Costa Rica: Streamlined Immigration Accreditation Processes Implemented

Change

Impact

Streamlined registration for Category A companies.

·       Companies operating under Free Trade Zones or other special regimes (Category A) are no longer required to submit individual applications to register with Immigration.

·       Registration will now occur automatically for companies in good standing with PROCOMER (Costa Rica's trade promotion agency).

This reform reduces administrative burdens, compliance costs, and logistical demands by eliminating the need for manual submissions.

Revised documentation requirements for Multinational Companies (Category F).

·       Multinational companies seeking Category F accreditation are now required to submit only a notarized and apostilled/legalized letter from the parent company’s legal representative. This letter must certify the existence of at least three foreign subsidiaries and include their names and addresses.

·       Crucially, the previous requirement to submit operating permits (“patentes”) from each subsidiary has been eliminated.

While the new documentation requirement may still require some advance planning, it is significantly less burdensome than the previous need to submit operating permits, which often led to delays due to apostille issues, limited validity, and inconsistent acceptance. The streamlined approach is expected to improve processing times and reduce administrative challenges.

Company mergers and name changes. The updated framework clarifies the roles of PROCOMER (the agency overseeing exports and Free Trade Zone operations) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) in managing legal changes among accredited companies. Responsibility for reporting corporate changes now shifts to PROCOMER and Immigration, enhancing oversight and eligibility review for accredited companies.

This change enhances coordination between Immigration, COMEX, and PROCOMER, reduces duplicative filings, and minimizes the risk of oversight in meeting government notifications during corporate transitions.

Extension of accreditation validity. The validity period for company accreditation has been extended from two to four years.

This applies to most categories, except for Category G companies (those contractually linked to public entities), whose accreditation remains tied to the duration of the relevant public contract.

A longer accreditation period enables companies to better plan their workforce needs and reduces the frequency of renewal applications.