90 days visa free for most Western passports, but you must hold a ticket out of the country dated within 90 days. The airline checks it at check-in and refuses boarding without it.
- You must hold a ticket out of the country dated within 90 days of arrival. The airline enforces it at check-in because it is fined for carrying you, and there is no arguing at the desk.
- A one-way flight in will not be boarded - the commonest reason visitors miss their trip. A Ticabus or Transnica booking to Panama or Nicaragua satisfies it for a fraction of a flight.
- 90 days on arrival for the USA, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia, Japan, South Korea and most of Latin America. The officer decides the number, so look at what you were given.
- Overstaying costs USD 100 per month and can mean a re-entry ban of three times the overstay. The old border run no longer reliably works.
- A yellow fever certificate is checked if you arrive from or transited parts of South America and sub-Saharan Africa, including Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela.
The onward ticket, which is the actual gate
Costa Rica requires every non-resident visitor to hold proof of onward travel out of the country, dated within 90 days of arrival. This applies at airports and at land borders.
- The airline enforces it at check-in, because they are fined for carrying you if you are refused. There is no arguing at the desk.
- A one-way flight in will not be boarded. This is the single commonest reason visitors miss their trip.
- A bus ticket out counts. If you are continuing overland to Panama or Nicaragua, a Ticabus or Transnica booking satisfies it and costs a fraction of a flight.
- Buy a real ticket, not a "flight reservation" service. Some are accepted and some are not, and you find out at the airport.
The stay
- 90 days on arrival for the USA, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Latin America.
- The officer decides the number and it is written on the stamp. It is usually 90 and it is occasionally less. Look at what you were given.
- Your passport must be valid for the stay and, for some nationalities, one to six months beyond. Six months of validity removes all doubt.
- Overstaying costs USD 100 per month and can mean a re-entry ban of three times the overstay.
- The old border run does not reliably work any more. Immigration officers may refuse a fresh 90 days to someone who has just crossed to Nicaragua and back.
Where your nationality lands
| You hold | What you need |
|---|---|
| USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia | No visa. 90 days |
| Taiwan | No visa. 30 days |
| China, India, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia | Consular visa in advance, or the exception below |
- A useful exception: holders of a valid US, Canadian, Schengen, UK, Japanese or South Korean visa or residence permit can often enter Costa Rica without a Costa Rican visa. The rules differ by nationality and are worth checking against your own consulate.
- The departure tax is USD 29 and is included in almost every airline ticket now. Check yours; if it is not, you pay at the airport.
- Travel insurance is not a legal entry requirement. The Covid-era rule was removed in April 2022. Bring it anyway.
Customs and money
- Declare cash above USD 10,000.
- Proof of funds of roughly USD 100 per month of stay may be asked for, rarely.
- Yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from or have transited certain countries in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, including Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. It is checked.
- Drones must be registered with the civil aviation authority and flying one over a national park is prohibited.
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