Costa Rica Visa Requirements Costa Rica Travel Guide
To enter Costa Rica you will need a valid passport that will not expire for at least 90 days after the arrival plus a round-trip or outbound ticket. Everybody has to pay a departure tax of $26 payable at the airport next to the airlines counters. Some countries require a Visa emitted by a Costa Rica consulate and in some cases a Special Visa emitted by the Costa Rica migration director. Entrance permit may vary from 30 to 90 calendar days. Before you travel make sure you contact the closest Costa Rica embassy/consulate to confirm you comply with all requirements. Visitors coming from certain south American countries are required to show a proof for the Yellow Fever vaccine or won’t be admitted in Costa Rica.
Do Not Require a Visa to Enter Costa Rica
The Citizens of the following countries may enter Costa Rica without a visa with a maximum stays of up to 90 calendar days due to Agreements, International Conventions or Exchange Notes.
| GERMANY | LITHUANIA | ANDORRA | LUXEMBOURG |
| ARGENTINA | MALTA | AUSTRALIA * | MEXICO |
| AUSTRIA | MALTA | BAHAMAS | MEXICO |
| BARBADOS | MONTENEGRO | BELGIUM | NORWAY * |
| BRAZIL | NEW ZEALAND * | BULGARIA | NETHERLANDS (Holland) * |
| CANADA | PANAMA | CROATIA | PARAGUAY |
| CHILE | POLAND | CYPRUS | PORTUGAL |
| DENMARK * | PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO | SLOVAKIA | SAN MARINO |
| SLOVENIA | PUERTO RICO | SPAIN | SERBIA |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA * | SOUTH AFRICA | ESTONIA | UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN ** |
| FINLAND | NORTHERN IRELAND ** | FRANCE * | CZECH REPUBLIC |
| HUNGARY | REPUBLIC OF SOUTH KOREA | IRELAND | GREECE |
| ROMANIA | ICELAND | ISRAEL | VATICAN HOLY SEE |
| ITALY | SINGAPORE | JAPAN | SWEDEN |
| LATVIA | SWITZERLAND | LIECHTENSTEIN | TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO |
| LITHUANIA | URUGUAY | LUXEMBOURG |
* Their dependencies receive equal treatment
** Includes England, Wales and Scotland
Do Not Require a Visa but have limitation
The citizens of the following countries may enter Costa Rica without a visa, with a maximum stays of up to 30 calendar days.
| ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA | MAURITIUS | BELIZE | MICRONESIA |
| BOLIVIA | NAURU | DOMINICA | PALAU |
| EL SALVADOR | KINGDOM OF TONGA | PHILIPPINES | PHILIPPINES |
| SAMOA | FIJI | SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS | GRANADA |
| SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES | GUATEMALA | SANTA LUCIA | GUYANA |
| SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE | HONDURAS | SEYCHELLES | MARSHALL ISLANDS |
| SURINAME | MARSHALL ISLANDS | TUVALU | SOLOMON ISLANDS |
| TURKEY | KIRIBATI | VANUATU | MALDIVES |
| VENEZUELA |
Require a Costa Rica Consulate Visa
The citizens of the following countries may to enter Costa Rica with Consular Visa and with a maximum stay of up to 30 calendar days.
| ALBANIA | MALAYSIA | ANGOLA | MALAWI |
| SAUDI ARABIA | MALI | ALGERIA | MOROCCO |
| ARMENIA | MAURITANIA | AZERBAIJAN | MOLDOVA |
| BAHRAIN | MONGOLIA | BENIN | MOZAMBIQUE |
| BELARUS | NAMIBIA | BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | NEPAL |
| BOTSWANA | NICARAGUA | BRUNEI-DARRUSAL | NIGER |
| BURKINA FASO | NIGERIA | BURUNDI | OMAN |
| BHUTAN | PAKISTAN | CAPE VERDE | PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
| CAMBODIA | PERU | CAMEROON | QATAR |
| COLOMBIA | WESTERN SAHARA | IVORY COAST | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC |
| COMOROS | REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA | CHAD | REPUBLIC OF CONGO |
| ECUADOR | DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | EGYPT | LAOS PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | RUSSIAN FEDERATION | RWANDA |
| GABON | SENEGAL | GAMBIA | SIERRA LEONE |
| GEORGIA | SUDAN | GHANA | SWAZILAND |
| GUINEA | THAILAND | GUINEA BISSAU | TAIWAN |
| GUINEA | TANZANIA | INDIA | TAJIKISTAN |
| INDONESIA | EAST TIMOR | JORDAN | TOGO |
| KAZAKHSTAN | TUNISIA | KENYA | TURKMENISTAN |
| KIRQUIZISTÁN | UKRAINE | KOSOVO | UGANDA |
| KUWAIT | UZBEKISTAN | LESOTHO | VIETNAM |
| LIBERIA | YEMEN | LIBYA | DJIBOUTI |
| LEBANON | ZAMBIA | MADAGASCAR | ZIMBABWE |
Require a Special Visa
The citizens of the following countries require a Visa authorized by the General Director of Migration in Costa Rica, with a maximum entrance of up to 30 natural days. Some countries in this list such as China have access to specially emitted Business Visas.
| AFGHANISTAN | JAMAICA | BANGLADESH | MYANMAR (BURMA) |
| CUBA | PALESTINE | ERITREA | SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC |
| REPUBLIC ETHIOPIA | CHINA (MAINLAND CHINA) | HAITI | DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF NORTH KOREA |
| IRAN | SOMALIA |
Other Countries
The citizens of countries not included in the lists above should contact the closest Costa Rica embassy for additional information on their requirements.
