5000 Colones

Costa Rica's switch to polymer for its higher denominations was a gradual process, and the 5000 Colones was among the notes that made the transition while retaining the same Oberthur Fiduciaire printing relationship the Banco Central had maintained for years. Oberthur's facility in Chantepie, France handled the substrate integration — the OVD window element is bonded into the polymer film during manufacture, not applied afterward, which means delamination issues common to early polymer adoptions elsewhere are largely absent here.

The 2018 date places this squarely in Costa Rica's second generation of polymer issues, after early feedback prompted minor adjustments to ink adhesion on the substrate surface.