US Embassy Costa Rica Death: CRODA, DS-5501, and What ACS Actually Does

A US citizen has died in Costa Rica and you need to contact the embassy. Here's exactly what the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit in San José does, what forms you'll need, and what the embassy explicitly cannot help with.

Contact the ACS Unit Immediately

Call the US Embassy in San José at +506 2519-2000. Ask for American Citizen Services. If calling after hours, the switchboard connects you to the duty officer.

The ACS unit serves as your administrative bridge between Costa Rica's death registration system and US legal requirements. They do not replace a funeral director, attorney, or insurance agent — but you cannot complete the process without them.

Form DS-5501: Affidavit of Next of Kin

The first document you'll complete is Form DS-5501, the Affidavit of Next of Kin. This establishes your legal standing to make decisions about the deceased's remains and personal effects.

You'll also sign a Next of Kin Authorization form that allows the embassy to coordinate with the local funeral home on your behalf. Without both documents, the embassy cannot act.

If multiple family members are involved, decide who will serve as the primary point of contact before calling. The embassy works with one authorized representative, not a committee.

The CRODA: Consular Report of Death Abroad (DS-2060)

The CRODA is the single most important document the embassy produces. It serves as a US-legal death certificate and is accepted by courts, banks, insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, and the VA.

What it is: An official report (Form DS-2060) documenting the death of a US citizen abroad. Since October 2010, it is issued exclusively as an electronic document (e-CRODA) with a digital signature and seal.

What you need to get one:

• The original Costa Rican death certificate issued by the Civil Registry (TSE)
• The deceased's US passport
• Proof of the next of kin's relationship to the deceased
• A completed CRODA questionnaire provided by the ACS unit

How long it takes: If the death was natural and the Costa Rican death certificate is straightforward, the CRODA can be issued within weeks. If the OIJ is conducting a forensic investigation, the Costa Rican death certificate will initially list the cause of death as "En estudio" (Still Under Study). The CRODA can still be issued with this provisional cause, but insurance companies may delay claims until a definitive cause is recorded. This can take 4 to 6 months.

The Consular Mortuary Certificate

If you're repatriating the remains to the United States, the embassy issues a Consular Mortuary Certificate. This document is legally required by international airlines and US customs to allow human remains into the country.

The mortuary certificate is issued free of charge for US citizens. Non-US citizens pay $60.

Your funeral director in Costa Rica will need this certificate before they can book cargo space on a commercial airline.

What the Embassy Will Not Do

This is where families get stuck. The US Embassy in San José is legally prohibited from:

• Paying for anything. No funeral costs, no repatriation flights, no attorney fees, no hotel bills. The family or estate bears all costs.
• Providing legal advice. The embassy cannot tell you which lawyer to hire, interpret Costa Rican inheritance law, or advise on probate.
• Executing local filings. The embassy does not register deaths with the TSE, file for Ministry of Health permits, or interact with local banks on your behalf.
• Expediting the OIJ autopsy. If the remains are at the Judicial Morgue in Heredia, the embassy can confirm the status but cannot speed up the forensic process.

The embassy can provide a list of English-speaking attorneys and funeral directors in San José. This list is informational, not an endorsement — verify credentials and pricing independently.

After the Embassy

The embassy handles the US-facing paperwork. Everything on the Costa Rican side — death registration, bank account freezes, property issues, local probate — requires a separate track that the embassy has no involvement in.

The Someone Died in Costa Rica: English Speaker's Emergency Guide covers both the consular process and the full Costa Rican administrative system side by side, including bilingual templates for banks, landlords, and employers.

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