On May 26th the term of 18 months that had been given by the Costa Rican Supreme Court to the Legislative Assembly to reform the law accordingly ruled against the country’s same-sex marriage ban, otherwise the ban would be abolished automatically.

Costa Rica became on May 26th the first nation in Central America to recognize and perform same-sex marriages and the 29th in the world.

It is important to indicate that, since January 18, 2019, the General Directorate of Immigration published Decree number 41329-MGP -temporal Regulation-, to regulate Immigration processes for same-sex couples to avoid limiting this right. Under the Family Reunification principle, temporary residence processes can be requested for foreign couples who have married outside of Costa Rica and those who have married to Costa Ricans.

The entry into force of equal marriage, those marriage celebrated in the country, also those celebrated outside our national territory may be registered in the Costa Rican Civil Registry.

This opens the possibilities for national and transnational companies to relocate their foreign employees to the country with greater advantages and who are married or in common-law relationship with a same-sex couple, since the regulations allow equal marriage ties, allowing couples reside in Costa Rica under the principle indicated above.