Identity Card (Costa Rica)

Costa Rican identity card
Cédula de identidad
TypeIdentity card
Issued by Costa Rica
PurposeProof of Identity
Valid in Costa Rica
EligibilityCosta Rican citizenship

The Costa Rican identity card (Spanish: cédula de identidad) is a credit card-sized identity document issued to citizens of Costa Rica when they turn 18. The latest version of the card was introduced in late 2025, which added new security features and removed previously displayed private information after complaints were lodged. For the first time, it became available in a digital format which can be downloaded to mobile devices, the Identidad Digital Costarricense (Costa Rican Digital Identity, IDC).

The identity card is mandatory[1] for Costa Rican citizens when they become 18 years old.[2][3][nb 1] It is valid for 10 years.[4]

Physical card

It remains the same size as its predecessor, 85.60 by 53.98 millimetres (3.370 in × 2.125 in), to meet the ISO 7810 ID-1 standard.[4] It is made of polycarbonate for improved durability and has color laser engraving.[4]

New security features have been added. Whereas the previous version had a single photograph, this version has a second, smaller version of it to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The barcode has been replaced with MRZ technology to make it compatible with automated verification systems. Microtext has been added that is nearly invisible without magnification. It has embossed text, as well as components that are only visible under ultraviolet light. The letters TSE (for Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica [Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica]) are written in Braille.[4][5]

In response to complaints, the address (for voting purposes) of the bearer and the names of their parents were removed.[4][6]

Digital version

The Identidad Digital Costarricense (Costa Rican Digital Identity) can be downloaded onto mobile devices such as smartphones and used in place of the physical card.[6] However, it cannot be used as identification for voting and is only valid for four years.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Many official sites, such as embassies in other countries and even the TSE itself state "over 18", but it is clear that what is meant is "18 or over", as shown by the quotes in two of the references.

References

  1. ↑ "First ID Card". Costa Rican Embassy to the UK. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  2. ↑ TSE enviará mensajes de texto a padres o tutores legales de 30 mil menores para que soliciten su primera cédula (The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) will send text messages to the parents or legal guardians of 30,000 minors so they can request their first national identity card.) (in Spanish), Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica, retrieved 30 May 2026, Desde este 7 de agosto, el Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) iniciará el envío de mensajes de texto (SMS) dirigidos a 30.000 jóvenes que cumplirán 18 años en el periodo comprendido entre el próximo 1° de octubre y el 1° de febrero de 2026. El propósito es recordarles que deben solicitar su documento de identidad antes del 30 de setiembre de 2025 ... (Starting August 7, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal [TSE] will begin sending text messages [SMS] to 30,000 young people who will turn 18 between October 1, 2025, and February 1, 2026. The purpose is to remind them that they must apply for their identity document before September 30, 2025 ...)
  3. ↑ "Renewal of your Costa Rican ID card (cédula)". Embassy of Costa Rica to the Netherlands. Retrieved 30 May 2026. You may request your first ID card from the moment you turn sixteen, but it will be given to you until [sic] the age of eighteen.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Staff (30 August 2025). "New Identity Card in Costa Rica Will Eliminate Father and Mother Information Announces the TSE". Costa Rica News. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Lu-Hai Liang (8 October 2025). "Costa Rica unveils new identity card design with enhanced security features". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 "What to Know About Costa Rica's Revamped Cédula Rollout". The Tico Times. 2 September 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
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