Costa Rica: Residence Card Appointments Suspended Until 2023
October 10, 2022
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At a Glance
- The General Immigration Directorate is canceling appointments to obtain initial or renewed Residency Identity Cards (DIMEX) until January 2023, due to a shortage of materials.
- As a concession, the government will allow foreign nationals to maintain their legal status in Costa Rica without a valid DIMEX, as long as they have booked an appointment with the General Immigration Directorate in 2023.
- However, 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 a shortage of materials, the General Immigration Directorate is canceling appointments to obtain initial or renewed Residency Identity Cards (DIMEX) until January 2023.
A closer look
- Maintaining valid status. Since foreign nationals will not be able to obtain an initial or renewed DIMEX through the rest of 2022, they must instead book an appointment to obtain or renew their DIMEX with the General Immigration Directorate in 2023. The government will consider all foreign nationals with booked appointments in 2023 as holding valid status.
Impact
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
The cancellation of appointments is a result of the ongoing shortage of materials to create government identity documents in 2022. This results from an unprecedented increase in the number of DIMEX that have been issued, largely due to a high volume of refugees entering the country. This has also created a strain on government resources processing these applications.
Looking ahead
It is expected that DIMEX issuance for both initial and renewal applicants will resume in 2023 but foreign nationals should expect significant processing delays due to a backlog of appointments at that time.
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].
