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Foreigners will have fewer headaches when renewing their national identification cards, under a new program introduced by Costa Rica government officials on Tuesday.
Those people with permanent resident status can now renew their cédulas –government-issued identification cards – in 32 of the Bank of Costa Rica (BCR) branches throughout the country.
Those applying for their first cédula still will have to make their appointments directly with the immigration department.
The renewal service begins with a call to 800-BCR-CITA. This is the same number Costa Ricans call to make an appointment for passport or driver’s license renewal, other services offered by the bank.
During and after the telephone call, the appointments clerk checks the residency status of the caller with the immigration department. So when the foreigner shows up at the designated bank branch for the appointment, much of the paperwork already is done. At the appointment, the bank clerk collects the $48 fee and a $5 fee for delivery of the cédula via Correos de Costa Rica. The foreigner submits prints of both index fingers and poses for a photo.
To apply for a cédula – which is used for everything from opening a bank account to renting a car – foreigners with permanent status should now be able to call for an appointment, make one trip to the bank and then wait 22 days to receive the card.
Edited on May 20, 2009 13:49
Thank you for this… I have to renew my permanent resident cedula in July and will try to use this and report back…
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comMy wife and I along with my 3 year old just renewed ours this morning after making an appointment yesterday afternoon. We asked to have it done in Liberia. We were on time for our 8:20 AM appointment, we were brought into the office at 8:55, all three out by 10 AM (they had a problem with the finger print machine). We paid our fee’s and received a copy of our application. We will pick up our new cedula’s at the post office in Playas Del Coco on June 16th. Not too bad I would say, it saved me a 4 hour drive to San Jose! Shaun.
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