Legal ServicesHome > Consulate > Legal Services

Legalization of Documents

Documents issued in Canada to be legalized by the Consulate of Costa Rica in Ottawa have to be previously authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) (Authentication of Documents Office at 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ONT, K1A 0G2, tel. 613- 994-4000.); or by a provincial authority.

Province	Authentication authorities
Ontario	Ministry of Government Services, Official Documents Services
Quebec	Chambre des Notaires du Québec Barreau du Québec
Alberta	Alberta Justice and Attorney General / Official Documents and Appointments Law Society of Alberta
British Columbia	Manager of the Order in Council Administration Office The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia The Law Society of British Columbia>
Manitoba	Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs
New Brunswick	Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of New Brunswick Deputy Clerk of the Executive Council for the Province of New Brunswick
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
P.E.I.	Law Society of Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan	Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Deputy Provincial Secretary>

 

Criminal Record Check

Criminal record checks issued by the RCMP or by local or provincial police stations in Canada must be notarized by a Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths, and then, authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), or by the corresponding provincial authority, prior to sending them to the Consulate for legalization.

 

Private and legal documents

All documents signed by a representative of a private entity or corporation, financial or banking institutions, or legal documents, must be notarized by a Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths, then authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, or by the corresponding provincial authority, prior to sending them to the Consulate for legalization.

 

Birth, marriage and death certificates

The Consulate can legalize directly originals of birth, marriage and death certificates issued by Vital Statistics or by the Office of the Registrar General of the provinces.  We do not legalize plastic, wallet-sized versions of these certificates.

Province	Authentication authorities
Ontario	Registrar General (Nacimientos, matrimonies, etc)
Quebec	Directeur de l’état civil
Alberta	Vital Statistics, Director
British Columbia	Vital Statistics, Director
Manitoba	Vital Statistics
New Brunswick	Vital Statistics
Nova Scotia	Registrar General
Newfoundland and Labrador	Vital Statistics, Registrar General
P.E.I.	Vital Statistics, Director
Saskatchewan	Vital Statistics
Yukon	Vital Statistics

 

Marriage search documents issued by the province of Ontario must be notarized, and then authenticated by DFAIT or Ontario Province Authority, prior to sending them to the Consulate for legalization.

 

Payment of consular fee for legalization of documents

Corresponding consular fee must be deposited at Bank of Montreal, account No. 0005-4608-520, “Embassy of Costa Rica – Consular Services”.
If you make the deposit by wire transfer, you must add US$14 for banking service charges. 
Cash payments are not accepted at the Consulate.
Find a summary of main consular fees:

Consular Services	Consular fee
Legalization of signatures registered at the consulate	US$ 40.00
Legalization of diplomas and transcripts of Costa Rican citizens.	US$10.00. Proof of Costa Rican citizenship presenting ID, valid Passport, or birth certificate with no more than one year of issuance. FREE OF CHARGE. Costa Rican students with scholarship must present a proof of that condition.
Legalization of diplomas and transcripts of foreign students.	US$15.00
Legalization of birth certificates, marriage or death of Costa Rican citizens, with the purpose of registration at Civil Registry of Costa Rica.	FREE OF CHARGE
Authentication of power of attorney for the registration of a trade mark or patent.	US$80.00

Click here to Access the complete Consular Fee decree No. 35757-RE, dated January 4th, 2010.

 

Processing and return of documents                   

You can send by mail the documents to be legalized by the Consulate. Please be sure to follow the steps previously explained. Together with the documents you must enclose the receipt of deposit of the corresponding consular fee, and a pre-paid envelope, with the address of the receiver, to return the documents.

 

Final steps in the process of legalization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica

The documents legalized by the Consulate must be taken to the Authentication Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica (Avenue 7-9, Calles 11-13, San José, Costa Rica), for the authentication of Consul’s signature.

Documents issued in other language than Spanish to be valid in Costa Rica must be translated by an official translator.  The list of official translators is available at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. 

List

For additional questions about the procedure on documents legalization, please send your enquiry to (consulado.ottawa@costaricaembassy.com).

 

Power of Attorney

For Powers of Attorney, please send a request by e-mail to the Consul General (consulado.ottawa@costaricaembassy.com), in order to receive indications of the steps to follow in each particular case. 
The consular fee for Powers of Attorney is US$100.00.  Consular fee must be deposited at Bank of Montreal, account No. 0005-4608-520, “Embassy of Costa Rica – Consular Services”.  If you make the deposit by wire transfer, you must add US$14 for banking service charges.   Cash payments are not accepted at the Consulate.
Appointments are required for the signature of the powers of attorney, which will be coordinated directly with the Consul General, by e-mail.  The date of the appointment, the interested party must bring the deposit of the corresponding consular fee, and other documentation that the General Consul may require.

 

International Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats

All pets traveling to Costa Rica must have an International Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats, issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. You  should download this document from the Agency's website and it has to be completed by a veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Canada and then presented to an official government veterinarian to be endorsed. The examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to traveling to Costa Rica. The required vaccinations are: distemper, hepatitis, lestospirosis, parvovirus and rabies (for animals 4 months or older).After this process, the document should be sent to the Consulate of Costa Rica in order for it to be legalized.