Repatriation from Liberia (Guanacaste), Costa Rica

Liberia is the capital of Guanacaste Province in north-western Costa Rica, and is the arrival city for most British tourists visiting the Pacific resort coast. Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) is the gateway airport for Guanacaste: it receives charter and scheduled flights during the dry-season peak (December to April) and is the closest airport to the main resort areas — Tamarindo, Flamingo, Nosara, Papagayo, and the Nicoya Peninsula. Most British visitors flying into LIR will never stay in Liberia itself; they transfer immediately to their resort.

This site also has a page for San José, the capital. San José is the administrative hub: the British Embassy, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) headquarters, and the national forensic and export permit authorities are all there. Deaths occurring in Guanacaste will involve both local Liberia registration and the capital’s institutions for forensic work and authorisation.

Consular coverage

The British Embassy San José (Edificio Centro Colón, Piso 11, Paseo Colón, San José) is the resident UK diplomatic mission for Costa Rica.

British Embassy San José: +506 2258 2025. FCDO 24-hour: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Costa Rican law requires

Código Procesal Penal (CPP, Criminal Procedure Code, Law No.7594/1996): All sudden, violent, and unexplained deaths are reported to the Fuerza Pública (Public Force police) and the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ, Judicial Investigation Agency). The Fiscalía (Public Prosecutor) supervises investigation cases under the CPP.

Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones y del Registro Civil (Law 3504/1965): Deaths are registered at the Registro Civil (Civil Registry), which operates under the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE). For Guanacaste, the local Registro Civil office in Liberia handles registration. The certificado de defunción (death certificate) is issued here.

Forensic post-mortem: The Departamento de Medicina Legal at the OIJ in San José is the national forensic medicine facility for Costa Rica. In sudden or suspicious deaths, the OIJ in Guanacaste (Delegación Regional OIJ Liberia) conducts an initial response, but forensic autopsies are performed in San José (approximately 240km from Liberia via the Interamerican Highway, roughly 4 hours by road).

Ministerio de Salud export permit: The Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) issues the permiso sanitario de traslado internacional.

Source: Código Procesal Penal Law No.7594/1996 (Costa Rica); Ley Orgánica del Registro Civil Law 3504/1965; 2025.

Medical coverage

Hospital Regional Enrique Baltodano Briceño (Liberia, Guanacaste) is the main public hospital for the province. Clínica Bíblica and CIMA Hospital (San José) are the leading private hospitals and preferred medical evacuation destinations for British nationals. Resorts in the Papagayo and Tamarindo areas typically have private clinic agreements for guests. Travel insurance with evacuation cover to San José is essential.

The documentation chain

1. Certificado de defunción from Registro Civil Liberia/Guanacaste. 2. OIJ Delegación Regional Liberia investigation report (sudden/violent deaths). 3. Fiscalía release of the body. 4. Forensic post-mortem at OIJ Medicina Legal, San José (if ordered — body transfer to San José required, 4 hours). 5. Ministerio de Salud permiso sanitario de traslado internacional. 6. Embalming at an approved Costa Rican funeral home. 7. IATA air cargo from LIR (Daniel Oduber Quirós International, Liberia) to LHR. LIR handles charter flights from UK airports during peak season (December to April). Outside peak season, the routing is typically LIR-MIA or LIR-GUA (Guatemala City) or LIR-SJO (San José) then onwards to LHR via a US or European hub.

Timeline from Liberia/Guanacaste

• Natural death, resort: 14 to 21 days
• Sudden death, OIJ investigation with San José post-mortem: 21 to 42 days (allow for the 4-hour San José transfer)
• Complex forensic case: 6 to 10 weeks

For repatriation guidance, contact our team via the enquiry form or WhatsApp.

See also the Costa Rica repatriation guide.

Information based on Código Procesal Penal Law No.7594/1996 (Costa Rica). Last reviewed May 2026.