does Costa rica require a passport for entry or re entry permit ok?

[marina2016 1]

No need to shake your head.. it's called a process of learning. AT the time of posting I had no answer. After some due diligence I learned a thing or two. Then more due diligence, and more things learned. One thing led to the next and led to the final answer.

BTW, We just returned from Costa Rica. Everything went painlessly well. My wife was able to re-enter the US easily and hassle free.

So there you have it folks, YES it is 100% possible to use a re entry permit as travel document to enter Costa Rica and re enter the United States.

I am rather surprised that being that you are from Costa Rica you should have known all this. Please, if you don't know the answer to a serious question as this, don't give the wrong answers. If I had listened to your response as conclusive, we would have lost opportunities. I'm not putting blames on your honest attempt to help, but a response without careful due diligence can be more damaging than a no response.

OMG, thank you very much for this post!! We are traveling to Costa Rica in a month and I also have re-entry permit, I don't have my passport because it's been taken away since I am a refugee. So I physically do not have passport. Just a question - did your wife get a visa that's been stamped to the re-entry permit prior her visit there or she just went with the permit and it was enough? Thank you!!

[TBoneTX 43,058]

The OP hasn't logged on to VJ since March 2015.

[SPSguy 18]

TBONE, I'm still here. Still married to the same wonderful girl I married almost ten years ago.

On OP's question,

"did your wife get a visa that's been stamped to the re-entry permit prior her visit there or she just went with the permit and it was enough?"

Upon enter Costa Rica immigration will ask to see your re entry permit. They will stamp an automatic 30 day visa on the re entry permit.

Hope this helps.

Go have fun in Costa Rica!

Edited June 8, 2016 by SPSguy

[andeedeeh 0]

Original Poster,

 

I would like to thank you for documenting your experience here and updating this post! It has been incredibly useful for me. There is so much conflicting information out there. I wanted to thank you (if you are still here), and share my upcoming experience with the same issue for others on the same boat.

Background: My husband was brought to the US at the age of 5, with a visa, from Venezuela. He later became a DACA recipient. We decided to speed up our marriage plans due to Trump getting elected. He is now a legal resident. 

 

Like your wife, he is unable to renew his Venezuelan passport in the US given that he is missing his "cedula" from Venezuela, which must be issued in that country, not in any embassy or consulate abroad, at the age of 9.  Since he never got this, and of course, cannot risk going to Venezuela given the current political climate, we thought we would have to wait the 3 years for him to become a US citizen and then get a US passport. 

 

With the help of a friend, we heard of using a re-entry permit as a valid travel document. We have confirmed with lawyers that this may be used in place of a passport. We have applied for it and have been using IATA to verify the aviation and immigration validity of it all. We are also traveling to Costa Rica, where my in-laws now live. 

 

Current Status: We mailed the I-131 on Thursday, 01/04/2018, and it was delivered on Saturday 01/06/2018. Expecting receipt notification anytime soon. 

Our Next Steps: Contact the Costa Rican consulate and ask about any additional documentation or preparation needed for our trip in addition to the Re-Entry Permit and Green Card. 

 

I will post an update for the following items:

• Total I-131 timeline
• Costa Rica Consulate Experience (in Chicago)
• Booking Flight + Calling airline to add special note re: permit
• Entry Experience
• Exit/US Re-entry Experience

 

Thank you once again OP  I am very grateful.