Some helpful information to get you started with your Costa Rica wedding plans:

Costa Rican law permits U.S. citizens to get married here.
A lawyer can perform the required legal ceremony.
You will need the following documents:

To ensure a smooth marriage process, the following documents are required:

• – A valid passport.
  – A certified copy of your birth certificate.
  – If you have been previously married, you will need one of the following: a certified copy of the divorce decree OR a certified copy of your previous spouse’s death certificate.
  – If this is your first marriage, it is necessary to visit the Consular Section of the Embassy and make a sworn declaration of your marital status before a Consular Officer. There is a fee of $55 for this service.

For individuals marrying a Costa Rican citizen, the Costa Rican partner must provide:

• – A Costa Rican identity card (cédula de identidad).
  – A certificate from the Civil Registry confirming their single status (certificado de soltería del Registro Civil).

Please be aware that the marriage will not be recognized in the U.S. until a marriage certificate is issued by the Costa Rican Civil Registry (Registro Civil). It typically takes about 4-6 weeks for the marriage certificate to be issued.

The following steps must also be taken for the marriage to be officially recognized:

• – Translation of the documents into English by an official translator accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Relations (refer to the Ministry’s approved list of official translators).
  – Authentication of the documents by the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Relations.
  – Notarization and signature by the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy, which incurs a fee of $32.

A Costa Rican attorney can perform all the aforementioned steps. If you have any further questions, please contact the Consular Section at (506) 220-3050 or the US Embassy in Costa Rica