Dear Delegate:
Below you will find detailed information on the immigration requirements for visiting Costa Rica, according to your nationality. For more information about visa requirements, please visit the following web pages:

Link to relevant websites

Costa Rica Immigration Bureau webpage (in Spanish): http://www.migracion.go.cr/

Web Page for Visas and connections: http://www.nwa.com/services/timatic.html

For Costa Rica Consulates and Embassies: http://www.rree.go.cr/

Entry Requirements

Foreigners seeking to enter Costa Rica should be in possession of a valid passport. The passport is to be presented to the Immigration Control Officer at any entry point: border station, airport, harbour.

The Purpose of a Visa

The visa is permission granted to a foreigner who intends to travel to Costa Rica on business, for a holiday, to study or conduct research, or for other approved activities.

If a formal invitation letter is required for your visa application please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to obtain such a letter.

Those who require visa Types of visa

All foreigners from non-Commonwealth countries are required to have a valid visa unless their countries have agreements

First group:

The citizens of the following countries may enter to Costa Rica without visa and with a maximum permanence of up to 90 natural days, due to Agreements, International Conventions or Exchange Notes.

Second Group: The citizens of the following countries may enter to Costa Rica without visa, with a maximum permanence of up to 30 natural days

Third Group: The citizens of the following countries may enter to Costa Rica with a Consular Visa and with a maximum permanence of up to 30 natural days

Notes: The nationals of the countries located in the third group will have to request for consular visa in their country of origin, except for the following exceptions:

1. The nationals of the countries located in the third group that have already a tourist visa, crew member visa or business visa to enter the United States of America, Canada and/or the countries of the European Union, stamped in their passport, valid for three months minimum, will be able to enter Costa Rica without consular visa, with the same conditions of entry as of the nationals of the countries located in the first group. The period of permanence and validity of passport is according to the group where the country of nationality belongs to.

2. The nationals of the countries located in the third group that are in quality of legal permanency (residence, work permission, study permission or refugee status) with a non inferior use to six months, in the countries of the first group not referred in cluster 'a', will be able to request for consular visa in that country of legal permanency whenever they present before the respective Costa Rican consul, the identity document that credits that condition. The Costa Rican consuls will have to verify before the migratory authorities of the country of permanence, the authenticity that condition.

3. The nationals of the countries located in the third group, with a legal permanency status (residence, work permission, study permission or refugee status) minimum of six months in the United Sates of America, Canada and/or the countries of the European Union, will be able to enter Costa Rica without consular visa, with the same conditions of entry as of the nationals of the countries located in the first group. The period of permanence and validity of passport is according to the group where the country of nationality belongs to.

4. The nationals of the countries located in the third group that are in quality of permanent resident with a non inferior use to six months in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua or El Salvador, will be able to request for consular visa in that country of permanent residence, whenever they present before the respective Costa Rican consul, the identity document that credits that legal permanence. The Costa Rican consuls will have to verify before the migratory authorities of the residence country, the authenticity of the permanent residence.

For other national foreigners of a country of the third group that request for entrance visa before a Costa Rican consulate other than its country of origin or residence and that is not within the exceptions indicated before, the consular agent will have to send the request to the office of the General Director of Migration and Foreignship via fax, for their evaluation. This request will be solved in accordance with the applicable elements for fact and law. The General Director or Migration and Foreignship will be able to deny these requests according to pertinent considerations. In any case, there must be reasonable indications that the foreigner does not try to stay in the country, because it would be cause of denial to the migratory category of no Resident.

Fourth Group: Admitted with restricted and authorized visa by general director of migration and foreingship submitted to the commission of restricted visas

Notes:

1. The nationals of the Popular Republic of China that have an entry visa (tourist visa, crew member visa of business visa) to enter the United States of America, Canada or the Countries of the European Union, stamped in their passport, valid form three months minimum., will be able to enter Costa Rica without consular visa, with the same conditions of entry as the nationals of the countries located in the second group. The period of permanence and validity of passport is according to the group where the country of nationality belongs to. The nationals of the counties that fulfill this disposition will be exempted from the warranty deposit, as they have the same conditions as the nationals of the countries located in the second group.

2. The nationals of the countries located in the fourth group that are in quality of legal permanency (residence, work permission, study permission or refugee status) with a non inferior use to six months, in the countries of the first group, will be able to request for consular visa in that country of legal permanency, whenever they present before the respective Costa Rican consul, the identity document that credits that legal permanence. The Costa Rican consuls will have to verify before the migratory authorities of the country of permanency, the authenticity of that condition.

3. The nationals of the Popular Republic of China with a legal permanency status (residence, work permission, study permission or refugee status) minimum of six months in the United States of America, Canada and/or the countries of the European Union, will be able to enter Costa Rica without consular visa, with the same conditions of entry as of the nationals of the countries located in the second group. The period of permanence and validity of pass port is according to the group where the country of nationality belongs to.

4. The carrying nationals of Hong Kong of British passports for overseas citizens (British National Overseas/BN) that is effective, will receive the same treatment that the nationals of the first group of the present regulation, reason why will not require visa to enter the country and its permanence will be up to 90 days natural. The nationals of Hong Kong ho do not carry the referred document of trip, will require consular visa and will be applied the same dispositions as the Popular Republic of China.

5. In case of businessmen and investment natives of the Popular Republic of China, which conducted its course from the Costa Rican Consulate in China, supported by a letter from the Trade Development bureau (attached to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade), the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the China Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA), or PROCOMER' s office in China, the entry requirements will be identified for the foreign people in the third group, that is to say, enter by means of consular visa. PROCOMER' s office in China will only provide the visa in those cases in which the foreigners visit Costa Rica in order to participate in an activity related to the promotion of exportations and investments in Costa Rican territory, organized by PROCOMER. The letter of supports provided by the organisms cited in this cluster must have the minimum requirements that for this purpose provide the Costa Rican Consulate in China.

6. The nationals of the Popular Republic of China that have a valid diplomatic or service passport issued by the Government of the Republic of China will not require visa to enter, stay, exit or transit inside the territory, for a period no longer than 30 days from the date of entry. The service passport for public issues is not included in this exemption.