Central America
Costa Rica
Has hosted one of the highest numbers of asylum seekers per capita in the Americas, mostly from Nicaragua, through its national refugee unit.
At a glance, for someone deciding whether to come here
Not tourist facts — the things that actually shape daily life while your case is pending and after it's decided.
How you could qualify to enter this system
- In-land asylum application to the General Directorate of Migration's refugee unit
- New: a special temporary residence category opening 1 September 2026, for people from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, or Colombia whose asylum claim is pending, denied, or was filed between 1 June 2014 and 7 May 2026
How the process generally works
Applicants register with the refugee unit, receive a temporary document while the claim is processed, and attend an interview. The backlog has been severe — over 220,000 applications pending as of mid-2025, about 83% of them Nicaraguan — though it fell from roughly 217,600 cases in 2024 to about 178,000 in 2025 through file cleanup and system upgrades, not primarily faster decisions.
Step by step
Register with the refugee unit
Part of the General Directorate of Migration; you receive a temporary document while the claim is processed.
Interview
As part of the CVRR's (Commission on Restricted Visas and Refugees) first-instance review.
First-instance decision Real waits have run years, given the backlog
By the CVRR.
Appeal, if refused
To the Administrative Migration Tribunal (TAM) for second-instance review.
Alternative: special temporary residence
For Nicaraguan, Venezuelan, Cuban, or Colombian nationals with a claim filed 1 June 2014–7 May 2026, regardless of outcome — 2 years' legal residence and work authorization, renewable, by appointment 1 September 2026–1 September 2027.
What you'll typically need
- Passport or ID if available
- Evidence supporting the claim
- For the new special category: proof you filed a claim in the eligible window and have remained in Costa Rica since
Support available while your case is decided
- UNHCR maintains a substantial operational presence given case volume
Worth knowing about specifically: a new temporary residence category opens 1 September 2026 (applications accepted through 1 September 2027) for Nicaraguan, Venezuelan, Cuban, or Colombian nationals stuck in the backlog — including those already denied — offering 2 years of legal residence and work authorization, renewable, regardless of how the underlying asylum claim turns out. If you're from one of those four countries and have an old or stalled claim, this may be more useful to you than waiting on CONARE's decision.
Common pitfalls
- Waiting indefinitely on a CONARE-style decision if you're from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, or Colombia with an old or stalled claim — the new special temporary residence category, open for appointments from 1 September 2026, may get you legal status and work rights faster, independent of how the underlying claim resolves.
- Assuming a falling backlog number means faster decisions — the drop from ~217,600 to ~178,000 cases was mostly file cleanup, not case throughput.
- Not accounting for the roughly 80% first-instance rejection rate — plan for a likely appeal to the Administrative Migration Tribunal, not just the CVRR review.
Sources checked for this page
- Tico Times — Costa Rica immigration program, September 2026 ↗ — checked 2026-09-04
- Global Compact on Refugees — Costa Rica ↗ — checked 2026-09-04