Q COSTA RICA — Starting September 1, Costa Rica’s immigration authority, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), will roll out the Categoría Especial Temporal Complementaria (CETC) — Special Temporary Complementary Category, a program designed to help thousands of foreign nationals with established connections to Costa Rica regularize their immigration status.
The goal is to offer a clear path to legal residency and work permits for those who qualify under the criteria set by the authorities.
This category targets nationals from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, and Colombia who applied for refugee status between June 1, 2014, and May 7, 2026, whose application is still pending, was declared unfounded, or was definitively denied.
Applicants must have lived continuously in Costa Rica since filing their application and must not hold another approved or pending immigration status.
Key requirements include proving ties to Costa Rica through documents that confirm residency, such as enrollment in educational programs, school registration for children, evidence of healthcare coverage from the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), or other official papers from public institutions.
Applicants also need to provide a birth certificate and a criminal record certificate from their home country—or any country where they’ve lived in the past three years—properly apostilled or legalized. Additionally, an identity document and proof of fingerprinting must be submitted.
Before approving any application, the DGME will conduct national and international background checks. Anyone posing a security risk or with disqualifying criminal records will be denied.
The application form is free and downloadable from the official website.
Those granted the CETC will be allowed to live and work legally in Costa Rica, either as employees or self-employed. The permit lasts two years and can be renewed for additional two-year periods, as long as the holder continues to meet the requirements, including maintaining active social security coverage with the Caja.
Once approved, applicants must complete all required paperwork within the deadline set by the DGME and pay the fees associated with their immigration document, as well as any other charges mandated by current rules.
Applications will be accepted by appointment only from September 1, 2026, through September 1, 2027.
With this initiative, Costa Rican authorities aim to provide a long-awaited path to legal status for many who have faced years of immigration uncertainty, while also easing the backlog in the country’s refugee system.