Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (DGME) - Institutional Profile

The Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (DGME), generally known as "Migracion", is the institution attached to the Ministerio de Gobernacion y Policia responsible for executing Costa Rica's immigration policy: it controls the entry and exit of people into and out of the country, regulates the stay and activities of foreign nationals, and administers immigration identification documents. It has its own specialized police force, the Policia Profesional de Migracion.

Main services (each with its own detailed procedure guide):

• Costa Rican passports: issuance and renewal (see separate guide "Getting or renewing a Costa Rican passport") — unlike the national ID card (cedula de identidad), which is processed by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), the passport IS managed by Migracion.
• DIMEX (Documento de Identidad Migratorio para Extranjeros): identification for foreign nationals with legal residency (see separate guide "DIMEX").
• Entry visas to the country, according to the corresponding immigration category.
• Tourist extensions, to extend the stay of a person who entered as a tourist (see separate guide "Tourist extension").
• Work permits for foreign nationals (see separate guide "Work permit for foreigners").
• Registration and control of overall immigration status (temporary and permanent residencies, refugee status, among others).

Contact: call center 1311, open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm; main phone 2299-8100; email dimex@migracion.go.cr. Headquarters in La Uruca, San Jose, next to the Aviacion Civil facilities. Most Migracion procedures require a prior appointment, scheduled through the appointment portal at migracion.go.cr. Official website: migracion.go.cr.

Note: for consular matters of Costa Ricans abroad (for example, renewing a passport while outside the country), the competent entity is the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto (Cancilleria), through its embassies and consulates — see separate guide "Costa Rican embassies and consulates abroad," which is distinct from the DGME.