International Standards

Standards Organizations

In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) is responsible for the formulation and implementation of standards that domestic and foreign companies must follow if they intend to sell products on Costa Rican market. These regulations are mostly related to labeling, usage instructions, as well as safety related regulations. 

MEIC is the only organization in Costa Rica which develops standards.

Conformity Assessment               

The Instituto de Normas Tecnicas (INTECO) is the only entity in Costa Rica which provides standards certification services to local companies. 

The Government of Costa Rica does not require foreign companies to be certified with ISO (9000 and 14000) standards to export to the country. The same rule is applicable to Costa Rican companies, which are not required to be certified under ISO standards to sell their products to local and foreign markets.

Product Certification  

The Ministry of Health is responsible for the registration and authorization of import permits for food products, chemical products, cosmetics, vitamin supplements and pharmaceutical products imported into Costa Rica. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) is responsible for the registration and authorization of import permits for fertilizers and agricultural products imported into the country. 

Accreditation  

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) is the state-owned agency that provides accreditation services to testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies and clinical laboratories, through ECA (Ente Costarricense de Acreditacion), the standards certifying body of Costa Rica. 

Contacts

Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Comercio de Costa Rica 

Webpage: http://www.meic.go.cr , or http://www.reglatec.go.cr/ 

Email: reglatec@meic.go.cr 

Tel.: (506) 2291-2164

Fax: (506) 2291-2015

Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica Dpto. de Drogas y Estupefacientes Registros y Controles

Webpage:  http://www.ministeriodesalud.go.cr/ 

Address: P.O. Box 10123-1000, San José, Costa Rica

Tel.: (506) 2223-0333, Ext. 224

Fax: (506) 2257-7827 or 2222-1420

Ministerio de Agricultura de Costa Rica/Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado

Webpages:  http://www.sfe.go.cr/ , http://www.mag.go.cr/ 

Email: centroinfo@sfe.go.cr 

Address: P.O. Box 1521-1200, San José, Costa Rica

Tel. 506-2549-3400

Fax. 506-2260-8301

Instituto de Normas Técnicas de Costa Rica (INTECO)

Web pages: http://www.inteco.or.cr/esp/ 

E-Mail: info@inteco.or.cr 

Address: P.O. Box 10004-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica

Tel.: (506) 2283-4522

Fax: (506) 2283-4831

Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MICIT) 

Webpage: http://www.micit.go.cr 

Email: micit@micit.go.cr 

Address: P.O. Box 5589-1000, San José, Costa Rica

Tel. 506-2248-1515

Fax. 506-2257-8765

Ente Costarricense de Acreditación (ECA)

Webpage: www.eca.or.cr 

E-Mail: gerencia@eca.or.cr 

Address: 150 Norte de Edificio Torre La Sabana, Sabana Norte

Tel. 506-2258-2529, or 2258-0878

Fax. 506-2258-2529