How to get a tourist visa for Costa Rica?

To get a tourist visa for Costa Rica, you want to book an appointment at your closest consulate of Costa Rica. But first, you want to understand if you need a tourist visa for Costa Rica.

You don’t need a tourist visa if you have a passport from many countries in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. South Africa, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan also don’t need a tourist visa for Costa Rica. Read more details below.

If you do need to apply for a tourist visa for Costa Rica. You need a passport, a return ticket, and proof you have enough money to stay in Costa rica.

How to get a tourist visa for Costa Rica?

Many countries don’t need a tourist visa for Costa Rica. These countries are listed below.

Other nationals may not need a visa to enter Costa. To get a tourist visa for Costa Rica, you want first to book an appointment at your closest consulate of Costa Rica.

To get a tourist visa you want to show:

• a valid passport
• a travel ticket that shows how you are leaving Costa Rica.
• a proof that you have enough money to stay in Costa Rica. that is 100 US Dollars per month you are staying.

See more details below.

You need a yellow fever vaccine if you come from some countries in South America and West and Central Africa. Those are Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, and Venezuela. After the shot, you have 10 days to get to Costa Rica.

The need for a visa is dictated by international agreements or treaties. The visa does not, however, ensure entry to Costa Rica, which, like in any country, is at the discretion of the immigration officer upon arrival.

What are the Costa Rica Visa requirements?

The required documents you have to submit with your Costa Rica visa application are:

• Passport details
• Travel details
• Proof of sufficient financial means, such as through bank statements from the last three months, letter from employer, of proof of property.
• Certificate of police clearance from your country.
• Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination if you are coming from a place that’s at risk of Yellow Fever.
• If you are a visa-holder or Permanent Resident in another country: Proof of the visa/Residence Permit should be submitted.

The documents you submit must be translated into Spanish and legalized.

Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of requirements, as the Costa Rica consulate will request further documentation as they see fit depending on your case.

Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?

You don’t need a tourist visa for Costa Rica if you have a passport from one of the following countries:

• European Union, that is Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Dominica
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Iceland
• Israel
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kiribati
• Republic of Korea (South Korea)
• Liechtenstein
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Palau
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Russia
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Suriname
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey
• Tuvalu
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom (UK)
• United States (US)
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Uruguay

Do US citizens need a visa for Costa Rica?

US citizens do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica. They must, however, have a valid passport and a return ticket in order to leave Costa Rica within 90 days. (To return to your own nation or to travel to another country.) From the day you enter Costa Rica, your US passport must be valid for at least one day. Tourists from the United States are limited to 90 days in the country. A residence permit is required for stays of more than 90 days.

The cover image shows somewhere in Costa Rica. Photo by José León on Unsplash