandatory and you have complete discretion to decide how to resolve you migration status.

Contact us, we are here to help.


I have enjoyed the privilege of living abroad and remote working around the world.

I would love to help you do the same. Herman Duarte, founder Simple Legal Consulting (SLC).

International students in Costa Rica

Incoming exchange international students have different legally viable options to resolve their migratory status in Costa Rica for their short-term stay. 

The first thing, is to understand is the different categories in which a foreigner entering into Costa Rica can opt for, which according to the General Migration Law (Law 8764),  for the purposes of international students we are just going to focus on 2 categories: Tourists and Special Student Visa (Yes! You are special!)  

 

TOURIST. For this migratory status no previous process is required, the tourist visa is automatically issued by Migration Authorities for any international traveler entering the country by land or air. The only obligation that a tourist has during the immigration process at the border (land or airport) is to show the immigration officer that it has a return ticket (outbound exit or onward ticket) as proof of when they intend to exit the country before their visa or entry stamp expires.

Keep in mind that the Migration Officer, solely by its discretion, can grant you a stay time from 1 to 90 days. 

·       Your country of origin determines the number of days available to stay in Costa Rica.

·       Canada, USA, UK, EEA & European Union nationals are usually awarded a 90-day tourist visa.

·       A Migration Officer will ask very basic questions as where do you plan to stay, why are you coming to the country and ask for means of support your stay. Please carry a digital or physical copy of your admissions letter in case it is requested by a migration officer. 

SPECIAL STUDENT VISA. But what if I need more than just 90 days in Costa Rica? Well no worries, we got you covered and we can represent you to request a Special Student Visa.

If you are going to live in Costa Rica for more than 4 months, we strongly recommend to get a Special Student Visa. It will grant you the legal right to live in Costa Rica during your period. You will need the following documents:

  1. Proof of payment in favor of the Government for fiscal species (¢ 125 + ¢ 2.50 for each page) in accordance with the Law for the Financial Balance of the Public Sector.

  2. Two recent passport size photographs.

  3. Birth certificate and Certification of the criminal record of the foreign person from their country of origin or from the place where they have legally resided for the last three years, duly legalized and authenticated or apostilled.

  4. Photocopy of the pages of your passport where the qualities of the foreign person are found, which must be certified by a notary public or be confronted against its original by the official of the Services Platform or regional headquarters where the procedure is presented. (As amended the previous paragraph by Article 2 of Executive Decree No. 42389 of January 17, 2022)

  5. Certification issued by ULACIT legal representative or the director of the institution, indicating that the foreign person is a student.

  6. In the case of students, demonstrate economic solvency through a certification issued by an authorized public accountant indicating their origin. If you are a scholarship student, you must provide certification from the institution that provides the scholarship indicating the amount, term and expenses involved.

“I have lived in El Salvador, Sweden, Spain, the UK and Costa Rica. Trust me, I know how hard and complicated is to navigate the immigration systems. That is why in Simple Legal Consulting we have a clear goal: make your move to Costa Rica as SIMPLE as possible, reducing as much as we can the stress that you might have from endless googling and feeling safe that you are working with top quality, honest professionals, that care for you” — Herman Duarte, Founder, Simple Legal Consulting (SLC)

Frequently Asked Questions

 

    1. Birth certificate

    2. Criminal Records of the country of nationality and from the place of residency of the past three years. If possible, it should contain the name, fingerprints and complete information of the applicant.

    3. Marriage certificate, when applicable.

    4. Academic degrees, that back-up the specialised knowledge.

  • A final note is that for any category, in order for documents to become valid in Costa Rica, the documents have to be issued by a competent authority and must be legalised either with the apostille or through the chain of legalization methods.

    If you need help in obtaining your documentation, please contact us, forget the stress of googling for answers and not knowing what to do. Let us help.

  • Another aspect to keep in mind is that all documents must be in spanish or translated by an official translator authorised by the Minister of Foreign Relations of Costa Rica.

    Don’t worry, our job is to make your life simple, so we will coordinate this process. You just have to pay for it.

  • The first thing to do is to contact us to review your case, explain the different possible scenarios and then decide which way to go.

    There are two ways to apply for residency:

    1. ONLINE, using the Tramiteya.go.cr website, but it is limited to only certain migration categories. This comes with an extra cost of $10 per application, but with the promise of getting an answer in just 90 days.

    2. IN PERSON, using the appointment system available on the Migration Department website.

  • It really depends on each case and the circumstances of each person, sometimes it could take up to 3 months, another times 1 or 2 years. Depends on each case, really, if you have a doubt, just reach out to us and we can clarify.

    Keep in mind that once you apply for residency, you will receive a paper that proves your application and that paper allows you to legally stay in the country until you get a resolution from the migration agency.

  • The application fees, security deposit and taxes that are paid directly to the government to apply for residency varies between USD$50-$250 dollars, depending if the application is done within the country or outside.

  • Yes, it does, but depends of each case. The best thing to do is to speak directly to us to get all your answers.

  • For the purposes of interpreting the concept of dependant, it includes:

    1. The spouse/ husband (heterosexual or homosexual, it doesn’t matter, as in Costa Rica we have same sex civil marriage)

    2. The sons and daughters of one or the other, under twenty-five years of age or older with some disability;

    3. Their parents, as long as there is a dependency relationship.

Contact us.

  • Having a selected group of clients, from whom we learn and feel proud, and who give us the financial freedom to continue promoting human rights, the rule of law and innovative issues, creating a positive impact on society.

  • Provide high-quality legal and consulting services that allow our clients to have clarity to make decisions, giving them the confidence and peace of mind that their matters are in the best hands, simplifying their business and personal complications.

  • Availability: If we do take a case, we do so by always giving our best effort, and we try to be available 24/7.

    Empathy: We are empathic with our customers and suppliers. We are fully committed and holistically supportive, personally and professionally, in and out of business.

    Respect: We assume that our suppliers, clients and counterparts deserve respectful treatment, without surprises or insults.

    Simplicity: At our core is to make everything simple, helping to navigate the complexities of life.

    Academic: We are curious about knowledge, we love learning about our clients, their industries and the law. We are constantly learning.

    Honesty: We do not lie about the possible results, nor do we violate the law, we do not do illegal acts, nor do anything that can keep us awake at night.

    Generosity: We are generous with our time and contacts.

    Transparency: We keep our clients updated about their cases and always act honest.