Marriages For Money May
Soon Be Thing Of The
Past
The business of
foreigners marrying
Costa Rican nationals
for money without ever
even having met will
soon come to an end.
The Legislative Assembly
has accepted a proposal
by the Assembly's
president, Francisco
Antonio Pacheco and
Libertarian deputy,
Evita Arguedas, that
would dispense with the
process of marriage by
attorney.
The legislation, when
approved, would not
permit the marriage of
foreigners with Costa
Rican nationals without
having first met.
The plan is to eliminate
the multimillion dollar
business of some lawyers
and notaries who
specialize in these
types of marriages.
Lawyers and notaries
have been discovered to
pay Costa Rican
nationals some ¢20.000
colones (us$38.75) to
use their identification
for a marriage to a
foreigner who in turn is
charged thousands of
dollars.
In some cases, Costa
Rican nationals did not
even know they were
married, finding out by
accident while obtaining
a new "cedular" from the
Registro Civil (civil
registry) or registering
a "real" marriage.
The loopohole in the
marriage laws allows
many to marry with Costa
Ricans and then apply
for residency to remain
in the country. A number
of drug traffickers,
persons dedicated to the
traffic of persons and
prostitutes, have used
this loophole to remain
legally in the country.
The new law would not
only stop these
marriages but would also
punish lawyers and
notaries, as well as the
Costa Ricans, who take
part in the marriages
for money
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