Costa Rica and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Costa Rica since 14 December 2011
- Issued by
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Department of Authentications (San José), by appointment only
- Language
- Spanish, sworn translation
- Register
- National Registry (Registro Nacional), section of legal persons (online)
- Tax treaty
- Costa Rica and the Netherlands exchange tax information under a dedicated agreement. For income, Dutch domestic rules apply: 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax, zero standard withholding on interest and royalties (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Association Agreement with Central America, trade part since 2013
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Costa Rica
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Costa Rica.
Proof of address in Costa Rica, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Costa Rican notario público. The Department of Authentications in San José then apostilles the signature, by appointment.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Department of Authentications (San José), by appointment only. Appointments for the next month are released on the 27th of each month. Processing takes up to ten days. A third party may bring the documents.
Official page: https://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=servicios&cat=autenticaciones
Good to know. Book the appointment early, because appointments are released once a month. Shareholders are kept private. The Dutch notary will ask for the share register, certified by the notary.
If a company from Costa Rica becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: National Registry (Registro Nacional), section of legal persons. Order a certificate of legal standing (personería jurídica) showing the legal representative. The shareholders of a limited company (an S.A.) are listed in the share register kept by the company. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Costa Rica and the EU
Trade in goods between Costa Rica and the European Union (EU) reached €8 billion in 2025. The EU was Costa Rica's second-largest trading partner that year, with 14.9% of Costa Rican trade.
Optical and photographic instruments made up 35.9% of EU imports from Costa Rica in 2025, ahead of vegetable products at 27.2%. Machinery and appliances led EU exports to Costa Rica that year, at 21.7%.
In 2024 Costa Rica was the EU's top trading partner in Central America. EU imports of medical devices from the country reached €1.9 billion that year, against €236 million in 2013. From 2013 to 2023, €6 billion of foreign direct investment was mobilised between the two.
The EU-Central America Association Agreement was signed on 29 June 2012. Its trade pillar has applied provisionally with Costa Rica since 1 October 2013, and the full agreement since 1 May 2024.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Your next step from Costa Rica
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