Published on Tuesday, December 10, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in San José invites U.S. citizens, residents and tourists, living in the Atenas Canton, in Alajuela Province to a citizen outreach meeting.

For American residents in Atenas, the American Citizen Services will hold a passport acceptance event on Wednesday, December 11, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Centro de Desarrollo facilities, which is located next to the Ministry of Health (Area Rectora del Ministerio de Salud) in Atenas.

Those interested in renewing their passport should bring an already printed fully completed application, a 2-inch x 2-inch photo for each passport application, the pay.gov receipt, as well as their passport and copies of the original documentation, such as birth certificates, and ID cards.

Printing will not be available on-site. The adult passport renewal (DS-82) forms can be reached on cr.usembassy.gov website.

In general, children under 16 require both parents to sign a passport renewal application and be present at the time the passport renewal application is submitted. The original birth certificate must be provided as well as a photocopy.

Minors aged 16 and older only require one parent to sign a passport application. The original birth certificate must be provided as well as a photocopy.  The minors under the age of 16 passport renewal (DS-11)forms can be reached on cr.usembassy.gov website.

If a passport gets stolen, lost, or damaged, the applicant must schedule an interview at the embassy by emailing ACSSanJose@state.gov or visiting the embassy website, since the staff participating in these meetings will not be able to accept the application.

Payment for services must be made through Pay.Gov, no on-site payments can be collected.

The correct amount must be paid for the service, as collections are not permitted during the event. If any payment discrepancies arise or the application requires further information, the application may be denied, and/or the applicant may be required to visit the embassy for a formal interview.

The links to Pay.Gov for passport renewal services are listed below.

• In the case of adult passport renewal, the document link is DS-82 U.S. Passport Renewal Application Fee Payment Form.

• For younger minors under the age of 16, the passport renewal file link is Form DS-11 Passport Application Fee.

• For a first adult passport or minors over the age of 16 and older, the document's link is on Form DS-11 Passport Application Fee.

The Atenas Canton citizen outreach is one of many meetings organized by the embassy throughout the country.  Recently, they held two Town Hall meetings in the Nicoya Peninsula.

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Where else should the U.S. Embassy hold a town hall? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com