1. Request to the general manager, signed by the foreigner or his relatives who are living in Costa Rica. As foreigners are recognized only those persons that are specified in article 73, section b) of the law book. If the formalities are processed from the foreign country, the request should be authenticated by a Costa Rican consul. Otherwise It can be authenticated by a responsible official or an official notary. The request should contain the following documents:

a) Background of the request, in which the request is described and justified.

b) Data of the applicant, if it concerns a relative and the formalities shall be completed in Costa Rica:

" Complete name

" Nationality

" Occupation

" Address and telephone number in Costa Rica

" Date and signature

" Authenticated copy of identity card

" Further documents which support the request

" Place within the legal district of San José or an electronic medium determined by the Ministry, which is specified in the Official Journal, in order to receive notifications.

c) Data of the foreigner who requests the permanent residence permit:

" Complete name

" Nationality

" Occupation

" Address and telephone number in Costa Rica

" Date and signature

" Authenticated copy of identity card

" Further documents which support the request

" Migration status desired, if the formalities are processed by the Costa Rican consulate.

" Date of birth

" Name and nationality of parents

d) If the formalities are processed from the foreign country by a a Costa Rican consulate, an authorized person in Costa Rica and a place within the legal district of San José or an electronic medium, specified in the Official Journal, determined by the Ministry, should be designated in the request, so that the authorized person can receive notifications. The authorized person must be of full age, Costa Rican or residant in the country and obligated to pass on messages.

e) If the formalities are processed from the foreign country, the consulate, to which the entry permit of the foreigner is to be sent, must be indicated, so that a Costa Rican consul can stamp the passport. If the foreigner is resident in a country, in which there is no Costa Rican consulate, this can be processed by the closest Costa Rican consulate or by the person, who administers the stay for the foreigner. In this case this person is responsible for the fact that the notifications are passed on and that a means of transport is available.

3. Certificate proofing convincingly the connection which is to be entered. In the case of a marriage with a Costa Rican the marriage certificate must be issued by the register office.

4. Birth certificate of the applicant which specifies the names of parents.

5. Certificate of good conduct from which follows that the applicant did not commit any crime, neither in the homeland nor in the country in which he lived during the last three years.

6. Authenticated copy of the passport of the applicant.

a. In order to be valid for receiving a temporary residence permit, the birth certificate, certificates on previous convictions, copies of the passports or other documents which were issued abroad must be present as certified translations in Spanish or certified by a

notary with appropriate knowledge of the relevant language. The birth certificate must be issued in the homeland. If previous convictions are present, the certificates must have been issued in the homeland or the country, in which the foreigner has been living legally during the past three years. The legality of this stay must be explained reliably.

b. In exceptional cases, when it is impossible to submit the birth certificate with the names of parents and/or the certificates on previous convictions because the government in the homeland can not issue them or because of other serious reasons, one can be excempted from submitting these documents by placing a request to the Ministry, in which the impossibility must be described convincingly. The request is examined by the Ministry and, if necessary, is submitted to the national council which takes the accordant decision.

7. Three current passport photos

8. Proof of the payment of US $30 (thirty dollar) or the equivalent amount in Colones, subject to the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, for the residence formalities for the first entry of the foreigner in favour of the applicant.

9 Tax stamp: 125 stamps for the request and 2.50 for each sheet.