In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country’s interests in Costa Rica, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Costa Rica.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Costa Rica does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate?

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy also has a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or another emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Costa Rica, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Costa Rica

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends on the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizens residing abroad.

The capital of Costa Rica, San José hosts 38 embassies.

There are also 47 consulates and another representation located in Costa Rica.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in San José, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Costa Rica and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Costa Rica. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates, and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in San José

China

Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica

Address: From the house of Don Oscar Arias 100 meters south and 50 meters west, Rohrmoser, San José
Tel: (+506) 2290 1963
E-Mail:  san-jose@csm.mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/EmbajadaChinaCostaRica
Opening hours: Embassy: Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Consular Section: Monday and Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as document authentication and legalisation processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, visa affairs, and consular protection to all Chinese living abroad.

France

French Embassy in Costa Rica

Address: From the Mitsubishi dealership, 200m south and 25m west (from the Mitsubishi agency 200 meters south and 25 meters west). 12-2300 Curridabat, San José
Tel: (+506) 2234 4201
E-Mail: san-jose.consulat@diplomatie.gouv.fr  
Social Media: https://twitter.com/FranceCR and https://www.instagram.com/franceaucostarica/ and https://www.facebook.com/FranceauCostaRica
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in San José, France another honorary consulate in Puerto Viejo (Limón).

The French Embassy in Costa Rica provides Consular Services such as record declarations (birth, recognition, death), requests for passports or identity cards, publications of banns (marriage) as well as for the transcription of acts of civil status issued by authorities in Costa Rica.

Germany

German Embassy in Costa Rica

Address: La Sabana Tower, Américas’ Avenue 60 St, 4017-1000 San José
Tel: (+506) 2290 9091
E-Mail:  info@san-jose.diplo.de
Social Media: https://twitter.com/alemaniaencr and https://www.instagram.com/alemaniaencr/ and https://www.facebook.com/alemaniaencr/
Opening hours: Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The consular section of the Embassy provides assistance and support, both legal and practical to all German citizens residing or passing through Costa Rica with procedures such as: Passports, German ID cards, Visas, signature authentications, certifications and consular documents (eg life certificate, birth registries, certifications, etc.), document translation and apostille services, among others.

Japan

Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica

Address: North Savannah, 300m. West and 25m. North of ICE. La Sabana Tower 10th Floor, 501-1000 San José
Tel: (+506) 2232 1255 / 2231 0357
E-Mail:  embjapon@sj.mofa.go.jp and japon-consulado@sj.mofa.go.jp for the consular service
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/EmbajadadelJaponenCostaRica
Opening hours: 8:00 - 12:00 and 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday)

The Japanese embassy provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalisation (birth certificate, marriage and death certificate, etc…) and police clearance certificate.

Russia

Embassy of Russia in Costa Rica

Address: 100 m North, 150 m East of the Church of Santa Teresita, 6340-1000 San Jose
Tel: (+506) 2256 9181 and 2221 1639 for the Consular Section
E-Mail:  rusemb.costarica@mail.ru
Social Media: https://twitter.com/recostarica and https://www.facebook.com/embajadacr
Opening hours: Tuesday, Friday: from 10:00 to 13:00 (for all questions, except for registry office issues, citizenship, registration and replacement of passports)
Thursday: from 10:00 to 13:00 (on issues of civil registry office, citizenship, registration and replacement of passports) - strictly by appointment by email rusemb.costarica@mail.ru

For services such as issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation, visa and passport processing as well as document legalization, registration of powers of attorney, pension issues, payments and inheritances, etc. it is requested to visit the Consular Section located in the same building, under appointment. 

Spain

Spanish Embassy in Costa Rica

Address: 32 Street (between Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda), San José
Tel: (+506) 2221 0534 / 2222 5745
E-Mail: emb.sanjose@maec.es and emb.sanjose.pas@maec.es for the Consular Service
Social Media: https://twitter.com/embespcostarica and https://www.instagram.com/embespcr/ and https://www.facebook.com/embespcr
Opening hours: 8:00 - 12:00 (Monday to Friday)

The Embassy of Spain in Costa Rica, based in San José, offers consular services to handle the processing of passports and visas, Civil Registry queries (births, marriages, deaths, acquisition of nationality, family books), inquiries about the electoral process, registration, and cancellations in the consular registry, CERA and to carry out notarial procedures (powers of attorney, minutes of statements, wills, etc.), among others.

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

Embassy of the United Kingdom in Costa Rica

Address: Colon Center 11th Floor, Paseo Colón, 815-1007 San Jose
Tel: (+506) 2258 2025
E-Mail: ukin.costarica@fcdo.gov.uk
Social Media: https://twitter.com/UKinCostaRica and https://www.facebook.com/ukincostarica
Opening hours: Mondays to Thursdays, from 08:00 to 12:00 and 12:30 to 16:00 and on Fridays from 08:00 to 13:00

The British Embassy in San Jose de Costa Rica has overall responsibility for the relations of the British government with the country of Nicaragua.

The British Embassy in Costa Rica provides services to British nationals living and visiting Costa Rica, including commercial, consular, visa and information services. As well as notarial services, including certificates, letters, and notes available.

You can also apply for an emergency travel document if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Costa Rica

Address: The intersection of Central Avenue and 120 Street in Pavas, San Jose
Tel: (+506) 2519 2000
E-Mail: consularsanjose@state.gov
Social Media: https://twitter.com/usembassysjo and https://www.instagram.com/usembassysjo/ and https://www.facebook.com/sanjose.usembassy and https://www.youtube.com/usembassysjo
Opening hours: Monday through Thursday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM and Fridays from 8:00 to 2:00PM

The US representation in Costa Rica provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, assistance on death of a U.S. citizen and emergency financial assistance, etc.

Honorary Consulates in Costa Rica

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Costa Rica, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other countries, often Ciudad de Panama, in Panama or Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico for Costa Rica.

General Consulates and embassies in San José

• Argentina (erica@mrecic.gov.ar)
• Australia (assistant.aushonconsul.cr@gmail.com)
• Belgium (consubelcr@gmail.com)
• Brazil (brasemb.saojose@itamaraty.gov.br)
• Canada (sjcra@international.gc.ca)
• Colombia (esanjose@cancilleria.gov.co)
• India
• Mexico (embcrica@sre.gob.mx)
• Panama (embpanamacostarica@mire.gob.pa)
• South Africa (consurafricacr@gmail.com)