Company email registration in Costa Rica is mandatory for commercial companies, whether active or inactive. This includes companies that simply hold property without carrying on a business. They need a registered email address to receive official notices. After several deadline extensions and changes to the process, eligible representatives can now use ACE to register online, without a notary or government registration charges.
Why the deadline and registration process changed
Law No. 10597 introduced email as a channel for official judicial and administrative notices to commercial companies. In practice, courts and public authorities can send communications to the address recorded for the company. The reform also abolished the resident agent role, which had served as a contact for receiving notices in certain cases. For existing companies, the initial registration process required a Costa Rican notary and publication of a notice in La Gaceta, the official gazette.
The deadlines then changed. The original cut-off was June 4, 2026, followed by an extension to September 4, 2026 under Directive DPJ-001-2026. Law No. 10962 introduced December 31, 2026 as a transitional deadline and created an electronic filing option with a digital signature. Directive DPJ-002-2026 subsequently clarified that the longer compliance period should apply. The different dates and instructions you may have seen reflect successive stages of this process.
The current company email registration deadline is December 3, 2027. Directive DPJ-002-2026, dated July 10, 2026 and published in La Gaceta on August 24, 2026, clarified that date and replaced the earlier directives. Companies that still have no registered email address must complete the registration within this period. The requirement remains in force.
Law No. 10962 also allowed registration through an electronic sworn declaration, without going before a notary. That option depended on the National Registry introducing its online system. ACE is now available, making the electronic procedure a practical option for eligible companies.
Active and inactive companies: who needs to check their registration
The requirement covers S.A. corporations, S.R.L. limited liability companies, general partnerships and simple limited partnerships. An inactive company has no economic activity, but it may still legally exist. A company that only holds an asset therefore needs to check whether its email is registered. If the company has been dissolved or the period for which it was formed has expired, its status should be reviewed before filing.
New company incorporation applications first submitted on or after June 4, 2025 must include the email address in the incorporation deed. If the correct address is already recorded at the National Registry, you do not need to register it again. Check the actual record: having an email account, or having incorporated recently, is not enough to confirm compliance.
What happens if I do not register my company’s email?
From December 4, 2027, the Registry of Legal Entities will not register documents relating to a company that has no email address on file. In practical terms, a filing that needs to be registered can be held up until the company registers its email. This consequence concerns companies that have not yet complied.
ACE: registering a company email without a notary or a filing fee
The National Registry’s email self-service system, Autogestión de Correos Electrónicos (ACE), lets eligible representatives add or change an address online. The person logging in must be the company’s currently registered legal representative and hold a valid Costa Rican certified digital signature. This credential verifies their identity and allows them to sign electronic documents with legal effect. They select the company, enter its email address and complete the request.
ACE generates an electronic sworn declaration, through which the representative confirms the filing information under oath. This route does not require a notary or publication of a legal notice in La Gaceta. During the registration period, there are no government registration charges if your request only adds or changes the email address.
Can someone with a power of attorney use ACE?
No. Holding a power of attorney does not authorize someone to use ACE in that capacity. Access is reserved for the company’s currently registered legal representative. If a person acting under a power of attorney will handle the filing, the appropriate notarial route and the scope of their authority must be reviewed.
What requirements must the company meet to use ACE?
The company must be registered, and the period for which it was formed must still be in force. It must also be up to date with the annual legal entity tax, Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas, and the Transparency and Beneficial Ownership Registry (RTBF), which records the individuals who own or control the company. Where applicable, it must comply with obligations to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) and those relating to social development and family allowances.
Before logging in, set up the computer according to the ACE portal‘s digital signature requirements. If the representative does not have a valid certified digital signature, one of the notarial alternatives must be used.
No digital signature? The notarial route remains available
The notarial alternatives remain available. You can register the email through a public deed prepared and authorized by a Costa Rican notary, or through protocolización de acta. In the second option, the notary incorporates a shareholders’ or members’ resolution into a formal instrument kept in the notary’s official records. These procedures require a notice in La Gaceta and may involve notarial fees and publication costs.
ERP Lawyers has Costa Rican notaries public who can handle this registration for your company. If you do not have a digital signature or need to act through a person holding a power of attorney, our team can review your situation, identify the documents needed and complete the registration through the appropriate route.
This review also helps determine how to proceed when representatives are outside Costa Rica. The available route depends on the company’s circumstances and who is authorized to act.
After registration: check the record and monitor the inbox
Only one email address is registered per company. If you represent several companies, submit a separate request for each. Choose an account the company can keep accessing and assign someone to monitor it, including the spam folder. An official notice may require a response within a specific period.
Can I change the email address or correct a mistake?
Yes. The legal representative can submit a new ACE request to change or correct the address. Check that it is complete and accurate before finishing: the address you enter is the one that will be recorded.
What proof do I receive, and when should I download it?
ACE provides a receipt with tomo and asiento, the reference numbers identifying the request. Download it before closing the transaction. The sworn declaration is available for a one-time download during the seven calendar days following the email’s inclusion or modification, including weekends and holidays. After that period, it can be obtained through National Registry channels using those reference numbers. Keep both documents.
What should I do if my company does not appear in ACE?
Email ACE@rnp.go.cr, the support address provided by the National Registry. First check the company’s details and whether you are recorded as its current legal representative: the system lists the companies you are entitled to represent.
Start by checking whether your company already has a registered email address and whether you still control that account. If you need to add or update an address, or prepare documents for a notarial filing, contact ERP Lawyers to review your case.
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