Costa Rica’s Department of Immigration (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME)) faced a significant cybersecurity breach that disrupted its online services. The cyber attack, which began the second week of November , led to the suspension of the official website (www.migracion.go.cr) as a precautionary measure to protect user information and prevent further system vulnerabilities.
Despite the website’s being down, the DGME maintained that critical operations functioning. However, users are unable to access online services such as reviewing residency requirements, scheduling residency appointments. To address this loss of online access, the DGME provided alternative methods for appointment scheduling:
Call Center: Users could dial 1311 to book appointments at DGME offices or Electronic Service Windows (VES) of Correos de Costa Rica.
Banco de Costa Rica (BCR): Appointments could be scheduled by calling 800-BCRCITA or visiting www.bancobcr.com.
Correos de Costa Rica: The virtual branch facilitated passport procedures
The Impact on Pending Residency Applications
If your application is pending resolution an all documents were submitted and accepted by immigration then this should not affect your application. It may delay the approval process as Immigration diverts resources to deal with the loss of the online platform for now.
The Impact on New Applications
We received notices from the Department of Immigration that any new applications would require filing them in person at the Department of Immigration while they sort out the online filing system. As such you should expect delays since this will create a large demand for physical presence services.
The Department of Immigration posted the following on their facebook page:
Due to the cybersecurity situation facing the DGME, we inform you that, effective immediately, the service for registering affiliations on the Trámite ¡Ya! digital platform will be disabled until further notice. Through this digital platform, it is currently not possible to submit documentation for registration or to file applications or procedures.
Applications will only be accepted in person, without an appointment, at the Service Platform of the central offices, door 4, from Monday to Thursday, 7:20 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or at regional Migration offices starting at 8:00 a.m.
For affiliations that have already been submitted but not yet admitted, users must present, at the Service Platform of the central offices or at regional Migration offices, a printed copy or screenshot of the submitted affiliation, along with other required documents. This is to identify cases and apply the suspension of deadlines for both the expiration of requirements and the authorization of stay in the country.
For Updates Check Facebook Page
For updates on the progress to reinstate online services you will need to check on the Facebook page of the Department of Immgiration. https://www.facebook.com/migracioncostarica/
