Interviewer instructions
First block of questions: for all persons
Question 5: Nationality
The objective of this question is to obtain the nationality of every person. Legal nationality is understood to be the national or foreign condition that every person has with respect to the country where the census is being fulfilled.
[Below the text is a form]
Ask the question in the following manner: What nationality are you? (or is such and such other person) and write down the response of the enumerated person conforming to the following rules:
If one is Costa Rican by birth mark with an X the corresponding circle.
If one is Costa Rican by naturalization, mark with an X circle 8.
If one is Another Nationality, clearly write down the corresponding nationality.
If a person is an expatriate, write it down. If their situation is not well defined clarify it in observations. If the person has dual nationality, ask which is preferred and write that down.
{Who are Costa Rican by birth or by naturalization}
So that you have no doubts regarding if a person who you enumerate is Costa Rican by birth or by naturalization, the following articles 13 and 14 of the Political Constitution are transcribed.
[p. 48]
Article 13. They are Costa Rican by birth:
1) The child of a Costa Rican father and mother born in the territory of the republic.
2) The child of a Costa Rican by birth father and mother, who was born abroad, and is registered as such in the Civil Registry, by the will of the Costa Rican birth parent, even while at a young age, or by the child after 25 years of age.
3) The child of foreigners born in Costa Rica that is registered as Costa Rican, by the will of either of the birth parents even while at a young age, or by the child after 25 years of age.
4) An infant, of unknown parents, found in Costa Rica.
Article 14. They are Costa Rican by naturalization:
1) Those who have acquired this quality by virtue of previous laws.
2) Nationals of other Central American countries, of good conduct and with a year of residence in the republic at least, who declare before the Civil Registry their decision to be Costa Rican.
3) Spaniards or Latin Americans by birth who obtain the respective letter before the Civil Registry, always who have had their house in the country during previous years at their request.
4) Central Americans, Latin Americans or Spaniards who are not citizens by birth and other foreigners who have had their house in Costa Rica for the minimum term of five years immediately before the request of naturalization, according to the requirements that the law indicates.
5) A foreign woman who when marrying a Costa Rican, loses her nationality or who claims her desire to be Costa Rican.
6) One who receives an honorable nationality from the Legislative Assembly.
