Visa Validation for Entry to Costa Rica
- The visa is valid for a single entry.
- The deadline to enter Costa Rica is sixty days from the stamping on the passport.
- The minimum passport validity is 180 days.
- Authorized stay is thirty days, extendable up to ninety days.
- We recommend processing your visa in advance at the Costa Rica consulate nearest your country.
| Angola | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Algeria | Armenia |
| Bahrain | Benin |
| Belarus | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Botswana | Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) |
| Burundi | Bhutan |
| Cape Verde | Cambodia |
| Cameroon | Colombia* |
| Côte D’ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Comoros |
| Chad | Ecuador |
| Egypt | Gabon |
| Gambia | Georgia |
| Ghana | Guinea |
| Guinea-Bissau (Guinea Bissau) | Equatorial Guinea |
| India | Indonesia |
| Jordan | Kenya |
| Kosovo | Kuwait |
| Lesotho | Liberia |
| Libya | Lebanon |
| Madagascar | Malawi |
| Mali | Morocco |
| Mauritania | Moldova (Moldova) |
| Mongolia | Mozambique |
| Namibia | Nepal |
| Nicaragua* | Niger |
| Nigeria | Oman |
| Pakistan | Papua New Guinea |
| Democratic Saharahui Arab Republic (Western Sahara) | Central African Republic |
| Republic Of Macedonia | Republic Of Congo |
| Democratic Republic Of The Congo (Formerly Zaire) | People’s Republic Of China* |
| Laos | Dominican Republic |
| Rwanda | Senegal |
| Sierra Leone | Sudan (North Sudan) |
| Swaziland | Thailand |
| Tanzania | East Timor |
| Togo | Tunisia |
| Uganda | Venezuela* |
| Vietnam | Yemen |
| Djibouti | Zambia |
| Zimbabwe |
For countries with Restricted Visa Requirements to enter Costa Rica, the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration validates a single-entry visa.
- The deadline to enter the country is sixty days from the stamping on the passport.
- Mandatory passport validity is 180 days.
- Authorized stay is thirty days, extendable to ninety days.
| Afghanistan | Azerbaijan |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Cuba |
| Eritrea | Ethiopia |
| Haiti | Kazakhstan |
| Kyrgyzstan | Iran |
| Iraq | Jamaica |
| Myanmar | Palestine |
| Syrian Arab Republic | North Korea |
| Somalia | Sri Lanka |
| Tajikistan | Turkmenistan |
| Uzbekistan |
Exceptions for group entry with a consular visa or restricted visa
Nationals of countries with a consular or restricted visa requirement who meet any of the exceptions established below may dispense with consular or restricted visas to enter Costa Rican territory:
Entry with visas and residences from the United States of America and Canada
Nationals of countries with consular or restricted visa requirements who have visas or residences that allow multiple entries in any category, including that of refugee or asylum seeker, and the type D and C1/D visa exclusively, with a minimum validity of 90 calendar days in the United States of America and Canada may enter Costa Rica without a visa. The period of 90 calendar days begins on the day you intend to enter the territory.
The visas of the United States of America type C1, C2 and C3, correspond to transit visas and will not be accepted.
Entry with residences from Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the countries of the European Union.
Nationals of countries with a consular or restricted visa requirement who have a residence in any category that allows multiple incomes or with a minimum validity of 90 calendar days, excluding the category of refugee or asylum seeker, in Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the countries of the European Union, may enter Costa Rica without a consular visa. The period of 90 days begins the day you intend to enter Costa Rica.
Republic of Colombia
Colombian nationals must have a passport with a minimum validity of 90 days. The maximum legal stay for Colombians is 90 days.
The people’s Republic of China and administrative regions
Nationals of Hong Kong and Macao with valid British or Portuguese passports receive the same treatment as nationals in the entry group without a consular visa and do not require a visa to enter the country for a stay of up to ninety days. Nationals of Hong Kong and Macao who do not carry valid British or Portuguese passports must have a consular visa and comply with the corresponding provisions of the People’s Republic of China.
Nicaragua
The minimum validity that a Nicaraguan passport must have is 90 days. The term of legal stay for Nicaraguan persons is 90 days.
Venezuela
Nationals of Venezuela must apply for a consular visa for tourism reasons before a third Costa Rican consulate accredited abroad according to the requirements established in the Regulations for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree 36626-G.