Costa Rica 1949 Constitution (reviewed 2020) - Page 2 of 19

Table of Contents

Title II. The Costa Ricans

Sole Chapter

Article 13

[The following] are Costa Ricans by birth:

The child of [a] Costa Rican father or mother born in the territory of the Republic;
The child of [a] father or mother Costa Rican by birth, who are born abroad, and who are inscribed as such in the Civil Registry, by the will of the Costa Rican progenitor, while they are minors, or on their own until they turn twenty-five years old;
The child of foreign parents born in Costa Rica who are inscribed as Costa Ricans, by the will of either of their progenitors while they are minors, or on their own until they turn twenty-five years old;
The infant, of unknown [ignorados] parents, found in Costa Rica.

Article 14

[The following] are Costa Ricans by naturalization:

The ones who have acquired this nationality by virtue of previous laws.
The nationals of other countries of Central American, the Spanish and the Spanish-Americans by birth, who have officially resided in the country for five years at a minimum and that fulfill the other requirements established by the law.
The Central Americans, the Spanish and the Spanish-Americans that are not so by birth, and the other foreigners who have officially resided in the country for seven years at a minimum and that fulfill the other requirements established by the law.
The foreign woman who by contracting marriage with a Costa Rican loses her nationality.
The foreign persons who by marring Costa Ricans lose their nationality or that after being married two years to Costa Ricans, and residing for that same time period in the country, manifest their desire to acquire the Costa Rican nationality.
Whoever holds honorary nationality granted by the Legislative Assembly.

Article 15

Whoever solicits the naturalization must: accredit their good conduct, demonstrate that they have a job [oficio] or [have] known means to live, that they speak, write and read the Spanish language, submit themselves to a comprehensive exam on the history of the country and its values, promise to reside in the national territory in a regular mode and swear to respect the constitutional order of the Republic.

The requirements and the form to process the solicitation for naturalization will be established by means of the law.