Foreigners with nationalities that are subject to the second and third group of the "general guidelines for entry visas for non-residents" can request a residence extension. Foreigners subject to the fourth group can request a residence extension only in medical emergencies.

The stay can be extended for a maximum of seventy days.

Therefore, the following documents must be submitted:

1. Request for extension of the stay to the immigration authority (Dirección general de Migración y Extranjería); the request must be submitted before expiration of the visa as "non-resident". Name, nationality, number and kind of the passport, exact address in Costa Rica, telephone number, names of parents, place of birth and date must be indicated and the reason for the extension must be specified. The request must be authenticated by a lawyer or be signed in front of a responsible official. Likewise a contact address must be indicated (fax number, address). Requests without contact

address will not be considered.

2. Attached form, legibly filled out.

3. Three current passport photos

4. Authenticated copy of the complete passport. Each photocopied side of the passport must be signed and stamped by an official notary, except if the original document is shown to the official. If these documents are not written in Spanish, a translation must be attached.

5. Authenticated copy of the departure ticket from Costa Rica, in which the departure date is specified.

6. Proof of sufficiently financial means, these may be in form of cash, travellers checks or a bank account. At least US $500 must be proven for each additional month.

7. If requests for extensions of stay are placed by persons that are subject to subcategories B2 (persons with special relevance within the scientific, public, cultural, economic or political range, who were invited due to their knowledge

by national, public or private institutions), B3 (commercial travellers without permission to sell or purchase products), B4 (commercial delegates), B5 (artists, sportsmen or participants in public conceptions), a certificate on the financial security of the public or private institution, which invited them into the country, must be presented.

8. The foreigner who enters the country under the entry category "non-resident" and requests an extension of stay, must pay the sum of US $3 or the equivalent amount in Colones, subject to the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, to the state.