For the first time, there is a resident Indian embassy in Costa Rica. The Ministry of External Affairs said the mission in San José became operational from 10 October 2026, five months after a minister promised it at a reception for the Indian community in the Costa Rican capital.
Until now, Costa Rica was covered from the Embassy of India in Panama, whose ambassador was also accredited to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Indian nationals in Costa Rica dealt with that mission, several hundred kilometres away, for consular matters.
What did the Ministry of External Affairs announce?
The ministry said the new mission would widen India’s presence in the region. “The operationalisation of the resident Indian Mission in Costa Rica will help expand India’s diplomatic footprint,” it said.
The ministry listed three purposes. The mission “will facilitate closer political engagement, promote bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation,” it said, and “will provide enhanced consular assistance to Indian nationals and the Indian community in Costa Rica.” It named pharmaceuticals, information technology, trade and investment as areas for growth.
The announcement did not name a head of mission. It also did not say whether passport, visa and Overseas Citizenship of India services move to San José immediately or remain with Panama for a transition period.
How did the decision come about?
The plan was first made public on 9 May 2026. Pabitra Margherita, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, was in Costa Rica for the swearing-in of President Laura Fernández on 8 May. He announced the permanent embassy at a reception with the Indian community at a restaurant in Escazú, on the edge of San José.
Costa Rica’s foreign ministry welcomed the move at the time. It called the decision a historic step that reflected the shared commitment of both countries. Costa Rica opened its own embassy in New Delhi in April 2010, so India’s mission makes the presence reciprocal after more than 16 years.
Costa Rica’s foreign minister at the time was Manuel Tovar. President Fernández dismissed him on 24 September, and career diplomat Ana Elena Pinto Lizano takes over the ministry from 15 October.
EXPLAINER
What is concurrent accreditation?
A country cannot keep an embassy everywhere, so one ambassador is often accredited to several countries at once. The ambassador lives in one capital and represents the country in the others from there, visiting when needed.
That is how India covered Costa Rica until now. Its ambassador in Panama was also accredited to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. A resident mission replaces that arrangement with diplomats based in the country itself.
Who are the Indians in Costa Rica?
The community is small but has a working base. The ministry’s figures on overseas Indians list 1,011 non-resident Indians and 39 persons of Indian origin in Costa Rica, about 1,050 people in total. The ministry does not give a date for that count.
Many work in technology. The ministry’s bilateral brief on Costa Rica, last updated in October 2023, says about 600 Indians work in the country’s information technology industry.
India has an honorary consul in Costa Rica, Francisco Villalobos. An honorary consul can help with limited matters, but cannot issue passports or visas. For those services, Indians in Costa Rica have relied on the embassy in Panama.
What is the trade relationship worth?
The numbers are modest. Costa Rican reporting at the time of the May announcement put bilateral trade at about 339 million US dollars in 2024, with average annual growth of 8.1 per cent. The Indian government has not published a matching figure for 2024.
About 25 Indian companies operate in Costa Rica, employing around 2,500 people, according to Costa Rican press reports at the time of the May announcement.
| Measure | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Indian community | About 1,050 (1,011 NRIs, 39 PIOs) | MEA overseas Indians data, undated |
| Indians in IT sector | About 600 | MEA bilateral brief, October 2023 |
| Bilateral trade, 2024 | About US$339 million | Costa Rican press, May 2026 |
| Jobs at Indian firms | About 2,500 | Costa Rican press, May 2026 |
What will the Indian embassy in Costa Rica change for residents?
The ministry’s own statement promises enhanced consular assistance, which is the part that matters most to residents. A resident embassy typically handles passports, emergency certificates and document attestation in the country itself.
The detail is not yet public. The ministry has not said when consular counters open in San José, what the working hours will be, or whether an outsourcing partner will handle applications. Until the mission publishes its own guidance, Indians in Costa Rica should check with the Embassy of India in Panama before sending any application.
What happens next?
The next steps are practical: the appointment of an ambassador or a chargé d’affaires, a website and social media accounts for the mission, and published consular arrangements.
More reports on India’s diplomacy and its diaspora are in the News section, and visa and passport guides are in the Visa section.
What Indians in Costa Rica are asking
Where do I renew my Indian passport in Costa Rica now?
The new mission in San José has been operational since 10 October 2026, but it has not yet published consular arrangements. Until it does, contact the Embassy of India in Panama, which has handled Costa Rica until now, before sending documents. Check the Ministry of External Affairs website for the San José mission’s contact details as they are released.
Who is India’s ambassador to Costa Rica?
No head of the new mission has been named yet. The previous envoy, Dr Sumit Seth, was ambassador in Panama with concurrent accreditation to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and he made his farewell calls in Panama in early August 2026. A new appointment would normally be announced by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Does Costa Rica have an embassy in India?
Yes. Costa Rica opened its embassy in New Delhi in April 2010, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. With the Indian embassy in Costa Rica now open in San José, both countries have resident embassies in each other’s capitals for the first time.
How many Indians live in Costa Rica?
The Ministry of External Affairs lists about 1,050 people, made up of 1,011 non-resident Indians and 39 persons of Indian origin. The ministry does not say when that count was taken. Its 2023 bilateral brief adds that about 600 Indians work in Costa Rica’s technology industry.
