✈️ Travel Planning
Visa & Entry Requirements for Costa Rica
Sources: Visit Costa Rica (ICT), DGME, Costa Rican Embassy UK
Last reviewed April 2026
Always verify before you travel. Entry requirements can change. Confirm your specific requirements with the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME) or the nearest Costa Rican consulate before booking. The information below reflects official rules as of April 2026.
Entry requirements
What every visitor must have at the border
Required at entry for all visitors
1
Valid passport or travel document
Your passport must be machine-readable (ICAO-compliant) and valid for the duration of your intended stay. Group 1 nationals (US, UK, EU, etc.) need a passport valid for at least one day on arrival. Group 3 and 4 nationals require a minimum validity of 90 days. Airlines may have their own stricter requirements. Check with your carrier.
2
Return or onward travel ticket
All visitors must present a ticket for leaving Costa Rica, a return flight, an onward flight, a pre-purchased bus ticket, or cruise ship documentation. An immigration officer will ask to see this on arrival. If you enter on a one-way ticket, have a return ticket dated more than 90 days from arrival, or are flying out of a different country, you must show proof of onward travel.
3
Proof of sufficient funds
The official minimum is US$100 per month (or partial month) of your intended stay. In practice, immigration officers rarely ask for this, but you should be prepared to show it: a bank card, a bank statement, or cash. Carry some evidence of financial means, particularly if staying for an extended period.
4
Visa (if required for your nationality)
Citizens of most Western countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and all EU member states do not require a visa. Citizens of other nationalities may need one. See the nationality groups below to check your status.
5
No impediment to entry
You must not appear on any Costa Rican immigration exclusion list, have any unresolved outstanding fines from a previous visit, or be subject to a prior entry ban.
Cash declaration: If you are carrying US$10,000 or more in cash or securities or the equivalent in any currency, you must declare it at the immigration checkpoint before completing immigration procedures. Failure to declare is a criminal offence under Costa Rican Law No. 8204, Article 35, and results in immediate forfeiture of the funds.
Visa status by nationality
Which group does your nationality fall into?
Costa Rica’s immigration authority (DGME) classifies all nationalities into four groups. Your group determines whether you need a visa before travelling, how long you may stay, and the passport validity required. The groups below reflect the system in effect as of November 2025, following the DGME’s updated resolution.
Group 1 - No visa required
Up to 180 days
Group 2 - No visa required
Up to 30 days
Includes: Selected countries including some Caribbean and African nations (e.g., South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles).
Passport validity: Minimum 90 days from entry date required.
Group 3 - Visa required
Up to 30 days
Passport validity: Minimum 6 months from entry date required.
Group 4 — Visa required
Up to 30 days
Visa exemption possible if you hold a valid US, Canadian, or EU/Schengen residence permit valid for more than 6 months on arrival.
Passport validity: Minimum 6 months from entry date required.
Important. Updated November 2025: Following a DGME resolution, the maximum stay for Group 1 visitors was increased from 90 to 180 days. Additionally, if you are from a Group 3 or 4 country and using a US/Canadian/Schengen visa to enter without a Costa Rican visa, your permitted stay in Costa Rica cannot exceed the remaining validity of that visa. Schengen C/D visas must be multiple-entry, with at least 90 days’ remaining validity on the date of entry. Verify your specific situation at migracion.go.cr →
UK residents note: Foreign nationals resident in the UK holding a UK eVisa (rather than UK citizenship or indefinite leave to remain) are not exempt from Costa Rica visa requirements under the standard Schengen/UK residency exemption. If you are a non-UK national resident in the UK, check your specific entry requirements with the Costa Rican Embassy in London before travel.
Overstay consequences
Respect your permitted stay. The penalties are significant
Costa Rica takes overstays seriously. If you stay beyond your permitted period, whether 180 days or 30 days, you will face consequences on departure and may be denied entry on future visits.
Financial fines
Overstays are subject to fines assessed at departure. Failure to pay can result in being detained at the airport until the fine is settled.
Entry ban
Depending on the length of the overstay, immigration authorities can impose a re-entry ban. Severe overstays can result in a ban of up to 10 years.
Deportation
Significant overstays can result in deportation at your own expense, with a formal record on your immigration file that affects future visa applications.
Health requirements
Vaccinations and health requirements
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from specific countries
If you are arriving from any of the following countries, you must present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Republic of Guyana. This requirement is set by Costa Rican health authorities and has been in place since 2007. No certificate means no entry.
Other vaccinations recommended but not required
No other vaccinations are legally required to enter Costa Rica. However, your own government’s health authorities may recommend hepatitis A, typhoid, or rabies vaccinations depending on your planned activities. Check the travel health advice issued by your national health authority before departure.
COVID-19
Costa Rica removed all COVID-19 entry requirements in 2022. No vaccination certificate, negative test, or health form is currently required to enter the country. This may change. Check with official sources close to your travel date.
Before you travel
Four things to do before you arrive
Photocopy your passport
Make a copy of the photo page and your entry stamp. Carry this with you at all times during your trip. The official recommendation from Visit Costa Rica (ICT) is to keep it separate from your original passport.
Book your return ticket before flying
Airlines may deny boarding if you cannot present an outbound ticket. Immigration officers will also ask for it on arrival. Don’t rely on booking it at the airport — have it in your email before you fly.
Check your passport expiry date
While the legal minimum is 1 day’s validity for Group 1 nationals, airlines may enforce stricter rules (often 6 months). If your passport is expiring soon, renew it before travelling. You cannot renew it while in Costa Rica.
Verify your group with DGME
Immigration rules change. The official source is always the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME) at migracion.go.cr. Check your nationality’s group directly with them or through the nearest Costa Rican consulate before booking your trip.
Official sources
Verify directly with the authorities
These are the official government sources for Costa Rica entry requirements. Always check these, not third-party travel sites, for the most current rules.
Costa Rica Government
DGME. Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería
Costa Rica’s official immigration authority. Check visa requirements by nationality, overstay policies, and extension procedures.
Costa Rica Tourism Board
Visit Costa Rica — Entry Requirements
The official ICT (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) page covering entry requirements, documentation, and return ticket rules.
Costa Rican Embassy – UK
Visa-Exempt Countries List
The Costa Rican Embassy in London publishes a clear breakdown of all visa-exempt countries by group, with passport validity requirements.
US State Department
Costa Rica Travel Advisory
US citizens can check the State Department’s Costa Rica advisory for current entry requirements, safety information, and registration services.