Starting September 9, Costa Ricans will be able to carry their digital ID card on their cell phones. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) announced that the Costa Rican Digital Identity (IDC) costs ¢2,600, is valid for four years, and has the same legal validity as the physical ID card, except for two important details: 1. it will not be valid for voting in the 2026 elections, and 2. institutions have up to six months to receive it.
How to obtain a digital ID card
Requirements: have a valid physical ID card with no pending paperwork, a cell phone, and an email address. Go to the TSE website (www.tse.go.cr): available since September 9.
Biometric verification: facial recognition to confirm identity.
Online payment: ¢2,600 with Visa or MasterCard. Seniors are exempt.
Download the official app: IDC-Ciudadano on PlayStore (pending*) or AppStore (instructions only in English for now).
Activation: Set up PIN and biometrics.
Immediate use: It will have the same validity as the physical ID card for official procedures, except for voting.
Physical ID card still available
The TSE will continue to provide the physical ID card free of charge at its headquarters and 32 regional offices. The IDC card can only be downloaded with biometric verification, so only the person who requests it can download it. Additionally, you can only have one digital ID card per phone, and if you change your phone, you can unlink the ID card from the first phone and download it on the second without having to pay, as Xenia Guerrero, Director of the TSE, clarified today.
Where it is already accepted
Banks: The vast majority of banks assure that they are making adjustments, for which the TSE is giving them up to six months. The BCR has everything ready as of today.
Telephony: Telephone companies are making adjustments. Claro assures that it is ready as of today.
Public institutions: They are still under review. Authorities, such as traffic and police, are required to accept it, according to a TSE resolution. In the Legislative Assembly, Karla Granados, its executive director, assured that “they are waiting for the implementation to make decisions, because it is not just about accepting it; it includes many other aspects.”
Private companies and businesses in general: Although they have up to six months to adjust processes, businesses can accept it as of today. It will no longer be possible to leave the ID card at the reception desk, so condominiums and office centers must adapt protocols and use digital verification or the TSE Verification Agent application.
Quick codes
Cost: ¢2,600 (except for seniors).
Validity: 4 years.
Validity: Same as physical validity, except for voting.
Availability: From September 9th at www.tse.go.cr.
*The TSE guarantees that Android users who have already made the payment but have not yet been able to download the app because PlaySotre is still in the publishing process and cannot verify the QR code received in their email will be able to do so once the app is available.
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