Costa Rica: Increasing Processing Delays for Residence Card Issuance
March 23, 2023
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At a Glance
- Due to backlogs and high demand, foreign nationals are facing delays of over a month in securing appointments to apply for initial or renewed Residency Identity Cards (DIMEX) and up to three months in receiving initial and renewed DIMEX after the appointments.
- Though the government allows foreign nationals to maintain their legal status in Costa Rica without a valid DIMEX if they have booked and/or attended the appointment with the General Immigration Directorate, foreign nationals without a valid DIMEX may face restrictions in traveling abroad; initiating certain government services, such as obtaining a driver’s license; and initiating financial processes, such as opening a bank account.
The situation
Due to backlogs and high demand, foreign nationals are facing delays of over a month in securing appointments to apply for initial or renewed Residency Identity Cards (DIMEX) and up to three months in receiving initial and renewed Residency Identity Cards (DIMEX) after the appointments. Typically, DIMEX appointments could be scheduled seven days in advance and DIMEX were issued within four to five weeks after the appointment.
Impact
Though the government allows foreign nationals to maintain their legal status in Costa Rica without a valid DIMEX if they have booked and/or attend the appointment with the General Immigration Directorate, foreign nationals without a valid DIMEX may face restrictions in traveling abroad; initiating certain government services, such as obtaining a driver’s license; and initiating financial processes, such as opening a bank account. Foreign nationals should contact their immigration professionals for further advice.
Background
- Reason for delays. The backlogs are due to the temporary suspension of DIMEX appointments in October 2022 due to a shortage of materials. Prior to that, the issuance of renewed DIMEX had been suspended since early 2022.
- Digital residency cards also delayed. In January 2023, the General Immigration Directorate started issuing digital DIMEX cards in addition to the physical DIMEX. Though this change was intended to alleviate administrative hurdles resulting from high demand for DIMEX cards, in practice, the issuance of digital DIMEX is delayed as much as physical cards.
Looking ahead
It is not clear when these delays will be resolved. Foreign nationals should work with their immigration professional to determine if they qualify for a workaround (such as filing a petition with the General Immigration Directorate for expedited issuance of the DIMEX) though these are typically reserved for very limited and urgent situations like health emergencies or urgent business travel.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
