Costa Rica will open a trade and innovation office in Jerusalem in the first quarter of 2026, signaling strengthening bilateral ties, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Saturday night.
The office will carry diplomatic status.
The announcement was made in the wake of a meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade Manuel Tovar Rivera, and follows similar moves by other countries that do not maintain their embassy in the capital.
“The office is not only a symbol; it’s an important tool for strengthening ties between our nations in innovation and technology,” Sa’ar wrote in a post on X.
Israel and Costa Rica are expected to sign a free trade agreement this week.
Sa’ar thanked the Central American nation for its recent decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, calling it another step reflecting the close relationship between the two countries.
Costa Rica formerly maintained its embassy in Jerusalem but relocated it to Tel Aviv in 2006 due to international pressure and efforts to further its relations with the Arab world.
Good to meet with Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade @Manuel_Tovar_R.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 7, 2025
We agreed on the opening of a Costa Rican Innovation Office with Diplomatic Status in the first quarter of 2026 in Jerusalem, our eternal capital.
I thank the President of Costa Rica @RodrigoChavesR for… pic.twitter.com/F4XM8CxsfF
