Entry Requirements
The following information was provided by the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Consular Affairs located in Washington, DC.
For entry into Costa Rica, U.S. citizens must present valid passports that will not expire for at least thirty days after arrival. Passports should be in good condition; Costa Rican immigration will deny entry if the passport is damaged in any way. Costa Rican authorities generally permit U.S. citizens to stay up to ninety days; to stay beyond the period granted, travelers must submit an application for an extension to the Office of Temporary Permits in the Costa Rican Department of Immigration. Tourist visas are usually not extended except under special circumstances, and extension requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. There is a departure tax for short-term visitors. Tourists who stay over ninety days may experience a delay at the airport when departing. Persons who overstayed previously may be denied entry to Costa Rica.
Costa Rican immigration authorities permit tourists to carry photocopies of the passport datapage and Costa Rican entry stamp on their persons, leaving the original passport in a hotel safe or other secure place. Due to the high incidence of theft of passports, travelers who carry their passports are urged to place them securely in an inside pocket, and to keep a copy of the passport data page in a separate place.
The most authoritative and up-to-date information on Costa Rican entry and exit requirements may be obtained from the Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica at 2112 "S" Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 328-6628, fax (202) 234-6950, website http://www.costarica-embassy.org, or from the Costa Rican consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), San Francisco, and Tampa. The Costa Rican immigration agency maintains a website at: http://www.migracion.go.cr. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington or one of Costa Rica's consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements before shipping any items.
In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated special procedures for minors at entry and exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of the child's relationship to the accompanying parents and, if one of the parents is not traveling with the child, permission from the non-traveling parent for the child's travel. Having such documentation on hand may facilitate entry in and departure from Costa Rica.
Dual U.S./Costa Rican citizens are required by Costa Rican authorities to comply with entry and exit laws that pertain to Costa Rican citizens. American parents of minors who obtained Costa Rican citizenship through birth in Costa Rica or to a Costa Rican parent should be aware that these children may only depart Costa Rica upon presentation of an exit permit issued by the Costa Rican immigration office. Parents of dual citizen children are advised to consult with the Costa Rican Embassy or consulate in the U.S. about entry and exit requirements before travel to Costa Rica. For general information about dual nationality, see the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs home page.
The following information was provided by Frommer's®.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and most European nations may visit Costa Rica for a maximum of 90 days. No visa is necessary, but you must have a valid passport, which you should carry with you at all times while you're in Costa Rica. Citizens of Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand can enter the country without a visa and stay for 30 days, although once in the country, visitors can apply for an extension.
If you overstay your visa or entry stamp, you will have to pay around $45 for an exit visa. If you need to get an exit visa, a travel agent in San José can usually get one for you for a small fee and save you the hassle of dealing with Immigration. If you want to stay longer than the validity of your entry stamp or visa, the easiest thing to do is cross the border into Panama or Nicaragua for 72 hours and then re-enter Costa Rica on a new entry stamp or visa. However, be careful: Periodically the Costa Rican government has cracked down on "perpetual tourists"; if it notices a continued pattern of exits and entries designed simply to support an extended stay, it might deny you re-entry.
If you need a visa or have other questions about Costa Rica, you can contact any of the following Costa Rican embassies or consulates: in the United States, 2114 S St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/234-2945; www.costarica-embassy.org for consulate locations around the country); in Canada, 325 Dalhousie St., Suite 407, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5TA (tel. 613/562-2855); and in Great Britain, 14 Lancaster Gate, London, England W2 3LH (tel. 020/7706-8844). There are no Costa Rican embassies in Australia or New Zealand, but you could try contacting the honorary consul in Sydney, Australia, at Level 11, De La Sala House, 30 Clarence St., Sydney NSW 2000 (tel. 02/9261-1177).
