Passport & Visa Information

Disclaimer: Visa and passport requirements frequently change. We do our best to keep this information as current as possible; however, we recommend that all visitors check with their embassy or consulate before their departure. CostaRica.com is not liable for any changes in visa or passport requirements which are not reflected on this site.


To find out if you need a visa to enter Costa Rica, please use the "Do You Need A Visa..."  box to the right. → →  → 

General Entry Requirements:

All adults and children (from 0 - 16 years old**) require the following documents below to enter Costa Rica:

    *    A valid passport with at least one blank visa page. The expiration date of your passport must be greater than either 30 or 180 days - depending on your country of citizenship - from your date of entry to Costa Rica.

    *   A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica or a pre-purchased bus ticket to another country.  Proof of financial resources ($400.00 - $1,000.00 U.S. dollars in cash, traveler checks, and/or credit cards) to pay for the market value of a one-way airline ticket may also be valid depending on airline requirements (either to return to your home country or to go to another country).

** If a minor (child under the age of 18) does not have his/her own passport, he or she must have a joint passport with one of his/her parents, legal guardian or the person traveling with him/her.

Read more about:

Tourist Visas 

Student Visas

Business Visas

Diplomatic Visas 

Official Visas

United States of America:

U.S. Citizens Do Not Need a Visa to Travel to Costa Rica.

Required Entry Documents:

U.S. citizens may enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa and can stay up to 90 days with a valid passport.

U.S. citizens - regardless of their age (*) - need the following documents to enter Costa Rica:

    *     A valid passport with at least one blank visa page. The expiration date of your passport must be greater than 30 days from your date of entry to Costa Rica.

And

    *     A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica and/or ticket either to return to your home country or to go to another country.

(*) If a U.S. minor (U.S. Citizen under the age of 18) does not have his/her own passport, he or she must have a joint passport with one of his/her parents, legal guardian or the person traveling with him/her.

Note: The government of Costa Rica decreed that after November 17, 2003 the practice of accepting U.S. driver licenses/IDs and U.S. birth/naturalization certificates as entry documents is discontinued on a permanent basis.

If you are considering staying for more than 90 (ninety days), a valid passport will be required and you must file for a stay extension at the Immigration Department of Costa Rica. Or, you may exit Costa Rica and re-enter. Most tourists visit Nicaragua or Panama - Costa Rica's neighboring countries - for three days and come back into Costa Rica.

Effective March 2010: Penalty for Overstaying Visas: Any visitor or resident that overstays their allotted time will be required to pay a fine of $100 U.S. dollars per month of violation--or expulsion equivalent to triple the time of violation. Example: Three month overstay violation equals a $300 U.S. dollar fine or a 9 month expulsion.

Canada:

Canadian Citizens Do Not Need a Visa to Travel to Costa Rica.

Required Entry Documents:

Canadian citizens may enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa and can stay up to 90 days with a valid passport.

Canadian citizens - regardless of their age (*) - need the following documents to enter Costa Rica:

    *     A valid passport with at least one blank visa page. The expiration date of your passport must be greater than 30 days from your date of entry to Costa Rica.

And

    *     A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica and/or ticket either to return to your home country or to go to another country.

(*) If a Canadian minor (Canadian citizen under the age of 18) does not have his/her own passport, he or she must have a joint passport with one of his/her parents, legal guardian or the person traveling with him/her.

Note: The government of Costa Rica decreed that after November 17, 2003 the practice of accepting Canadian driver licenses/IDs and Canadian birth/naturalization certificates as entry documents is discontinued on a permanent basis.

If you are considering staying for more than 90 (ninety days), a valid passport will be required and you must file for a stay extension at the Immigration Department of Costa Rica. Or, you may exit Costa Rica and re-enter. Most tourists visit Nicaragua or Panama - Costa Rica's neighboring countries - for three days and come back into Costa Rica.

Effective March 2010: Penalty for Overstaying Visas: Any visitor or resident that overstays their allotted time will be required to pay a fine of $100 U.S. dollars per month of violation--or expulsion equivalent to triple the time of violation. Example: Three month overstay violation equals a $300 U.S. dollar fine or a 9 month expulsion.

***New Visa Regulations***

Effective February 2009: Nationals of countries that require a consular visa to enter Costa Rica are no longer required to apply for the visa, if the visitors are holders of the following: 

    * A valid tourist visa or a crew member’s visa, or business visa to enter the U.S., Canada or the countries of the European Union. The tourist visa must be stamped in their passport and valid for at least 3 more months.

OR

    * A permanent residence (green card), student visa (F1, J1), work visa (H1B, G4, etc.), or refugee status in the United States, and/or in any country member of the European Union or Canada, valid for a minimum of 6 months. Residency extensions stamped on passport are not accepted.

Note: The passport expiration date needs to be more than six months from the day of arrival into the country. Visitors are allowed to remain in Costa Rica for up to 30 days.  All visa extensions should be requested at the Immigration Office in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Also helpful:  Extension of Stay and Embassies and Consulates

Back to Top