Visa policy of Costa Rica

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 exemption

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

180 days ¹

All European Union member states^[3]^[4] ³

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.}

In addition, nationals 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.

Date of visa changes

30 May 1966: Spain^[5]
5 July 1968: Israel^[6]
13 September 1968: Austria^[7]
1 September 1971: France^[8]
October 1971: Yugoslavia (applies today to Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia)^[9]
16 September 1974: Japan^[10]
6 December 1996: Brazil^[11]
24 November 2003: Latvia^[12]
12 April 2014: Russia^[13] (resumed)
13 December 2015: Peru^[14]
14 December 2016: Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates^[15]
25 October 2023: Honduras^[16] (resumed)

Cancelled:

Colombia: 1 April 2002
Russia: 1 February 2008^[17] (was resumed in 2014)
Venezuela: 21 February 2022
Honduras: 10 October 2023^[18]

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]

Canada
European Union All European Union countries ¹
Iceland¹
Norway¹
Switzerland¹
United Kingdom¹
United States²

_{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

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 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, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen 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:^[19]

Country	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
United States	1,199,241	1,233,277	1,077,044	997,262	929,402
Nicaragua	429,990	440,049	446,870	463,959	476,678
Canada	201,921	188,104	175,771	172,730	160,398
Mexico	106,783	94,499	84,940	75,045	72,568
Panama	104,795	99,917	97,135	68,340	98,275
El Salvador	81,091	78,273	69,427	63,214	64,552
Guatemala	78,032	65,063	57,600	55,677	56,756
United Kingdom	76,173	71,392	47,499	39,545	35,198
Germany	70,960	67,939	66,450	63,916	54,754
France	69,803	61,503	54,773	49,681	39,728
Spain	69,782	67,453	65,188	64,303	52,950
Total	2,959,869	2,925,128	2,660,257	2,526,817	2,427,941

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "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.
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of January 1982" (PDF). 1983.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during December 1968" (PDF). 1969.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during November 1968" (PDF). 1969.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during November 1971" (PDF). 1972.
^ "PDF.js viewer". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ "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.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of December 1996" (PDF). 1997.
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of May 2005" (PDF). 2005.
^ pp. 25–26
^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements - Registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat during the month of June 2017" (PDF). 2017.
^ pp. 9–14
^ "Diario Extra - No más visas a hondureños".
^ "Визы в Коста-Рику потребуются с 1 февраля". 22 January 2008.
^ "Costa Rica, Honduras impose reciprocal visa requirements after Costa Rican 'safety' concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
^ "Informes Estadísticos - Anuarios" (in Spanish). Instituto Costarricense de Turismo. Retrieved 11 December 2017.

[visa-1] "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.

[report2-3] "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.

[report3-4] "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] . 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] . 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] "Informes Estadísticos - Anuarios" (in Spanish). Instituto Costarricense de Turismo. Retrieved 11 December 2017.

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v t e Visa policy by country
Visa Passport Travel document
Africa	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros DR Congo Djibouti Egypt⁶ Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea-Bissau Guinea Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria R Congo Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha¹ São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia Somaliland³ South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Americas	Anguilla¹ Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda¹ Bolivia Brazil British Virgin Islands¹ Canada Cayman Islands¹ Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Caribbean Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten) Ecuador El Salvador Falkland Islands¹ Greenland⁵ Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Montserrat¹ Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands¹ Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands¹ United States Puerto Rico⁴ Virgin Islands⁴ Uruguay Venezuela
Asia	Abkhazia² ³ Afghanistan Akrotiri and Dhekelia¹ ² Armenia² Azerbaijan² Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Hong Kong Macau Cyprus² East Timor Egypt⁶ Georgia² India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan² Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal North Korea Northern Cyprus² ³ Oman Pakistan Palestine³ Philippines Qatar Russia² Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea South Ossetia² Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan (Republic of China)³ Tajikistan Thailand Turkey² Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen
Europe	Abkhazia² ³ Akrotiri and Dhekelia¹ ² Albania Andorra Armenia² Austria Azerbaijan² Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Cyprus² Denmark Faroe Islands Greenland Estonia Finland France Overseas Georgia² Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan² Kosovo³ Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Overseas North Macedonia Northern Cyprus² ³ Norway Svalbard Poland Portugal Romania Russia² San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia South Ossetia² ³ Spain Sweden Switzerland Transnistria³ Turkey² Ukraine United Kingdom Overseas Vatican City
Oceania	American Samoa⁴ Australia Cook Islands Fiji Guam⁴ Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Niue Northern Mariana Islands⁴ Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Islands¹ Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Historical	Artsakh² Russia²
¹ British Overseas Territories. ² These countries span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia. ³ Partially recognized. ⁴ Unincorporated territory of the United States. ⁵ Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. ⁶ Egypt spans the boundary between Africa and Asia.

v t e Visa requirements by citizenship
Visa Passport Travel document
Africa	Algerian Angolan Beninese Botswana Burkinabe Burundian Cameroonian Cape Verdean Central African Chadian Comorian Congolese (Democratic Republic) Congolese (Republic) Djiboutian Egyptian⁴ Equatorial Guinean Eritrean Ethiopian Gabonese Gambian Ghanaian Guinea-Bissauan Guinean Ivorian Kenyan Lesothan Liberian Libyan Malagasy Malawian Malian Mauritanian Mauritian Moroccan Mozambican Namibian Nigerian Nigerien Rwandan Saint Helena¹ Santomean Senegalese Seychellois Sierra Leonean Somali (Somaliland) South African South Sudanese Sudanese Swazi Tanzanian Togolese Tunisian Ugandan Zambian Zimbabwean
Americas	American Anguillan¹ Antigua and Barbuda Argentine Bahamian Barbadian Belizean Bermudian¹ Bolivian Brazilian British Virgin Islands¹ Canadian Caymanian¹ Chilean Colombian Costa Rican Cuban Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuadorian Greenlandic Grenadian Guatemalan Guyanese Haitian Honduran Jamaican Mexican Montserratian¹ Nicaraguan Panamanian Paraguayan Peruvian Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucian Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Salvadoran Surinamese Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands¹ Uruguayan Venezuelan
Asia	Abkhaz² ⁵ Afghan Armenian³ Azerbaijani² Bahraini Bangladeshi Bhutanese Bruneian Cambodian Chinese Hong Kongese Macanese Cypriot³ East Timorese Egyptian⁴ Emirati Georgian² Indian Indonesian Iranian Iraqi Israeli Japanese Jordanian Kazakhstani² Kuwaiti Kyrgyzstani Laotian Lebanese Malaysian Maldivian Mongolian Myanmar Nepalese North Korean Northern Cypriot³ ⁵ Omani Pakistani Palestinian Philippine Qatari Russian² Saudi Singaporean South Korean South Ossetian² ⁵ Sri Lankan Syrian Taiwanese⁵ Tajikistani Thai Turkish² Turkmen Uzbekistani Vietnamese Yemeni
Europe	Abkhaz² ⁵ Albanian Andorran Armenian³ Austrian Azerbaijani² Belarusian Belgian Bosnian and Herzegovinian British (BOTC · BN(O) · BOC) Bulgarian Croatian Cypriot³ Czech Danish Faroese Greenlandic Dutch Estonian (Non-citizens) EU Finnish French Georgian² German Greek Hungarian Icelandic Irish Italian Kazakhstani² Kosovar⁵ Latvian (Non-citizens) Liechtenstein Lithuanian Luxembourg Maltese Moldovan Montenegrin Monégasque North Macedonian Northern Cypriot³ ⁵ Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian⁹ San Marino Serbian Slovak Slovenian South Ossetian² ⁵ Spanish Swedish Swiss Transnistrian⁵ Turkish² Ukrainian Vatican City
Oceania	Australian Fijian Kiribati Marshallese Micronesian Nauruan New Zealand Palauan Papua New Guinean Pitcairn Islands¹ Samoan Solomon Islands Tongan Tuvaluan Vanuatuan
Other	Crew members Sovereign Military Order of Malta Green Card
¹ British Overseas Territories. ² Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and the partially recognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia each span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia. ³ Cyprus, Armenia, and the partially recognised republic of Northern Cyprus are entirely in Western Asia but have socio-political connections with Europe. ⁴ Egypt spans the boundary between Africa and Asia. ⁵ Partially recognized. Immigration law