How to get a police certificate – Costa Rica

Someone in Costa Rica must pick up your certificate for you. To apply for a certificate, you must write a letter to your nearest Costa Rican consulate requesting a Certificación de Antecedentes Penales (marked “Para usos varios internacionales”).

You must include the following information in your letter:

• your full name
• your Costa Rican identity card number and a photocopy of both sides of your identity card
  • If you’re not a Costa Rican citizen, include your passport number.
• the amount of time you lived in Costa Rica
• your place and date of birth
• the full name of both parents
• details about the person you’ve authorized to pick up your certificate. You must include their
  • full name
  • identity card number
  • telephone number

The consulate will send your letter to the Judicial Register of the Supreme Court in San José. The person you authorized can pick up your certificate there once it’s ready (check Contact information for the full address).

Certificate authentication

Your certificate must be authenticated by both of the offices below for it to be valid in Canada.

Your friend or family member must bring your certificate to the offices in person at the following addresses:

• Authentication Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
  Between avenues 7 and 9 and streets 11 and 13, San José, Costa Rica
  Phone: 2223-7555, Ext. 136, 188 or 220
• Supreme Court of Costa Rica
  Between avenues 6 and 8 and streets 19 and 21, San José

For more information, visit the Embassy of Costa Rica website.

If you don’t have someone in Costa Rica who can pick up your certificate, you must contact any of the following in your country of residence to help you with the process:

• the embassy or consulate of Costa Rica
• a legal firm