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Published Thursday, November 19, 2020
Foreign- born tourists allowed to use their country driving license until 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The grace period for the use of driver's licenses of foreigners was extended until March 2021, announced the Ministry of Transport. The due date for using the original driver license was on Wednesday, the same day that the General Directorate of Migration allowed the extension.
All foreign drivers who have entered the country between December 17, 2019 and even including November 30, 2020, as a tourist, can drive using their country's license until March 2, 2021. Drivers must always carry a driver's license and passport.
In the case of drivers, who are in the country under the status of refugees, permanent residents, temporary residents, who could not validate their foreign license ( so-called homologation) in March, they are also allowed to carry out this process until January 11, 2021.
Also, licenses expired beginning Dec. 1 to January 31, 2021, are valid until January 31, 2021.
Renewal requests of homologate foreigners driver licenses expired before August 1, 2020, must be requested on Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Council website.
In case the website is saturated, the renewal can also be requested by calling 9000-626356, also on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
According to the Council, the renewal can also be requested at any branch of the Banco de Costa Rica, by appointment which must be requested by calling 800-227-2482.
During the period that the previous extensions are being enforced, the Traffic Police officers can not apply any sanction to foreigners who must drive through the country.
In addition, foreigners who have not updated the
Tourist Visa and Dimex ID, the expiration period is automatically extended until 2021
Due to health security measures
implemented to avoid covid-19 contagion,
some limitations have been caused to attend
the public in the General Directorate of
Migration facilities, authorities
implemented an automatic extension of
expiration dates for Tourist Visas and
residents ID known as Dimex until 2021.
According to the Directorate, although the
administrative offices continue to serve the
public from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., access to the
building remains restricted.
Few people can enter to carry out their
procedures related to visas, or resident
documents after a pre-control system that
was established. The officials of the
organization evaluate the type of procedure
and authorize or deny if the person can
enter the building.
Since the security guidelines could delay
the process of renewal of tourist visas or
DIMEX identification documents, the
Directorate has issued an order to extend
the expiration period for those documents.
According to the statement, the period of
legal remains authorized for foreign people
in the migratory category of Tourism Visa
who entered the country between December 17,
2019, and even including November 30, 2020,
is automatically extended until March 2,
2021.
• The validity of the legal permanence ID,
known as Permanent Residence DIMEX or
Temporary Residence DIMEX, will be
automatically extended until January 11,
2021.
Once the automatic extension period
established in the two previous points has
expired, the foreign person will have a
period of three months to carry out the
renewal procedure, according to the ordinary
procedure
• The Dimex ID for foreign persons
authorized to stay in the country under the
migratory category of Non-Resident, Stay
Subcategory, was automatically extended
until February 12, 2021.
After those extended periods, the DIMEX
requests or renewals can be made at Banco de Costa Rica and Correos de Costa Rica.
Inquiries about the delivery of DIMEX
residences should be made by email dimex@migracion.go.cr
or by calling the Directorate line numbers
1311 or (506) 2299-8100.
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Have you heard of expats having problems getting their valid driver's license approved? We would like to know your
thoughts on this story. Send your comments
to news@amcostarica.com
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