Repatriation from San José, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is Central America’s most popular destination for British adventure tourists. White-water rafting on the Pacuare and Reventazón rivers, zip-lining in Monteverde and the Central Pacific coast, surfing at Santa Teresa and Pavones, wildlife tours in Manuel Antonio and Corcovado, and volcano hiking on Arenal and Rincón de la Vieja collectively generate a high-activity British visitor profile. Deaths here are predominantly activity-related: river accidents, surfing incidents, wildlife encounters, and vehicle accidents on the country’s mountain roads. San José, the capital in the Central Valley, is where all legal and administrative documentation is processed, regardless of where in the country the death occurred.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy San José (Edificio Centro Colón, Piso 11, Paseo Colón, San José, Costa Rica) covers Costa Rica and also provides consular services for Nicaragua and Honduras.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Costa Rican documentation requirements. Provide a funeral director referral list.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Instruct Costa Rican authorities.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Costa Rican law requires

Under the Código Procesal Penal (Costa Rica, Law No. 7594), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are reported to the Fuerza Pública (Costa Rican National Police) or the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) and referred to the Fiscalía General de la República where investigation is required. Forensic post-mortems are conducted at the Departamento de Medicina Legal del Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ Medicina Legal, Zapote, San José), which is the national forensic medicine institute.

Death certificates (Certificado de Defunción) are issued by the Registro Civil, Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, Costa Rica.

The documentation chain

1. Certificado de Defunción (death certificate). Issued by Registro Civil following medical certification.

2. OIJ Medicina Legal release (in sudden or unnatural deaths — required before body release).

3. International transport permit. Issued by the Ministerio de Salud Costa Rica through the Área Rectora de Salud.

4. Embalming certificate.

5. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Código Procesal Penal, Law No. 7594 (Costa Rica); Ministerio de Salud Costa Rica, Requisitos para el traslado de cadáveres fuera del país, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Juan Santamaría International Airport San José (SJO), 18km from the city centre, has no direct London service. Standard routing: SJO to a US hub (Miami MIA or Houston IAH are the most common, approximately 3 hours) then onward to London. Alternatively: SJO via Madrid (MAD) on Iberia (approximately 11 hours) then MAD-LHR. The funeral director selects the best current cargo routing. For deaths on the Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero) or in remote national parks (Corcovado), road transfer to San José is the first step.

Timeline from San José

• Hospital-certified natural death: 10 to 18 days
• OIJ investigation: 14 to 21 days
• Remote location rescue and transfer to San José: adds 1 to 3 days
• Extended investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Costa Rica has high-quality private hospitals in San José (Clínica Bíblica, CIMA Hospital, Hospital La Católica), which are relevant where the death follows a period of hospitalisation. Activity operators in Costa Rica are required to carry liability insurance, and in activity-related deaths the operator’s insurer may contribute to or cover repatriation costs — this should be established before instructing a funeral director.

For guidance on next steps, contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

Information based on Código Procesal Penal Law No. 7594 (Costa Rica) and Ministerio de Salud Costa Rica procedures. Last reviewed May 2026.