Temporary working visa (one year or less)

In order to apply for a temporary working permit the following documents should be submitted in Costa Rica:

• Application addressed to the Department of Temporary Permits and Extensions at the General Directorate of Migration (GDM) containing the applicant’s surname, name, nationality, civil status, passport number, address, profession and specific labor occupation.  In addition, the application should contain the name of the company or employer, the functions to be carried out and the salary to be perceived by the applicant.  The application should be authenticated by an attorney or signed before the receiving official.  This application should also contain the house or office address where to receive notifications, as well as the relevant phone and fax numbers.
• An application form--provided by the Department of Information at the GDM--should also be completed.
• Four (4) recent photographs passport size.
• Fingerprints.  You should have them taken at the Archivo Policial of the Ministry of Public Security.  Bring with your passport and two (2) passport size photos.
• Letter from the employing company indicating: a) the reasons for hiring the applicant, and b) demarches undertaken to hire a Costa Rican national to the same position.
• Certification from the Costa Rican Social Security Institution establishing that the company or the employer are registered and do not have pending monetary obligations.
• Company’s legal constitution and registration documents.
• Certified photocopies of all passport pages.  Each page should be signed and sealed by a Costa Rican notary.  The certification can also be done by the receiving official at the GMD.  There must be a Spanish translation should the passport be issued in a different language.
• Technicians and professionals should submit copies of their diplomas.  Diplomas should be authenticated by a Costa Rican Consul and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if issued outside Costa Rica.  Spanish translations are required if the diplomas are in a different language.
• Further the permit’s approval, the company should provide the contract, and the beneficiary should make a US$ 100 deposit or its equivalent in Costa Rican currency in a national bank.
• Whenever pertinent, those beneficiaries holding diplomas should join their corresponding professional associations in Costa Rica in order to work in their professional fields.