Exit stamp
Entry and exit stamps.

The visa policy of Costa Rica requires that any foreign national wishing to enter Costa Rica must obtain a visa from one of the Costa Rican diplomatic missions, unless they hold a passport issued by one of the 95 eligible visa exempt countries or if the fulfill the requirements for a substitute visa. 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
  Restricted visa

Visa exemption

Holders of passports of the following jurisdictions do not require a visa to visit Costa Rica:[1][2]

180 days 1

30 days 2 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 - Extendable up to 90 days.

Nationals of  China holding passports for public affairs do not require a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days.

Visa is not required for holders of diplomatic or service/official passports of Barbados (30 days), China (30 days), Colombia, Cuba (30 days), Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia, Morocco (30 days), Singapore (180 days), Thailand and Vietnam for up to 90 days (unless otherwise stated).

Substitute visas

Nationals who would normally require visas may enter Costa Rica for a maximum of 90 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 six months on arrival.[1]

1 - for holders of residence permits only.
2 - 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.

Further Authorization Required

A tourist visa for Costa Rica

Holders of passports of the following jurisdictions must have their visa approved by the Commission for Restricted Visas before arrival:[1]


Costa Rica also requires citizens of Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Cuba, Haiti, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua to apply for transit visas before transiting through the country.[1]

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving to Costa Rica were from the following countries of nationality:[18]

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 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. ↑ "Визы в Коста-Рику потребуются с 1 февраля". 22 January 2008.
  17. ↑ "Costa Rica, Honduras impose reciprocal visa requirements after Costa Rican 'safety' concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Informes Estadísticos - Anuarios" (in Spanish). Instituto Costarricense de Turismo. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
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