Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
The consulate for Dallas is in Houston
Costa Rica has no consulate in Dallas. The foreign ministry’s directory lists the Consular Office of Costa Rica in Houston with jurisdiction over Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. It gives the address as 3100 Wilcrest Dr., Suite 260, Houston, Texas 77042, telephone (713) 266-0484, office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and public attention from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Call before travelling to Houston. Ask whether the consulate needs to see or certify anything for the transfer, and whether it can be handled by mail or through the funeral director. The directory page describes the office; it does not publish a procedure for the transfer of remains, so the answer has to come from the consulate itself.
The Ministry of Health authorizes entry
In Costa Rica the permission that matters is a health one. The Ministry of Health’s page on cadavers and human remains states that anyone who needs to notify an exhumation, a cremation, a transfer or the entry of a body into the country must be authorized by the ministry. Under the heading for entry into the country it lists a written request from a direct relative, or from the diplomatic representation when the person was a foreigner, identifying the applicant and the person who died, with photocopies of both identity documents, the date of death and the means of transport.
The same list asks for the death declaration on the Civil Registry’s official form, a sworn statement that the casket contains only the remains of the person who died, a medical stamp and a Red Cross stamp, and an embalming certificate. The page says the request is filed at the ministry’s Área Rectora de Salud for the location concerned. Part of that list is written for deaths inside Costa Rica, so ask the receiving funeral home which Área Rectora will handle your relative’s arrival and how each item applies to a death in Texas.
Embalming is on the ministry’s list
Because an embalming certificate appears on the ministry’s list, a family that wishes to avoid embalming should raise it before any preparation begins. Ask the receiving funeral home to put the question to the Área Rectora and to answer in writing. The guide to faith and family preferences explains what Texas itself does and does not require.
An apostille for the Texas death certificate
The HCCH status table shows that Costa Rica acceded to the Apostille Convention on April 6, 2011 and that it entered into force for Costa Rica on December 14, 2011. A Texas death certificate is apostilled by the state that issued it; the Texas Secretary of State authentication FAQ explains how. Order enough certified copies for the apostille, for the airline and for the registration described below.
Registering the death in Costa Rica
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal’s Civil Registry publishes the procedure for registering a death that occurred abroad. It applies to a Costa Rican, or to a Costa Rican’s foreign spouse or children. The person declaring must show a valid identity document and provide the original death certificate issued by the registry authority of the country where the death happened, authenticated or apostilled. If it is not in Spanish it must be translated by an official translator registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The document states a resolution period of 22 business days from receipt and says the service is free. It is filed at the Civil Registry’s central office in San José or at a regional office. This registration is separate from the health permit, but relatives will need it for inheritance, pensions and bank matters.
Whether the state can help
There is a legal basis for help, and it is narrow. A foreign ministry statement explains that the General Law of Migration, No. 8764, makes the state responsible, through the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, for the return of nationals abroad affected by humanitarian causes, and that part of such repatriations is financed by the Fondo Social Migratorio. A later statement reports that in 2018 the programme carried out 20 repatriations for vulnerability and returned the bodies of two Costa Ricans who died abroad.
We found no official page that sets out who qualifies or how to apply when someone has died. Ask the Houston consulate whether the case can be referred, and do not plan around it until you have an answer. The insurance and assistance guide lists other places to ask.
From DFW to San José
American Airlines’ route page says it offers nonstop or connecting service from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). A passenger route does not by itself mean a casket will be accepted on a given flight. American Airlines Cargo’s TLC page says its specialists work directly with funeral homes and mortuaries on the advance arrangements, with one service for cremated remains and another for uncremated remains. Ask the funeral director which flight is proposed and who will meet it in San José.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Apostille on the Texas death certificate | Texas Secretary of State, through the funeral director |
| Permission for entry into Costa Rica | Ministry of Health, Área Rectora de Salud, usually through the receiving funeral home |
| Any consular step for the transfer | Consular Office of Costa Rica in Houston |
| Acceptance of the casket and the flight | The airline’s cargo desk |
| Registration of the death | Civil Registry of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal |
Questions families ask about a return to Costa Rica
- Is there a Costa Rican consulate in Dallas?
- No. The foreign ministry lists the consular office in Houston with jurisdiction over Texas and eight other states.
- Who gives permission for a body to enter Costa Rica?
- The Ministry of Health. Its published list includes a written request from a direct relative, a sworn statement about the casket and an embalming certificate, filed at the Área Rectora de Salud.
- Does registering the death in Costa Rica cost anything?
- The Civil Registry’s published procedure says the service is free and gives a resolution period of 22 business days.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. Ministry and consular pages change without notice, and airline pages describe routes, not acceptance of a particular shipment. Confirm documents, route and receiving arrangements for the individual case. Contact Vargas–London with the origin and destination to discuss the next step without sending medical or identity documents through the inquiry form.
