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  • info@openzone.eu
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What's New?

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Add a listing
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What's New?

Myths, exaggerations and hidden sales

What Immigration Does Not Ask You For

(even though many want you to believe they do)
A quick guide that puts order in the chaos of rumors about residency in Costa Rica. What the law requires and what Migration does NOT require of you. Perfect so you don't waste time, money and nerves on nonsense.

What Immigration Does Not Ask You For

(even though many want you to believe they do)

When you start searching for information about residency in Costa Rica, it feels like walking into a forest full of myths, improvised “experts,” and agents who “know better.”
The reality? Immigration has clear rules. What circulates online… not so much.

Let’s shed some light and dismantle the most common absurdities.

Regularization of migration

Apostilled Bank Statements

No, Immigration does not ask you for apostilled bank statements for standard residency applications.
The only situation where statements appear is in specific categories (e.g., rentista), and even there apostilles are not always required.
Apostilles may be requested by the bank, to justify the origin of your funds — not by Immigration.

Proof of Covid Vaccination

There is no official requirement to present a COVID vaccination certificate for residency or for entering Costa Rica.
If someone in 2025 still asks you for this… run. Or laugh, depending on the mood.

15 Copies of your Passport

Immigration does require copies, yes. But not a whole tree’s worth.
You need:

  • a copy of your passport (data page),
  • plus the relevant entry/exit stamps.

Not 15 versions, not a school-style package.

Letters of Recommendation

This one is a favorite among “creative consultants.”
Immigration does not ask you to prove you’re a nice person, that the community loves you, or that you’ve been socially responsible.
There is no official requirement for “letters of recommendation,” not even for residency through marriage to a Costa Rican citizen.

Useless Notarized statements

You don’t need to swear your life in front of a notary for everything you submit.
The required documents already have clear procedures: apostille, translation, submission.
No need to “notarize your existence.”

Translations made only by “their translator”

There is no such thing as Immigration’s “favorite translator.”
Translations simply need to be done according to the law: Ministerio de Exteriores y Cultos, as long as they meet the requirements.
Nobody has a monopoly on translations.

The “mandatory” private health insurance

No, you are not required to buy the private insurance some people aggressively push as “necessary.”
For residency, what’s required is CCSS insurance, not private policies costing 600–1500 USD a year.

Non-Existent Fees

Some people love to inflate costs. Immigration has:

  • official fees (published on their website),
  • fixed amounts,
  • and there is no such thing as a “fast-track fee,” “preferential fee,” or “file number fee.”
playa del coco
Here, rushing doesn't help. Preparation does.

Conclusion

The official information is simple. The complications are invented by others.

If you’ve been reading strange things, trust yourself: your instinct is working.
Immigration requires simple, logical documents, clearly defined in the law:

♦ birth or marriage certificate (apostilled) ♦
♦ criminal record (apostilled) ♦
♦ passport ♦
♦ and the documents specific to the type of residency you’re applying for ♦

The rest are stories taken out of someone’s drawer, fridge, or imagination — usually to confuse you and charge you more.

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