# FAQs: Attesting Costa Rica Documents > Frequently asked questions about obtaining Apostille in Costa Rica and to legalize Costa Rica documents for use in other countries - birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record certificates, academic documents and more. **Source** [Costa Rica](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Costa-Rica-attestation-FAQs)> **Related:** [Apostille Costa Rica Documents for international use](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Costa-Rica-Legalization-Services) · [Get a Quotation](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Document-Attestation-Inquiry) --- ## General Questions ### Can Costa Rica documents be legalized by Apostille? Yes - Costa Rica is a member of the Apostille Convention. Costa Rica documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country. When Costa Rica documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Thailand - Taiwan - Vietnam they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country. For further information about Apostille certification in Costa Rica, see: [Costa Rica Apostille Services](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Costa-Rica-Legalization-Services) ### What types of documents can be legalized in Costa Rica for use abroad? Documents which can be authenticated in Costa Rica with an Apostille Stamp include: - Costa Rican marriage certificate - Birth and death certificates stamped and signed by Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones - Criminal Record Certificates (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales) signed by the Secretaría General de la Corte Suprema de Justicia - University diplomas signed by a public official (public universities) or certified by either by Viceministerio Académico del Ministerio de Educación Pública or Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria Privada - School certificates certified by Dirección de Gestión y Evaluación de la Calidad del MEP - Documents authenticated by a recognised Professional Association (Colegio Profesional) - Affidavits, powers of attorney and other documents certified by a Costa Rica notary public. - For further information, see: [Public officials in Costa Rica with registered signatures](https://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=servicios&cat=autenticaciones&cont=732)To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in Costa Rica, please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) and Isarey’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about Isarey's Costa Rica apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Costa Rica documents, see: [Costa Rica Apostille Services](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Costa-Rica-Legalization-Services) ### How long does it take to obtain an apostille on a document in Costa Rica? Apostilles in Costa Rica take **2 - 5 business days** (COSTA RICA: Apostilles in Costa Rica are normally processed in 2 - 5 business days, depending on the availability of appointments at the Ministry of External Relations and Worship. NOTE: All processing times are estimated. Actual processing time is dependant on the authentication authority and is subject to change without prior notice.) depending on the availability of appoints at the Ministry of External Relations and Worship. ### Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Costa Rica Attestation and Apostille Services? You can see reviews from past clients who have used Isarey's attestation and apostille services: - [ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/isarey-document-attestation.com) - [ISAREY reviews on Google](https://goo.gl/maps/cuvbEYN25Xg5b8jg7) ### What is a Costa Rica Apostille Stamp and why would I need one? A Costa Rica Apostille is a certificate that is affixed to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Costa Rica and confirms the capacity of that official. Costa Rica Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Costa Rica document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in Costa Rica (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the [Hague Apostille Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention) For more information on Apostilles, see: [The ABCs of Apostilles (PDF)](https://assets.hcch.net/upload/abc12e.pdf) ### What is document legalization in Costa Rica? Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Costa Rica document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Costa Rica birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized. Legalizing a document in Costa Rica certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Costa Rica and confirms the capacity of that official. - Because Costa Rica is a member of the Apostille Convention, Costa Rica documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the [Hague Apostille Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention) - If a Costa Rica document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by Costa Rica authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in Costa Rica or non-resident embassy accredited to Costa Rica). See: [Document legalization - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_legalization) ### What services does Isarey Certification Services provide in Costa Rica? Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in Costa Rica including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services. ### What do Costa Rica Apostilles and legalizations look like? Costa Rica Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Costa Rica documents certified with Apostille stamps: - [Costa Rica Marriage Certificate with Apostille](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/dc/Costa-Rica-marriage-certificate-Apostille) See [What does an Apostille look like?](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/FAQs-Document-Attestation#faq_236_s) ## Birth, death and marriage certificates ### How can I obtain a copy of a Costa Rica birth, marriage or death certificate? Digital copies of Costa Rica death, marriage and birth certificates can be obtained online. If an Apostille is required, the certificate must then be physically certified by Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. - [Costa Rica birth, death or marriage certificates](https://www.consulta.tse.go.cr/appcdi#/) If you require a Costa Rica marriage certificate or other civil status certificate authenticated in Costa Rica with an Apostille, please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) and Isarey can obtain the certificate in your behalf. ### How can I obtain an apostille for a Costa Rica birth, death or marriage certificate? Apostilles for Costa Rica birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained from the Ministry of External Relations and Worship in San Jose. Certificates must be physically signed by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Isarey can arrange certification and apostille authentication of digital certificates, or Isarey can obtain certificates in Costa Rica on behalf of clients requiring apostille authentication. ### I need an apostille for my Costa Rica birth, death or marriage certificate - do I need to provide an original certificate? You do not need to provide the original certificate. To obtain an Apostille for a Costa Rica birth, death or marriage certificate, you can send Isarey the digital certificate, or Isarey can obtain the certificate on your behalf. Isarey will then certify the certificate at the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones for submission to the Apostille office of the Ministry of External Relations and Worship in San Jose. ## Criminal record certificates ### How can I obtain an Apostille on a Costa Rica criminal record certificate? Costa Rica criminal record certificates (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales) must be physically signed by Secretaría General de la Corte Suprema de Justicia for submission to the Ministry of External Relations and Worship for authentication by Apostille.Isarey can collect criminal record certificates from the Judicial Register of the Supreme Court in San Jose and obtain the necessary certifications and Apostilles. Certificates must be marked "para usos varios internacionales". Please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) for assistance before submitting your application for a criminal record through the judicial website or Costa Rica embassy, ### I need an apostille for my Costa Rica criminal record certificate - do I need to provide an original certificate? To obtain an Apostille, the original criminal record certificate is required, stamped and signed by the Secretaría General de la Corte Suprema de Justicia. Isarey can collect certificates applied for online or through a Costa Rica embassy from the Judicial Register of the Supreme Court for submission to the Apostille office of the Ministry of External Relations and Worship. ### How can I obtain my Costa Rica Criminal Record Certificate to use abroad? Applicants with a Costa Rica electronic signature can apply for a Costa Rica Criminal Record Certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales online. Applicants without an electronic signature can obtain a username and password from a judicial office in Costa Rica. - [Apply online for a Costa Rica Criminal Record](https://pj.poder-judicial.go.cr/) - Applicants outside Costa Rica will need to apply to the nearest [Costa Rica embassy](https://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=misiones&cat=deCR), providing a copy of their Costa Rican identity card or foreign passport.In both cases, certificates can be collected from the Judicial Register of the Supreme Court in San Jose. To be valid for an Apostille, certificates must be marked "para usos varios internacionales". ## Academic documents ### How can I legalize a Costa Rica degree certificate for submission to the United Arab Emirates? Degree certificates from Costa Rica universities requiring attestation for submission to authorities of the United Arab Emirates must be physically signed by a public official (public universities) or certified by the Viceministerio Académico del Ministerio de Educación pública or Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria Privada. They can then be legalized by the Ministry of External Relations and Worship and the UAE embassy in San Jose. ### How can I legalize a Costa Rica degree certificate for submission to Saudi Arabia? Degree certificates from Costa Rica universities requiring attestation for submission to authorities of Saudi Arabia must be physically signed by a public official (public universities) or certified by the Viceministerio Académico del Ministerio de Educación pública or Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria Privada. They can then be legalized by the Ministry of External Relations and Worship with an Apostille Stamp. Attestation by the Saudi embassy is no longer required since Saudi Arabia acceded to the Apostille Convention. ### How can I obtain an apostille for my Costa Rica University Degree and Transcripts? Degree certificates from Costa Rica universities can be authenticated with an Apostille when physically signed by a public official (public universities) or certified by the Viceministerio Académico del Ministerio de Educación pública or Consejo Nacional de Enseñanza Superior Universitaria Privada. ### How can I obtain an apostille for my Costa Rica School Records? Apostilles for Costa Rica Primary and Secondary School diplomas can be obtained from the Ministry of External Relations and Worship. Certificates require prior certification by the Dirección de Gestión y Evaluación de la Calidad del MEP. ## Notarized documents ### How can I obtain an apostille for a Costa Rica Power of Attorney? Costa Rica Apostilles from the Ministry of External Relations and Worship can be applied to powers of attorney that have signed in Costa Rica before a notary public. The notary's signature must then be certified by the National Notarial Directorate (Dirección Nacional de Notariado).