Are you looking to apply for a driver’s license in Costa Rica? We have you covered! Astha first obtained her license back in 2022, and Prateek applied for it in 2024. Therefore, we know the process thoroughly!
Our detailed guide will help clear all your doubts and questions about the license process. You do not need to hire a lawyer or anyone else to book appointments for you. Even if you don’t speak or understand Spanish, our blog will help you obtain a Costa Rica driver’s license with ease.
Costa Rica Driver’s License: Eligibility
Any legal resident of Costa Rica with a valid cedula/DIMEX (identity card) can apply for a Costa Rican driver’s license. You can simply homologate the driver’s license from your home country. This means that you do not have to take a driving test in Costa Rica and can apply for a Costa Rican driver’s license based on your foreign driver’s license. The Dirección General de Educación Vial needs to validate your foreign license for the same.
Document Requirements For Homologation Of Your Foreign Driver’s License
You will need the following documents for your appointment. It’s advisable to take a photocopy of all original documents with you.
Original driver’s license
A valid passport
Legal proof of your stay in Costa Rica - DIMEX card
An official translation of the driver’s license in case your license is not in Spanish (references below)
Health assessment certificate obtained in the last 180 days (6 months) - Dictamen medico (references below)
If you have a license from a country other than your nationality of origin or birth, you must provide legal proof of your stay in the country where you obtained the license
In case there are different surnames in your documents due to marriage, you must provide the original marriage certificate
Steps For Booking An Appointment At COSEVI
Open the COSEVI website
The COSEVI website can be accessed at the following link: https://servicios.educacionvial.go.cr/. I would strongly suggest not translating the website into any other language. It will only lead to confusion and chaos. This is why I have attached photos for your convenience.
Homepage of COSEVI website On opening the website, you will see the above homepage. Click on the 4th option on the left side “Solicitar cita para trámite de homologación” (the one highlighted in orange).
Enter your details
On selecting the 4th option on the left, you will see the following 4 fields pop up.
Personal information for booking the appointment In “Tipo de Identificación”, select Documento Migratorio. Then, enter your identification number, which is your DIMEX number. On entering that, 3 new fields will pop up as shown in the picture below.
Personal details for booking the appointment Type of License
Fill in all details correctly. In “Tipo Trámite” select Cita homologación licencia extranjera. Now you have to select the type of license you want. Please note that Cosevi gives different cards for different types of licenses. So if you select 2 options, you get 2 cards.
Personal details for booking the appointment A3 is for two-wheeler vehicles and B1 is for cars. I have seen most of the people selecting these 2 options. Some people only choose B1.
After filling in all fields, accept the terms & conditions and click on “Continuar”.
Booking an appointment
You will then be redirected to this page. From here, you have to choose the branch of COSEVI that you want to visit for your license application.
List of COSEVI offices Depending on the time of the month you are trying to book, slots may not be readily available. Slots generally open up on Tuesday or Wednesday of the last week of the month.
Select an office and click “continuar”. If there are slots available, it will take you to the booking page, else it will show a message like in the picture below. Keep checking all offices till you find available slots.
Message when there are no appointments available Select date & time
There were open slots at Perez Zeledon, and it automatically redirected me to the page below. Choose a date & time, and click on “continuar”. You will get a confirmation email for the same. You have to take a printout of the appointment and take it along on the appointment day.
Page for selecting a date & time for your appointment
Steps For Booking An Appointment At BCR
Go to the BCR website
The BCR website can be accessed with the following link - https://bcrcita.bancobcr.com/citas/. Once you have opened the website, scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see a field marked as “seleccione el servicio”.
BCR homepage Fill in the details
Fill in all the details as shown in the screenshot below. It is important to fill all fields correctly.
Personal information for booking the appointment Selecting the bank branch
Please enter the province of your preference. Once you do that, the branch field will automatically open up. Select a branch of your choice.
Select your preferred branch for BCR appointment If there are no slots available, it will show a message as shown in the screenshot below.
Message when there are no slots available Keep trying every branch till you can find open slots. I found one at Centro Negocio Barreal (screenshot below). Click on “buscar”.
Booking an appointment at BCR Select the date & time of the appointment
You will be redirected to the following page. The page will show you all available slots for that date. Choose one and click on “seleccionar”. Your appointment is now booked!
Select your preferred date & time for the BCR appointment Please note that you may not get any email confirmation for your appointment, so it’s important to note down the date and time of your appointment carefully.
Costs Incurred
You will pay approximately 20-25$ for the translation of your foreign license.
You will pay approximately 20,000-25,000 colones for obtaining a medical certificate.
The license printing cost at BCR is 4,000 colones and the bank charges a commission of 2,000 colones.
If you are applying for multiple licenses, the bank will charge you the price of that many licenses.
References
Health Assessment Certificate/Dictamen Medico Name: Dr. Diana González Murillo Contact no.: +506 6046-9111 Address: Centro Médico Belén, Belén, Heredia
Translation of the Foreign Driver’s License
Name: Ileana Arias Pacheco
Contact no.: +506 8360-0559
Address: Urbanización Montealegre, Zapote, San Jose
Points To Note
Do not translate the website into English or any other language.
Appointment slots at COSEVI open up on Tuesday or Wednesday of the last week of the month.
Give a minimum of 3-day gap between your COSEVI and BCR appointment. COSEVI takes some time to upload the data into their system.
The duration of a first-time license is 3 years. On renewal of the license, the duration is 6 years.
You really don’t have much of a choice when choosing the date and place of your appointment at COSEVI & BCR. It’s a little tough to find slots and you have to choose what is available.
Please show up 15 minutes before your appointment slot at COSEVI & BCR. You may end up losing your appointment if you do not turn up on time.
You do not need to take much to the BCR appointment. They have all the data in the system.
Your photograph will be clicked at BCR, so dress appropriately.
You get your license from BCR on the same visit.
Sometimes, BCR may ask you to book separate appointments for multiple licenses. Therefore, in case you are applying for more than one license, it is advisable to book that many appointments at BCR beforehand. If BCR agrees to give all licenses in one visit, consider it as your lucky day!
Final Thoughts
We wish you good luck with your application. Don’t forget to bring all the required documents to the appointment. It’s not that tough after all. Once you have received the license, you will be relieved for 3 years!
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