British Embassy in Costa Rica

Costa Rican students fight climate change with letter campaign

With the support of the Costa Rican Ministry of Education the campaign has collected over 60,000 letters written by Costa Rican school children.

Kids plant trees to save the planet

Boys from the Ciudad de los Niños School plant 50 trees to help offset the Embassy´s carbon footprint and to mark 50 years of the institution.

Copenhagen negotiations

Following the first week of negotiations, Britain has pledged £1.5 billion to combat climate change. UK Ministers are in Copenhagen to secure an ambitious, effective and fair agreement. Follow progress.

British Embassy in Costa Rica

CURRENT ISSUES:

Traveling to or via US?

British travellers must register their travel details on the US' Department of Homeland Security website, ESTA "Electronic System for Travel Authorization" -(https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov). This must be done prior to travel, preferably a minimum of 72 hours before departure.

We strongly recommend that you carry a copy of your ESTA clearance as an airline may refuse you to board your flight if you cannot provide evidence that clearance to enter the US has been granted. This also applies to those with a valid US visa. Further information can be found on FCO Travel Advice.

Intern Position at the Embassy

We shall be celebrating the Queen´s Birthday Party this year at HM Ambassador´s Residence in Escazú on 17 April 2010.

This year we are looking for someone to help with the organisation of the event in a voluntary capacity. If you want more information...

Missing British National - Appeal for help

Michael George Dixon, 33 years old, was last seen in Tamarindo Beach on 19 October 2009. If anyone has any information on his possible whereabouts please ring (506) 8896-4120

Are you British? Do you live in Costa Rica or in Nicaragua? Please register online! Only takes a moment - go to LOCATE

Full Passports no longer issued at British Embassy San José

As from 9 November 2009 the passport service for British nationals in Costa Rica and Nicaragua was moved from San José to Washington. All applications and supporting documents need to be sent direct to the UK Passport Service Centre for the Americas and Caribbean in the British Embassy in Washington. The Passport team in Washington aim to issue new passports within 10 working days of receiving the correct documents and information (excluding transit time). In the meantime the British Embassy in San José will continue to issue Emergency Passports for people who need to travel urgently. Please pass Passports for more information. Applicants from Honduras and El Salvador should also follow the same instructions. However for an emergency passport they should contact the British Embassy in Guatemala (embassy@intelnett.com).

LATEST NEWS

PM seeks deal in Copenhagen
17 December 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged leaders of the 192 nations represented at the UN Climate Conference to reach an agreement that seeks to limit long term global temperature rise to no more than two degrees.

Climate change will cost 137% of current GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2100
16 December 2009
The ECLAC study projects that without international mitigation efforts, the region could suffer important losses in agriculture and biodiversity, strong pressures on infrastructure and a growing intensity of extreme weather events.