If you’re applying for residency in Costa Rica, whether you’re retiring there or moving because your spouse is Costa Rican, you’ll be asked for your criminal record. For an American, that’s your FBI background check, apostilled and translated into Spanish. We take care of all of it: your fingerprints, the FBI request, the apostille and the Spanish translation, whether you’re in Los Angeles or already living in Costa Rica.
What Costa Rica Asks For
Costa Rica’s immigration regulation (the Reglamento de Extranjería, published by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería) sets out the rules:
- Your criminal record from your country of origin, or from the place where you’ve legally lived for the last three years. For Americans living in the U.S., that’s the FBI check.
- An apostille. Documents from abroad have to be apostilled. For the FBI check, that’s the federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State.
- Issued within 6 months. If a document doesn’t state its own validity, it must be issued no more than 6 months before you present it.
- A Spanish translation. Documents not in Spanish need a literal translation into Spanish.
Who We Help
Most of our Costa Rica clients are applying for residency. Many are retiring there. Others are married to a Costa Rican and moving down as a family.
The Three-Year Rule
Costa Rica asks for the record from your country of origin or from wherever you’ve legally lived for the last three years. If you’ve been living legally in another country for the last three years, you may need that country’s record instead, along with proof that you lived there legally. Tell us where you’ve lived and we’ll help you work out which record you need.
Timing
Because of the 6-month window, don’t start too early. Plan the FBI check and apostille so the report is still within 6 months on the day you present your application.
How We Handle It
If you’re in Los Angeles, we take your fingerprints at our office or wherever suits you, and submit them to the FBI electronically. The FBI sends the report straight to you; you forward it to us, and we take it from there. We submit it to the U.S. Department of State, collect the apostille, prepare the Spanish translation, and get everything back to you ready to hand in.
If you already live in Costa Rica, you don’t need to fly home. Go to the local police to be fingerprinted, and bring FD-258 fingerprint cards with you. Mail the cards to us; we submit them to the FBI in person, handle the apostille and translation, and ship the finished documents to you. See FBI Background Check Apostille Abroad.
For every step in detail, see our step-by-step guide to getting your FBI background check apostilled. For other U.S. documents going to Costa Rica, such as birth and marriage certificates, see Apostille for Costa Rica.
Common Questions
Which record do I need for Costa Rica?
The one from your country of origin or from where you’ve legally lived for the last three years. For most Americans living in the U.S., that’s the FBI check.
How recent does it need to be?
Issued no more than 6 months before you present it.
Does it need an apostille?
Yes, a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State.
Do you translate it into Spanish?
Yes. We provide the Spanish translation.
I’m already in Costa Rica. Can you help?
Yes. Get fingerprinted at the local police on FD-258 cards (bring the cards with you) and mail them to us. We handle everything from there.
Ready to get started? Call or text (310) 526-0200, or message us on WhatsApp.
¿Necesita su verificación de antecedentes del FBI con apostilla para Costa Rica? Llame o envíe un mensaje al (310) 526-0200.
