Costa Rica to regularize Venezuelan and other asylum seekers

Costa Rica is set to regularize the status of thousands of asylum seekers from Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Venezuela through a special migratory category. The Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) announced the initiative, which will grant a two-year renewable permit.

This measure aims to provide protection to individuals whose home countries face political, social, economic, or public order challenges. The DGME emphasized that national security and public order will be maintained through rigorous background checks and biometric screenings for all applicants.

The special migratory status will be available to citizens of the four specified nationalities who formally applied for refuge between June 1, 2014, and May 7, 2026. Applicants must demonstrate continuous residency in Costa Rica since their initial refuge application. This pathway is exclusively for those not eligible for other existing residency categories.

The initiative addresses the significant backlog of asylum applications Costa Rica has faced over the past decade, exacerbated by continental migration waves and the crisis in Nicaragua. This is not the first time Costa Rica has implemented such measures; similar decrees were enacted in 2020 and 2025. The DGME reaffirmed that these actions align with the country's international commitments to promote safe and orderly migration.