How to Get Costa Rica CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 7 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsThe law has a renunciation requirement, coded as nominal without apparent consequences.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Americas
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
For foreign nationals living in Costa Rica, this is the ordinary route based on residence. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
- Residence
- 7 years
Person has been resident in Costa Rica for at least 7 years. If citizen by birth of Spain, a Central American country or an Iberoamerican country, residence for at least 5 years.
- Previous citizenship
- The law has a renunciation requirement, coded as nominal without apparent consequences
(Person must make a declaration of renunciation but actual renunciation of the original citizenship is not required).
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Knowledge of Spanish (oral, written and passive).
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Knowledge of the history of Costa Rica and its values.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Good behaviour, clean criminal record, no conviction in Costa Rica or abroad for any of the listed offences (including drug smuggling).
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Known source of income or occupation sufficient for self-support and that of his/her family.
Marriage or civil partnership
For spouses of citizens of Costa Rica, the rules below set out what this route requires. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is the spouse of a citizen and loses his/her original citizenship upon marriage, or has been married and resident in Costa Rica with a citizen for 2 years.
Descent (citizen parent)
This route covers children of a citizen of Costa Rica, subject to the conditions below.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Costa Rica to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen by birth and is registered in the Civil Register by the parent during minority, or registers him/herself before reaching the age of 25.
Birth in the country
Birth in Costa Rica is the starting point of this route, together with the conditions below.
Birth in country
Person is born in Costa Rica to non-citizens and is registered as a citizen by a parent during minority, or registers him/herself before reaching the age of 25.
Birth in country (acquisition after birth)
Person is born in Costa Rica, older than 25 years and does not meet the conditions under the rules for birth in country. Other conditions: seven years' residence [assuming that the period can only start to run at age 18], good behaviour, means sufficient for self-support.
Child of a new citizen
A parent acquiring citizenship of Costa Rica is the basis of this route. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is a minor who is resident in Costa Rica and whose parent is acquiring citizenship. Acquisition can be revoked by the person after reaching the age of majority (until the age of 25).
Citizens of specific countries
This route covers citizens of certain other countries, subject to the conditions below. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is a citizen by birth of Spain, a Central American country, or an Iberoamerican country, and been resident in Costa Rica for 5 years. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Stateless persons
For people without any citizenship, the rules below show what the law of Costa Rica provides. The law of Costa Rica confers citizenship automatically, independent of any administrative decision.
Person is an infant found in Costa Rica of unknown parentage.
Special achievements
This route covers people recognised for special achievements or for contributions to Costa Rica, subject to the conditions below. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is granted honorary citizenship.
Not available in Costa Rica: Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Former citizens (reacquisition), Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. Based on the GLOBALCIT coding of the law, updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Costa Rica accepts dual citizenship in both directions.
- New citizens
- The law has a renunciation requirement, coded as nominal without apparent consequences
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Under the law of Costa Rica, 7 years applies, exceeding the usual 5 years found across Central America.
Compare Costa Rica with all countries in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Belize | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 El Salvador | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Guatemala | 5 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Honduras | 3 years | None | Citizens abroad only |
 Nicaragua | 4 years | Test or certificate | Citizens abroad only |
 Panama | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Legal basis: Constitution Art. 14(3), 15, Nationality law Art. 2, 11, 15.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Costa Rica Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/costa-rica/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/costa-rica/">How to Get Costa Rica Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Costa Rican citizen?
Ordinary naturalisation in Costa Rica takes 7 years of residence at minimum, plus the other conditions in the law.
Does Costa Rica allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The law of Costa Rica accepts dual citizenship for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
Do I need a language test for Costa Rican citizenship?
Language ability is required for Costa Rican citizenship, though no test or certificate is specified.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Costa Rican citizenship?
Civic knowledge is required for Costa Rican citizenship, though no specific test is defined.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Costa Rican citizenship?
Giving up your current citizenship is a nominal requirement for Costa Rican citizenship, according to the data. In GLOBALCIT's wording: "nominal requirement without apparent consequences".
Can I get Costa Rica citizenship by marriage?
Yes, the law of Costa Rica has a route for spouses. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Costa Rica citizenship by descent?
Yes. A child of a citizen can acquire citizenship of Costa Rica by descent. Procedure: automatic, entitlement.
Can I get Costa Rica citizenship by investment?
No investment route is coded in the law of Costa Rica.
Related pages
Also see: Costa Rica passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.