U.S. citizens in Costa Rica
Online notary for U.S. citizens in Costa Rica
Costa Rica keeps one time zone all year, so the gap with New Jersey changes when New Jersey changes its clocks. You can sign in front of a New Jersey notary over secure video from Costa Rica, for the documents the law allows. Sessions start at $40 plus the state notarial fee.
Local facts
Costa Rica at a glance
- Capital
- San José
- Official languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (CRC)
- Time zones
- UTC-6 (CST)
- Population
- 5,160,700 (2026 estimate)
- U.S. Embassy
- San José
- Apostille Convention
- Party since 14 December 2011
- U.S. consulates
- None listed
Sources: Wikipedia and its list of U.S. diplomatic missions, read October 2026.
Scheduling
New Jersey time and San José time
| In New Jersey | San José in winter | San José in summer |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. |
| 1:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 5:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
The winter column uses a January date and the summer column a July date, worked out from the IANA time zone database for San José. Daylight saving starts and ends on different weeks around the world, so we double-check the time with you when booking.
Documents for use in Costa Rica
Apostille or remote notary?
Wikipedia's table of Apostille Convention parties lists Costa Rica as a party, with the convention in force there since 14 December 2011. A U.S. public document meant for use in Costa Rica is normally authenticated with an apostille rather than by embassy legalization. The receiving office has the last word on what it accepts.
A document you sign from Costa Rica and file in the U.S. is the remote notary case. A U.S. document going to an office in Costa Rica is the apostille case. See apostille services.
How it works
From San José to a New Jersey notary
- Tell us the document and where you are. We check that it fits New Jersey's rules for a signer outside the United States.
- Book a video session. Bring an unexpired government photo ID and a device with a camera, a microphone and a stable connection.
- Sign on camera. We verify your identity online, you sign electronically in front of the notary, and the notary applies an electronic seal.
- Receive the notarized document. The session is recorded and kept as the law requires.
Embassy option
The U.S. embassy in San José
The U.S. Embassy is in San José. Wikipedia's list shows no U.S. consulates in Costa Rica.
The State Department's guidance is that a consular seal costs $50, that you must appear in person, that you should wait to sign until your appointment, and that embassies and consulates do not offer remote or virtual notarial services. Check the embassy's own page for what applies now.
Who qualifies
Does this work from Costa Rica?
Usually, if the record is for a U.S. matter and the act is not prohibited where you sit. The conditions and the common documents are the same for every country, so we keep them in one place: the full rules and document list. Send us the document and your location, and we confirm before you book. This is general information, not legal advice, and we do not know Costa Rica's local law, so ask the office that will receive your document what it accepts.
FAQ
Costa Rica notary questions
Can I get a document notarized online from Costa Rica?
Often, yes. A New Jersey notary can notarize for a signer outside the United States when the record is to be filed with or relates to a matter under U.S. jurisdiction or involves U.S. property, and when the act is not prohibited where the signer is. Tell us the document and we confirm before booking.
Does the U.S. embassy in San José notarize documents?
The U.S. Embassy is in San José. Wikipedia's list shows no U.S. consulates in Costa Rica. The embassy section above covers the State Department's rules, and a video session is the alternative when you cannot get to a post.
What time are sessions for someone in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica uses UTC-6 (CST). A 9:00 a.m. session in New Jersey is 8:00 a.m. in San José in winter and 7:00 a.m. in summer. We book by appointment and confirm the time in both zones.
What if my document is in Spanish or for use in Costa Rica?
Documents in another language may need a translation, and the notary must be able to review the document and the ID. A document meant to be used inside Costa Rica usually needs a local notary or the embassy, and often an apostille, instead of a New Jersey remote notarization. Costa Rica has been an Apostille Convention party since 14 December 2011. Ask us before booking and we say plainly whether we can help.
What does it cost?
Remote online notarization starts at $40 plus the New Jersey notarial fee set by the state, and we quote the total before the session is confirmed.
All countries · Remote online notarization · Apostilles for documents used abroad