As of July 1st, applicants for a visa to travel to the United States using the service known as Drop Box must make an appointment with Correos de Costa Rica for the delivery of all documentation. Visa renewal through Drop Box does not require the applicant to have an interview at the Consular Section of the U.S. embassy.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, this change is made in response to the high demand for this service from all over Costa Rica and in order to improve efficiency in the processing of US visa applications. Currently, the visa renewal application process can take four to six weeks.
Making an appointment
Due to the pandemic, the Consular Section suspended routine visa services from March 18th, 2020. However, emergency visa services and for critical missions are provided, as far as possible, as well as the possibility of renewing visas without the need to schedule a physical appointment at the embassy (Drop Box), through of the delivery of the documents in the postal agencies of Costa Rica. To date, applicants could deliver their documents to Correos de Costa Rica, without having to make an appointment.
In the event that the applicant misses their document delivery appointment with Correos de Costa Rica, it will be necessary to contact the call center of the United States Embassy by email, telephone (Tel .: 4000-1976) or chat service to schedule a new appointment.
For more info
Those interested in the renewal of the US visa should enter the website of the United States Embassy (cr.usembassy.gov) and follow the steps indicated, from filling out the DS-160 form to making the payment online (which also it can be done in cash at any Money Center in the country) and schedule the appointment for the delivery of documents at Correos de Costa Rica. Any document that is returned to the applicant will also be sent through Correos de Costa Rica.
