Visa policy of Costa Rica

Visitors to Costa Rica must obtain a visa from one of the Costa Rican diplomatic missions unless they are citizens from one of the visa-exempt countries.

Exit stamp
Entry and exit stamps.

Costa Rican visas are documents issued by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, which is part of the Ministry of Interior and Police, with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Costa Rica
  Costa Rica
  Visa not required (180 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (30 days) if holding a valid Canadian, Schengen or US multiple-entry visa, or a residence permit issued by any Schengen Area member state, Canada, Cyprus, Ireland or the US; otherwise, visa required
  Visa not required (30 days) if holding a valid Canadian, Schengen or US multiple-entry visa, or a residence permit issued by any Schengen Area member state, Canada, Cyprus, Ireland or the US; otherwise, restricted visa with a prior authorization required

Visa exemption

Ordinary passports

Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter Costa Rica without a visa for the following period:[1][2]

180 days1

30 days2 4

1 - Passport must be valid for at least one day on arrival.
2 - Passport must be valid for at least three months on arrival.
3 - Including overseas territories of Australia, Denmark, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, United States.
4 - Length of stay extendable up to 90 days.

In addition, citizens of China who hold passports endorsed "for public affairs" do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica for a maximum stay of 30 days.

Substitute visa

Citizens of other countries who would normally require visas may enter Costa Rica for a maximum stay of 30 days if they are holding a valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit issued by the following countries. Residence permits and visas must be valid for more than 6 months on arrival.[1][19]

1 - For holders of residence permits only.
2 - For holders of multiple-entry "C" and "D" visas only.
3 - Green Cards or U.S. visas must be valid for more than six months on arrival except for holders of B or D visas. Not applicable to holders of "C1", "C2", and "C3" visas.

Non-ordinary passports

In addition, holders of diplomatic or service/official passports of China (30 days), Colombia, Cuba (30 days), Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia, Morocco (30 days), Singapore (180 days), Thailand and Vietnam may enter Costa Rica without a visa for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted).

Restricted visa with a prior authorization required

A tourist visa for Costa Rica

Citizens of the following countries must have their visa approved by the Commission for Restricted Visas before arrival:[1]

Transit visa

Costa Rica also requires citizens of Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Yemen to apply for transit visas before transiting through the country.[1]

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving in Costa Rica were from the following countries of nationality:[20]

Country 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
United States1,199,2411,233,2771,077,044997,262929,402
Nicaragua429,990440,049446,870463,959476,678
Canada201,921188,104175,771172,730160,398
Mexico106,78394,49984,94075,04572,568
Panama104,79599,91797,13568,34098,275
El Salvador81,09178,27369,42763,21464,552
Guatemala78,03265,06357,60055,67756,756
United Kingdom76,17371,39247,49939,54535,198
Germany70,96067,93966,45063,91654,754
France69,80361,50354,77349,68139,728
Spain69,78267,45365,18864,30352,950
Total2,959,8692,925,1282,660,2572,526,8172,427,941

See also

Wikivoyage logo
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Costa Rica.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Alcance N°54 A La Gaceta N°57" (PDF) (in Spanish). Diario Oficial La Gaceta. 28 March 2023. pp. 37 to 52. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Alcance N°166 a La Gaceta N°159" (PDF) (in Spanish). Diario Oficial La Gaceta. 31 August 2023. pp. 61 to 62. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on cases where visa waiver non-reciprocity is maintained by certain third countries in accordance with Article 1(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 851/2005 as regards the reciprocity mechanism - COM(2006) 568 final". European Commission. 3 October 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "THIRD REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on certain third countries' maintenance of visa requirements in breach of the principle of reciprocity in accordance with Article 1(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 851/2005 as regards the reciprocity mechanism - COM(2007) 533 final". European Commission. 13 September 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of January 1982" (PDF). 1983.
  6. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during December 1968" (PDF). 1969.
  7. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during November 1968" (PDF). 1969.
  8. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during November 1971" (PDF). 1972.
  9. ↑ "PDF.js viewer". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "一部査証及び査証料の相互免除に関する日本国政府とコスタ・リカ共和国政府との間の取極（口上書）" (PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 2 October 1974. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of December 1996" (PDF). 1997.
  12. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of May 2005" (PDF). 2005.
  13. ↑ pp. 25–26
  14. ↑ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of June 2017" (PDF). 2017.
  15. ↑ pp. 9–14
  16. ↑ "Diario Extra - No más visas a hondureños".
  17. ↑ "Визы в Коста-Рику потребуются с 1 февраля". 22 January 2008.
  18. ↑ "Costa Rica, Honduras impose reciprocal visa requirements after Costa Rican 'safety' concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Tourist Visas - Costa Rican embassy in UK".
  20. ↑ "Informes Estadísticos - Anuarios" (in Spanish). Instituto Costarricense de Turismo. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
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