RENEWAL OF THE COSTA RICAN IDENTIFICATION CARD (CÉDULA)
To renew your Costa Rican identity card, you must appear in person at the General Consulate in Berlin or at the Honorary Consulate closest to your place of residence.
Requirements prior to the appointment:
Send a letter of application signed by the applicant to the CLOAKING or to the Honorary Consulate closest to the applicant's residence.
The letter must include: Full name
- Identity card number
- Email address and phone number
- Indication of dominant hand (right or left)
- Voting location:
- If voting abroad: indicate Berlin as your electoral residence.
- If voting in Costa Rica: provide the exact address of your residence in the country.
Documents to present on the day of the appointment:
1. Expired or soon-to-expire identity card.
- If your valid card was stolen or lost due to theft, you must present a copy of the police report filed with the local authorities.
- If the card was misplaced, this must be stated in the request letter.
2. Two printed photographs, recent and in color, preferably with a light gray background (white is also acceptable), with the following dimensions:
4.5 cm high x 4 cm wide
Estimated processing time:
The process takes approximately two months, starting from the moment the Civil Registry in Costa Rica receives your request.
Once your identity card is issued, the TSE will send it to the General Consulate in Berlin or the corresponding Honorary Consulate.
The Consulate sends requests to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) once per month.
If you would like your identity card to be sent to you separately, you may request an individual delivery by choosing one of the following options
- Individual shipment: Include German postal stamps with a value of €7.20 to cover the shipping cost from Germany to Costa Rica.
- Courier service: Cover the shipping cost through a courier company of your choice.
Consular Fee: Free of charge.
Legal Basis:
- - Constitution of Costa Rica, Articles 95 subparagraph 2) and 104 subparagraph 3).
- - Organic law 3504 of the Electoral Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones) and Articles 73, 75, 76, 88 subparagraphs c), 89, 92 y 93 of the Civil Registry (Registro Civil).
- - Resolution 2337-E of setember, 6, 2004, del TSE.
