Tourist General Information: As a tourist you have two choices to extend your stay in Costa Rica:
1. File for an extension of stay at the Department of Temporary Permits & Extension of Stays at the Immigration Department in Costa Rica. 2. Cross the border to one of Costa Rica's neighboring countries - ensuring that the port of exit official stamps your passport with the exit seal; and then come back in to the country. You do NOT need to leave the country for 72 hours, only to exit and re-enter. When you re-enter Costa Rica you will be granted another 30, 60, or 90 days to stay as a tourist. If you require visa issuance authorization to get a visa to enter Costa Rica and want to extend your stay, choice one is your only option to stay in Costa Rica. Please see our Visa Resource Center for visa information.
Eligibility: You can apply for an extension of a temporary stay in Costa Rica at the Department of Temporary Permits & Extension of Stays at the Immigration Department if:
* you were lawfully admitted into Costa Rica as a nonimmigrant in a tourist visa or a one-entry visa category that is not ineligible for an extension,
* you have not committed any crimes that make you ineligible for an extension, and
* you submit the application for an extension of stay before (at least 20 days) your current authorized stay expires.
Extension of Stay Required Documents
1. A passport valid for at least six months
2. Original Birth certificate *
3. Police record *
4. Personal letter with a 10 colones stamp attached to it addressed to the Director of the Department of Temporary Permits & Extension of Stays at the Immigration Department stating your name, last names, nationality, passport number, address and phone number where you will reside while in Costa Rica and your reasons for extending your stay. This letter must be signed in front of the Immigration cleck who receives your application or authenticated by an attorney. If the letter is authenticated by an attorney, you must attach to it an additional 50 colones stamp.
5. Extension of Stay Application available at the Department of Temporary Permits & Extension of Stays at the Immigration Department
6. Four recent frontal passport sized photographs 7. A certified copy of all pages of your passport authenticated by an attorney in Costa Rica. Each copy must bear the stamp and signature of the attorney who authenticated them.
8. An original return airplane ticket to your home country. The ticket must have an expiration date and its departure date must be consistent with the date when your requested extension of stay expires.
9. Proof of financial funds: You must bring $200.00US in cash, travel checks, or a certified bank letter stating the current balance of your bank account. The minimum balance of your account must be $200.00 U.S.
10. Stamp Fees: You must pay 175 colones for each month that you are requesting the extension of stay. For example, if you are requesting two additional months you will be required to pay 350 colones.
* Document is not required. However, in some cases the Immigration Department of Costa Rica will require you to submit it. Document must be authenticated by a Consulate of Costa Rica prior to coming to Costa Rica, translated into Spanish (either in your home country by a Registered translator, by a Costa Rican translator certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica, or by a Costa Rican Notary Public who speaks the language and certifies the translation), issued thirty days prior to your arrival in Costa Rica, and be no more than six months old after their issuance date.
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