Costa Rican authorities have simplified the apostille procedure for COVID-19 vaccination certificates. Previously, to obtain this service, it was necessary to apply only to the Authentication Department of the Directorate General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion of Costa Rica, now it can be issued through any of the 110 offices of the National Post Office (Correos de Costa Rica).
A vaccination certificate with an apostille stamp will allow persons vaccinated in Costa Rica to confirm this fact on the territory of other states that have signed the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961.
The simplification of the apostilization procedure was made possible by the signing of agreements between the National Postal Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. At the same time, the postal service does not affix the apostille itself, but in a short time delivers the document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then returns it to the same department in which it was accepted. The maximum period for apostille under this procedure is 8 working days.
In addition to COVID-19 vaccination certificates, certificates from the Civil Registry can now also be certified in a similar way.
