PASSPORT WITH NEW DESIGN AND BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY
Starting March 7th, 2022, biometric passports will begin to be issued.
Since last year, when we celebrated the 200th anniversary of our independence, we commemorated our symbols and the elements that represent us as a country. The previous design of the passport and the new biometric passport are completely two different worlds, it could be said that there is no other passport in the world with such visual richness; every time the pages of the biometric passport are turned, the elements that define us as Costa Ricans are observed, transmitting to the world what our essence “Essential Costa Rica” is about.
The project was carried out by the national authorities during the year 2021 in the middle of the pandemic, which they achieved through an articulated work between the institutions of “Essential Costa Rica” jointly with the General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs. The final result has been very satisfactory.
Design:
The graphic design of the new biometric passport is based on four representative themes of Costa Rica, as follows: 1. Biodiversity, 2. Renewable Energy, 3. Education and Peace, and, 4. Talent. The Authorities inform “this is the first time that the design of a passport is done by Costa Ricans”; in the pages of the document elements referring to each of the topics are shown, as follows:
- Biodiversity: islands, hammerhead shark, waves, turtles, corals, butterflies and sloths.
- Renewable energy: volcanoes and hydroelectric plants.
- Education and peace: the act and torch of independence, books, schools and the “Pura Vida” expression.
- Talent: pre-Columbian spheres, sculptures, boruca masks, marimba, calypso and even the native swing dance.
Issuance:
Any Costa Rican person who requires an ordinary biometric passport must present themselves to the central or regional Migration offices, Costa Rica offices Bank, VES Costa Rica Post Offices or the Consulates General of Costa Rica abroad, to file the application for the ordinary passport. The new Costa Rican passport has biometric characteristics (fingerprinting) that will allow the validation of the identity of those who apply for this passport, that is why it is necessary to request this in person.
Security measures:
- Chip: The new passport has a chip and an antenna embedded to store the citizen’s data in order to make biometric validations, such as fingerprints.
- Polycarbonate data page: A flexible and thin data page, made of 100% polycarbonate material, is included in the new passport, which provides a longer service life and allows new security measures to be incorporated.
- Color photo: A bright and durable color photo is incorporated into the polycarbonate data page, using a printing technique that combines a photo with vivid colors in combination with laser engraving. The photo must be taken in accordance with ICAO specifications, and the system will not allow with the application, until it complies with the established.
- Biometric data: Fingerprints will be taken from people over 18 years of age and older, which will allow the validation of their identity.
Validity:
The passport will be valid for ten years.
Cost:
The cost of the passport is $ 75.00 dollars plus ₡ 250.00 colones.
Deactivation of the “previous” passport:
Passports issued before March 7th of this year will remain valid until the date of their expiration. If a Costa Rican files the new passport application, the previous one will be deactivated in the system, in addition to canceling the physical document that the applicant is presenting. In exceptional cases, the cancellation of the physical passport may be omitted, but any previous document must be deactivated from the system. The information of passports deactivated for theft or other is included daily in the Interpol System, therefore, if the person reports it as stolen and then the passport appears, the person should not use it because it has already been notified to Interpol and the Costa Rican may have inconveniences in international transit.
Passport withdrawal:
The withdrawal of the ordinary passport is a personal act because the Immigration Document System has a module for delivering passports by fingerprint and signature. In exceptional cases such as the issuance of passports in Consulates of Costa Rica, the delivery of passports by courier is authorized, for which the user must file the request, freeing the consulate from any responsibility for the delivery of passport. The passport sent must be delivered by the courier only to the holder of the document; in the case of minors, it must be withdrawn by the parents or legal representative. The ordinary biometric passport has a chip and antenna and must be packed in a special envelope for protection.
Emergency passport:
This document was created for those Costa Ricans who have a valid ordinary passport, as well as for those that applied for a visa, and it has not been delivered by the corresponding Consulate and / or Embassy. Also, for those cases in which people find it difficult to present themselves to the consulate and comply with the procedures established for the ordinary biometric passport such as photo, signature and fingerprints for the issuance of the ordinary passport. For your request, you must expose your situation to the email pasaportes@migracion.go.cr and in twenty-four hours you will be provided with the information. This procedure is carried out only at Central Migration Offices located in La Uruca. The emergency passport will be valid for one year.
TIM requirements for minors, over 12 years old:
With the implementation of the new Immigration Documents System (SDM), people under 12 years of age do not require the presentation of the Birth Certificate since the system has access to the National Registry. If this procedure is filed before the Bank of Costa Rica (BCR) or the Post Offices, the birth certificate must be presented.
Consents:
The applicant must sign an “informed consent” document in order to allow the use of the personal data during the application.
Passport comparison:
| Validity | 6 years | 10 years |
| Cost | $56 + 250 colones | $75 + 250 colones |
| Data | Information system with data | Contactless chip with biographical and biometric information that completes the logical security of the document |
| Storage | Biometric data such as the fingerprint of two fingers and passport number and personal data, passport number equal ID number. | Biometric data such as fingerprints of 10 fingers, as well as passport number different from the ID and personal data, such as self-perceived gender of the people who made the change in the Civil Registry. |
| Security Measures | Sheets with figures that are completed against the light and safety strips embedded in the paper, among others | Holograms, visible figures in intaglio prints, 3D drawing, latent image, Essential brand, security polycarbonate sheet with personal information, among others. |
| Design | Made by the European company supplying the passport | By Costa Rican designers |