For American residents on the beaches of Santa Teresa, Manzanillo, and Mal País, the American Citizen Services will hold a meeting on Wednesday, February 26, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Green Airways offices in Plaza Kahuna, Santa Teresa Beach, Cóbano District, Puntarenas.

For U.S. citizens living in the towns of Cóbano and Montezuma, the meeting will also take place on Wednesday, February 26, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Municipality of Cóbano, Puntarenas.

"The U.S. Embassy is interested in meeting with U.S. citizens to hear about your experiences living and traveling in Costa Rica, including those related to safety and security, crime prevention, and any other matters of concern," said the Consular Section in a statement.

Embassy representatives will provide passport renewal services following the town hall meeting.

Those interested in renewing their passports should bring a fully completed DS-82 application form for 10-year passport renewals or a DS-11 for 5-year passport renewals.

Additionally, applicants should bring a 2-inch by 2-inch photo for each passport application, the Pay.gov receipt, their current passport, and copies of supporting documents such as birth certificates and ID cards.

Children under 16 require both parents to sign the passport renewal application and be present when the application is submitted. The original birth certificate must be provided, along with a photocopy.

Minors aged 16 and older only need one parent to sign the passport application. The original birth certificate must also be provided with a photocopy.

Payment for services must be made through Pay.Gov; on-site payments will not be accepted. Passport renewal fees are $130 for adults (DS-82), $135 for minors under 16 (DS-11), and $165 for a first-time adult passport or minors aged 16 and older (DS-11).

If a passport is stolen, lost, or damaged, applicants must schedule an interview at the embassy by emailing ACSSanJose@state.gov or visiting the embassy website. Staff at these outreach meetings will not be able to process such applications.

For more information on passport renewals or upcoming town hall meetings, interested individuals can call the embassy’s hotline at (506) 2519-2000, or from the U.S. at 011-506-2519-2000. Alternatively, they can visit the embassy's website.

The Nicoya Peninsula citizen outreach is one of many such meetings organized by the embassy across the country. Recently, a similar event was held in Atenas Canton, Alajuela Province.