Costa Rica’s biometric passport has been issued since March 2022 and carries a chip with fingerprints, facial biometrics, and personal data. When it first came out, the immigration department said older passports remain valid until their last day of validity, with no need to renew them early.
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What Costa Rica’s Biometric Passport Is
It means the document has a chip that holds the person’s data, such as their face and fingerprints, along with their personal information, including passport number, full name, and sex.
In 2021, it was announced that this change would prevent forgery and tampering with this official document.
“This passport puts us on par with the latest trends in mobility worldwide,” Raquel Vargas, then Director General of Immigration, said in 2021.
Do I Have to Replace My Current Passport With the Biometric One?
In March 2022, the immigration department said there’s no need to renew before your passport expires. In August 2025, the same agency reported that it had already delivered 1.4 million biometric passports, that the goal is to reach two million, replacing the older models, and that it bought about 600,000 passport books for people who haven’t switched yet. If you have questions about your passport, call 1311.
If you decide to renew and your old passport is still valid, keep this in mind: Banco de Costa Rica warns that once you submit the new application, that passport becomes invalid and can’t be used, so you have to wait for the biometric one to arrive. Bring it to your appointment, along with a photocopy of the data page. If it has expired, don’t bring it, and if you no longer have it, it’s treated as lost, so you have to meet the requirements for a lost or stolen passport.
How Much the Biometric Passport Costs and Where to Get It
The biometric passport costs $75 plus ₡250, with 10 years of validity. If your appointment is at Correos de Costa Rica or Banco de Costa Rica, the immigration department says you must also pay an additional amount in cash at the appointment.
If you’re going to the immigration department or VES-Correos, you book by calling 1311. Banco de Costa Rica also handles renewals or replacements for damage, with appointments at bancobcr.com, in the BCR Móvil app, or at 800-BCRCITA (800-227-2482). Booking there is free, and a $15 bank fee and ₡5,763 for shipping are added to the cost of the passport. Everything is paid in cash and in colones, at the selling exchange rate for each item, and the only cards accepted are from Banco de Costa Rica.
As for the biometric passport requirements for adults, the 1311 line’s requirements sheet asks for an appointment in advance, your original ID card in good condition and valid, with a copy, the informed consent document, and proof of payment made at least 24 business hours beforehand, among other points. The $75 deposit is made in colones, along with the ₡250, at the BCCR exchange rate. For a minor to leave the country, they need a passport and an exit permit, both handled at the same appointment, and you can call 1311 for the rest of the requirements.
If your appointment is at Banco de Costa Rica, arrive 10 minutes early and don’t wear a white or black blouse or shirt, which makes it easier to take your photo.
The immigration department issues the document and Correos de Costa Rica ships it. The delivery time is the one shown on your appointment receipt, and you can track the shipment at correos.go.cr/rastreo. Factor in that time before you search for flights on a nearby date, so you don’t buy a ticket without having the document.
Colors and Design of Costa Rica’s New Passport
When it was announced in 2021, each immigration category got its own color: blue for the regular passport of Costa Ricans, red for the emergency passport of nationals, green for the identity and travel document of foreign nationals, and purple for the travel document of refugees, stateless people, and political asylees.
The 2021 announcement also included the same technology in safe-conduct passes and travel documents for refugees and foreign nationals, as well as in exit and entry permits for carriers and neighbor permits for people who live in border areas.
It was announced that this was the first time a passport had been designed by Costa Ricans, and its graphics were built around four themes representing the country: biodiversity, renewable energy, education and peace, and talent.
So before you travel, also check the validity your destination requires: the US, for example, has an exemption for Costa Rica.
