Student Visas/ TRPs

General Information:

Foreign students seeking to undertake studies at a Costa Rican School or University must enter Costa Rica with a tourist visa - if they require one  (To find out if you need a visa to enter Costa Rica, please use the "Do You Need A Visa"  box to the right.) - because Consulates of Costa Rica do not issue student visas.

Your tourist visa will allow you to enter Costa Rica and stay either for 30, 60, or 90 days. Once you enter Costa Rica as a tourist, you will have two choices:

1. Attend School until your tourist permitted stay expires

If you come to Costa Rica to take short-term courses, classes, or language training programs that require you to stay in Costa Rica for less than 30, 60, or 90 days or your permitted stay, you can just register at the school, pay the tuition, and attend classes. Schools do not require you to have a student temporary residence permit.

If your studies require you to stay in Costa Rica a bit longer than your permitted stay, you can cross the border into one of Costa Rica's neighboring countries (ensuring that the port of exit official stamps your passport with the exit seal), and then come back into the country. When you re-enter Costa Rica you will be granted another 30, 60, or 90 days to stay as a tourist.

If you are a foreign student who requires visa issuance authorization to get a visa to enter Costa Rica and want to stay longer to finish your course or study of more than 30 days you will need to contact the Immigration Department of Costa Rica and request an extension of stay.

2. File for a student temporary residence permit (TRP) and attend school

If you are pursuing a vocational career, a formal primary or secondary education, a B.A., B.S., MBA or PHD degree at a Costa Rican university/School, it is recommended that you file for a Student Temporary Residence Permit at the Immigration Department within the first 30, 60, or 90 days of your stay and upon enrollment at a school accredited by the Immigration Department of Costa Rica.

A student TRP allows you to stay in Costa Rica to study at a Costa Rican School or University for a specific period of time, depending on your career goals. Your TRP must be renewed every time you register for new classes, depending on your school academic schedule (two-month terms, three-month terms, four-month terms, six-month terms, or annual). It takes between 90 and 180 business day to process your TRP request and issue a reply.

If you try to enter and exit Costa Rica during your studies as suggested in the first choice, you may not be able to obtain your career degree because proof of residence is required for all non-Costa Rican citizens at the time that you complete your studies and whish to register as a professional in Costa Rica.

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Foreign Student Requirements:

Foreign Students must:

    *     be enrolled as a full-time student in an "academic" educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program, accredited by the Immigration Department of Costa Rica;

    *     be proficient in Spanish or be enrolled in courses leading to Spanish proficiency;

    *     Show proof of sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study; and

    *     maintain a residence abroad which he/she has no intention of giving up.

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Student Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) Required Documents:

1.     A passport valid for at least six months 

2.     Original Birth certificate *

3.     Police record *

4.     A Student Temporary Residence Permit Request letter stating your complete name, nationality, place and date of birth, marital status, current address, telephone number, fax number, passport number, issuance date of your passport, place where your passport was issued; the school name and address where you will study, and the start and finish date of your studies. You must sign this letter. However, if you are a minor (person younger than 18) your parents or someone with a power of attorney must sign it.
  

5.   A Power of Attorney to sign the student TPR request letter. This is only if you are a minor and your parents can not sign the student TPR request letter. The power of attorney must be written in Spanish and signed by your parent.
  

6.     School letter of acceptance stating the location where you will be studying and the type of academic year they work on (two-month terms, three-month terms, four-month terms, six-month terms, or annual). This letter must be certified by a notary public,
  

7.     An affidavit of Financial Support from the person paying for your studies. It must state his/her complete name, nationality, place and date of birth, marital status, current address, telephone number, fax number, passport number, issuance date of your passport, place where your passport was issued. Include the following documents attached to the affidavit:

          *   Employer letter stating your sponsor's salary

          *  a bank certified letter stating the current account balance that you or your sponsor has available issued by a CPA; and

          *   a photocopy of the Costa Rican Identification card, Resident card of your sponsor authenticated by a notary public in Costa Rica or bring the originals to let the person who gets the application verify the signatures.
 

  8.     Finger prints ( if older than 10 years old ) taken at the Archivo Policial del Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (Police Department at the Ministry of National Security). They are open from 8am to 3pm and are located at the Centro Comercial del Sur (Sur Shopping Center). You must bring your passport and two frontal passport size photographs.
  

9.     A recent face forward view passport sized photograph. (Enclose four original photographs; Costa Rican passport size photographs are 4.5 cm high X 3.5 cm wide (1.77 in. high X 1.37 in. wide.) 

10.     Additional documents may be requested at the Immigration Department's own discretion.

Once your temporary residency permit is approved you will be required to make a guarantee deposit equaled to $100.00US, then take the receipt to the Immigration Department to pick up your temporary residence permit.

You must renew your temporary residency permit every time that you register for new classes. You must bring to the Immigration Department your renewal application, a certified copy of your transcripts, and a current school registration letter.

* Document is not required. However, in some cases the Immigration Department of Costa Rica will require you to submit it. Document must be authenticated by a Consulate of Costa Rica prior to coming to Costa Rica, translated into Spanish (either in your home country by a Registered translator, by a Costa Rican translator certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica, or by a Costa Rican Notary Public who speaks the language and certifies the translation), issued thirty days prior to your arrival in Costa Rica, and be no more than six months old after their issuance date.

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