In the previous post we talked about whether or not you can get married in Costa Rica, being a foreigner, since it is the dream of many couples to get married in Costa Rican territory. The quick answer to the question is: Yes, you can marry in the Pura Vida land!
About weddings in Costa Rica, you should take into account that:
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Costa Rica since May 26, 2020, due to the Supreme Court of Justice ruling. Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to recognize and perform same-sex marriages.
You cannot «remarry» in Costa Rica if you are legally married. You may celebrate or renew the vows, but it will be a social event, not a legal one.
However, if you are a Costa Rican and marry abroad, you can register it before Registro Civil following the following process.
Recognition and Registration of Marriage celebrated abroad by a Costa Rican.
At least one of the spouses is Costa Rican, which also requires the registration for the marriage to be valid in the Costa Rican jurisdiction.
The request must be made by one of the spouses and filed before the Costa Rican Registro Civil, along with an original apostilled marriage certificate issued by the corresponding authority in the country where the marriage occurred. If the certificate is in a language other than Spanish, it must be translated by an official translator, approved, and registered before the CR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The formal request must indicate an e-mail address for notifications. The resolution period is around eight weeks.
We at GM Attorneys will be pleased to help you with your legal matters in Costa Rica! Please contact us at info@gmattorneyscr.com or visit our website and blog section.