Destination wedding guide · Costa Rica
Getting married in Costa Rica
Costa Rica wedding, the paperwork first. Below are the legal requirements as the government and embassy pages state them (read 2026-10-30), the best months by rainfall (December), guest airfare from Omaha ($346–$880 round trip from Omaha) and the room-block process Ann uses.
Photo: Ann Lane
Your Costa Rica wedding timeline
What happens when, for a Costa Rica wedding.
12 months out
Season, venue, group rate
- Pick the month: December meet the climate rule and rank driest first.
- Budget guest airfare at $346–$880 round trip from Omaha (lowest fares found by season).
- Rooms get held under a group rate; Ann has the terms in writing before invitations go out.
6 months out
Paperwork
- Gather documents: For a civil marriage with a foreign spouse the officiating notary must file the marriage declaration plus a certified copy of the foreigner's valid ID (passport); the notary must establish birth and freedom to marry with legalized home-country documents or a sworn declaration in a public deed (TSE search result, older directive).
- Apostille / translation: Foreign civil documents used in Costa Rica must be apostilled or consular-legalized and translated by an official translator (TSE guidance for foreign documents).
- Fees to expect: Registering the marriage with the Registro Civil is free; notary fees apply separately.
3 months out
Who signs, and when
- Who performs and registers it: Notary public (most resort weddings), civil judge or Catholic parish; registered by the TSE Registro Civil.
Wedding day
Vows, then the paperwork
- A marriage is legal when celebrated by a licensed Costa Rican notary, a civil judge or a Catholic priest and then registered with the Registro Civil (TSE); registration takes about 25 working days when a spouse is foreign.
- Ann's job on the day is logistics: transfers, timing and the guests' questions.
Documents checklist
- For a civil marriage with a foreign spouse the officiating notary must file the marriage declaration plus a certified copy of the foreigner's valid ID (passport)
- the notary must establish birth and freedom to marry with legalized home-country documents or a sworn declaration in a public deed (TSE search result, older directive).
Best wedding months, by rainfall
- 1
December
87°F mean high · 0.7 in rain
Rule: monthly rain <= 4.5 in and mean daily high 72–90 F, ranked driest first; hurricane-season months flagged, not excluded; no heat-limit relaxation.
What guests pay from Omaha
$346–$880
lowest round trips found, OMA to LIR, across the seasons checked; not a quote
- 2027-01: $701 · American
- 2027-04: $346 · American/Delta
- 2027-07: $656 · American
- 2027-09: $880 · American Airlines
The official requirements, quoted
Source text for marrying in Costa Rica
- Documents to bring
- For a civil marriage with a foreign spouse the officiating notary must file the marriage declaration plus a certified copy of the foreigner's valid ID (passport); the notary must establish birth and freedom to marry with legalized home-country documents or a sworn declaration in a public deed (TSE search result, older directive).
- “En caso de matrimonios civiles, si una o ambas personas contrayentes es extranjera, debe aportarse ademas copia certificada del documento de identidad vigente y en buen estado.”
- Official source: tse.go.cr, read 2026-10-30. TSE conditions page http://www.tse.go.cr/matrimonio_condiciones.htm returned 404 on 2026-10-30; the detailed document list for foreigners therefore needs confirmation.
- Apostille and translation
- Foreign civil documents used in Costa Rica must be apostilled or consular-legalized and translated by an official translator (TSE guidance for foreign documents).
- Official source: tse.go.cr, read 2026-10-30. This TSE sheet covers marriages celebrated abroad; the same legalization rule is referenced for foreign documents. Confirm with the notary.
- Government fees
- Registering the marriage with the Registro Civil is free; notary fees apply separately.
- “Costo del tramite: Este servicio es gratuito”
- Official source: tse.go.cr, read 2026-10-30.
- Who performs and registers it
- Notary public (most resort weddings), civil judge or Catholic parish; registered by the TSE Registro Civil.
- “Procedimiento para inscribir matrimonios celebrados en territorio costarricense (Notarias, Parroquias u Oficinas Consulares).”
- Official source: tse.go.cr, read 2026-10-30.
- Civil vs. symbolic ceremony
- A marriage is legal when celebrated by a licensed Costa Rican notary, a civil judge or a Catholic priest and then registered with the Registro Civil (TSE); registration takes about 25 working days when a spouse is foreign.
- “Entre costarricense con extranjero o entre extranjeros: 25 dias habiles, a partir de la fecha de recepcion en la Seccion de Inscripciones.”
- Official source: tse.go.cr, read 2026-10-30.
Not stated on the official pages: residency or waiting period, blood or medical test, witnesses, legal at home, symbolic there.
Confirm with Ann and the resort before you book
- Exact document list and whether a sworn single-status declaration is drafted by the notary
- Witness count
- Certificate turnaround for use in the U.S.
Ann knows Costa Rica
“The best food I have ever eaten outside of the country .. beside our personal chef we had in Costa Rica .”
How the Costa Rica room block works.
Ann checks current venue availability, package terms and suitability for your dates before recommending or booking.
Costa Rica wedding questions
Costa Rica marriage paperwork: what to bring
When is Costa Rica's dry season for a wedding?
What will our guests pay to fly from Omaha to Costa Rica?
Civil or symbolic in Costa Rica?
From Ann
Your Costa Rica wedding, handled from Omaha.
Tell Ann the month you are leaning toward (December lead under our climate rule) and roughly how many guests. She prices the week.
Photo: Ann Lane · How we source the numbers