How to register the birth of a British national

If you would like to register the birth of a British National in Costa Rica, then you should complete an application form and send it to the British Consulate, San José.

Documents to be provided are:

• Father's birth certificate
• Mother's birth certificate
• Child's birth certificate
• Fee: ¢98.000
• Copy of birth certificate: ¢63.000
  

However these documents can vary according to the date of birth of the child, so please check with the Consular Section, British Embassy, San José.

Please note that before you can apply for a consular birth registration you will need to register the birth with the Costa Rican civil authorities and obtain a Costa Rican birth certificate.

The benefits of applying for a consular birth registration are:

• An entry will be made in the birth register by the British Consulate, San Jose.
• You will be provided with an official British birth certificate.
• A record of the birth will be held by the General Register Office in the UK.

Consular birth registration is not a legal requirement and as long as the child is eligible they will be able to obtain a British passport without British birth certificate.  However it is recommended for the reasons mentioned above.

How to register the death of a British national

If you would like to register the death of a British national in Costa Rica you should complete the application form below and send it to our British Embassy in San Jose.

Documents to be provided are:

• Local death certificate
• Document of  ID of deceased
• Fee: ¢88.000
• Copy of death certificate: ¢56.500
  

Neither form of registration is compulsory; however it is proof of citizenship and provides a permanent record of the event.

Please note that before you can apply for a consular death registration you will need to register the death with the Costa Rican civil authorities, and obtain a full Costa Rican death certificate.

The benefits of applying for a consular death registration are:

• An entry will be made in the death register by the British Embassy in San Jose.
• You will be provided with an official British death certificate.
• A record of the death will also be held by the General Register Office in the UK, and a certified British death certificate can be obtained from that office.

Consular death registration is not a legal requirement, however it is recommended for the reasons mentioned above.