Update on the Extension of Entry Stamps

In Immigration
January 21, 2021
Irene Brenes
191 Views
64 comments

Considering our Immigration Department now works by appointment only, please take into consideration the following: 1- 90 day entry stamps are no longer granted automatically. The entry stamp you receive upon arrival will depend on the insurance you carry. If you enter using 10-day insurance, you will receive a 10-day entry stamp. You can read

Considering our Immigration Department now works by appointment only, please take into consideration the following:

1- 90 day entry stamps are no longer granted automatically. The entry stamp you receive upon arrival will depend on the insurance you carry. If you enter using 10-day insurance, you will receive a 10-day entry stamp. You can read further on the entry requirements here.

2- If you enter the country with the intention of filing for Residency, please read below.

People who wish to file for Residency

If you enter the country with the intention of filing for Residency, to legally stay you must:

Request an appointment to file for Residency by calling 1311 using a Kolbi line (in Costa Rica there are various phone providers, including Claro, Movistar, and Kolbi. Only Kolbi lines can be used to call 1311) or by going online to migracion.go.cr where the person registers and requests an appointment in the following: Crear Cita – Tipo de Cita – Plataforma Primera Vez – Extranjería.
One appointment is requested per person. Therefore, if you are a family of 7, you need 7 appointments.
You must request the appointment whilst having legal status in the country. If you already have irregular status, the appointment will not fix that. For example, if you entered the country and received a 10-day entry stamp and you request the appointment on the 11th day of your stay, you would already have irregular status.
The act of requesting the appointment is what grants you the ability to stay past your tourist days.
Per Immigration’s confirmation, you would be able to stay until the date of your appointment and beyond exclusively if you do file for Residency. Below document that confirms this, issued by Immigration.
Immigration has confirmed that people who book appointments for the sole purpose of extending their stay, without the intention of filing for Residency, will face consequences. The fines and penalties for this irregular approach are yet to be confirmed.

Final Notes

- - If your intention is not to file for Residency, refrain from booking an appointment. Immigration has confirmed that there will be fines and penalties for people who book appointments and fail to appear. The exact fines and penalties are yet to be confirmed, however, securing an appointment you do not plan on honoring is an abuse of the current system and consequences are to be expected.
  - Requesting the appointments suspends the expiration of the tourist entry stamp and the expiration of the documents. Consequently, if you book an appointment, you or your legal representatives will be expected to appear on the day granted by Immigration.
  - Appointments cannot be canceled nor rescheduled.
  - Attorneys have the privilege of scheduling appointments through the exclusive attorney window provided by the Bar Association at the Immigration Department in San Jose.

We will continue to publish further information as it comes through.

Outlier Legal will schedule and appear at all of our immigration clients’ appointments.

64 comments

Irene Brenes

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64 Comments

Dan Casey
January 21, 2021, 6:49 pm

For those that have documentation to show residency in progress, where do we stand? Thanks so much for the excellent information.
- Rafael Valverde@Dan Casey
  January 24, 2021, 7:38 am
  
  Dan,
  
  Please be more specific. Where you stand with what?
  - Majid Farahzad@Rafael Valverde
    February 9, 2021, 10:39 am
    
    Your website for making an appointment has been down for the past 2 days. And I don’t have costa rican phone to call the number. why do you guys make things complicated? just ask to send you the insurance extension papers along with passport picture. Thats all! Also I need the address to show up for appointment please.
    - Marianela Sánchez@Majid Farahzad
      February 10, 2021, 11:09 am
      
      Hi Majid! Thanks for reaching us. Immigration Department has had constant issues with their site, we recommend you to ask for an appointment calling to 1311 through a Kolbi mobile line.
Sarah Russo Sime
January 21, 2021, 9:18 pm

From above:
“Per Immigration’s confirmation, you would be able to stay until the date of your appointment and beyond exclusively if you do file for Residency. Below document that confirms this issued by Immigration.”

So if you have an appointment to apply for your residency, you can stay beyond March 2nd? Do I understand that correctly? If I understand this correctly, does carrying our appointment papers serve as proof? Is driving permitted under this circumstance? Thank you for this detailed post!
- Stacey Jennings@Sarah Russo Sime
  February 10, 2021, 2:34 pm
  
  Yes you are correct! Once you have a confirmed appointment with Immigration it will stop the clock on your stamp until the date of the appointment. And yes the appointment papers is what you need to show.
  - Angie @Stacey Jennings
    February 16, 2021, 2:54 pm
    
    This is great! We have an appointment to file for residency (through marriage) but it’s until July!
    
    I can’t find proof (not that I don’t appreciate all this information but when I try to confirm I’m ok to stay until my appointment at 1311 and other immigration officers, they all give me mixed data) that staying here past March 2nd is ok with the appointment though. The document posted above doesn’t actually say that I won’t have problems and can stay past March 2nd.
    
    Do you have the whole document you could share with me? Or any other information from immigration saying this is ok. I don’t want to have to wait all this time and be told on the appointment they won’t accept it or be deported.
    
    I’d rather not have to leave with a pandemic going on and have been hoping to find this confirmation in writing so when the time comes, I have backup.
    
    Thank you!
    - Stacey Jennings@Angie
      February 16, 2021, 4:27 pm
      
      When you made your appointment you would have received a confirmation email with your expediente number listed on it. That is the proof you need should you be stopped by Immigration. Once your appointment is booked you are extended to that date.
      - Angie @Stacey Jennings
        February 17, 2021, 6:08 pm
        
        Unfortunately, our email came with an appointment number only, no expediente number since the confirmation is to file for residency. Is the confirmation number enough? I’m guessing when we arrive at the appointment, they’ll give us an expediente number too.
      - Stacey Jennings@Angie
        February 18, 2021, 2:41 pm
        
        You receive an expediente number once the case has actually been filed. When you make your appointment you are given a Comprobante de Confirmacion de Cita #… that is the number you need to reference.
Sarah Russo Sime
January 21, 2021, 9:22 pm

Apologies if I’m posting this a second time. From above:
“Per Immigration’s confirmation, you would be able to stay until the date of your appointment and beyond exclusively if you do file for Residency. Below document that confirms this issued by Immigration.”

Does this mean that if we have an appointment to file for residency we are permitted to stay beyond March 2nd? And if my understanding is correct, does carrying our appointment papers suffice? Is there any other paperwork we should keep with us? And is driving permitted under these circumstances? Thank you!
- Stacey Jennings@Sarah Russo Sime
  February 10, 2021, 9:34 am
  
  If you have an appointment for residency, you are extended to the date of the appointment. Yes you will need to carry the confirmation of your appointment as proof of your extension. This does not apply to driving – you would need to leave the country and return in able to continue driving legally. If not you are subject to large fines and/or having your plates taken if stopped.
David Tupes
January 22, 2021, 8:09 am

Hello

Is this requirement ONLY for anyone who is extending their stay? If one arrives with all proper requirements for a 90 day stay (insurance, return flight, and all other needed items) there is no need to extend, correct? Thank you.
- Stacey Jennings@David Tupes
  February 10, 2021, 2:18 pm
  
  yes if you were given a 90 day stamp and you are staying within those days there is no need for anything additional on your end.
Wendy Smallridge
January 22, 2021, 8:14 am

Does this also apply if I have received the extension until March 2nd?
Can I apply for another 90 days?
- Stacey Jennings@Wendy Smallridge
  February 10, 2021, 9:25 am
  
  If you have been extended until March 2, 2021 your options are: apply for residency or leave the country and return on a “border run”.