Costa Rica Visa Information

Who requires a student visa?
Depending on both the length of study and nationality, either a tourist or a student visa may be required.

Application for student status (if required) may be made after entry to Costa Rica on a tourist visa (student visas are not issued by Consulates of Costa Rica).

Nationals of the following countries may be exempted from tourist visa requirements:

No tourist visa required for stays of up to 90 days:
Argentina, Austria, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Romania, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

No tourist visa required for stays of up to 30 days:
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican, Venezuela.

A tourist visa required for stays of up to 30 days:
Andorra, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Chile, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Grenadines, Greece, Guadalupe, Guyana, Haiti, Malta, Martinique, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, San Marino, Serbia & Montenegro, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Surinam, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Jamaica.

No tourist visa required for:
transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country by the same or first connecting flight within 48 hours, provided holding confirmed onward tickets and not leaving the airport (except nationals of China (PR) who do need a transit visa authorised by the Immigration Department in San José).


What documents will be required?
For most entries to Costa Rica:
Valid passport (must be valid for at least 6 months beyond date of entry/visa issue)
Pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica

In addition, if a visa is required (see above), the following must be provided:
Completed Visa Application Form
One color passport sized photograph (2 in. X 2 in.)
Photocopy of your itinerary issued by your travel agency or airline, or a photocopy of your round-trip ticket to Costa Rica
Additional documents may be required at the Consulate's own discretion


Time required to issue visa:
Varies, depending on nationality; usually 1 day to 2 weeks, however authorization for some countries may take longer.
Contact nearest Consulate for more information.

What is the cost of a visa?
US$20, aprox.

How long is the visa valid for?
Varies, see above (generally 30-90 days for tourist visa)

Other information: 
Persons holding passports issued by the former homelands of Transkei and Venda do need a visa authorised by the Immigration Department in San José.

Nationals of countries listed above must obtain an exit visa from the Immigration Department in San José at least 3 days before leaving Costa Rica.
Those who stay for less than 30 days are exempt if in possession of a disembarkation card.

Embassy contact information:
Please contact the nearest Costa Rican embassy for information on what documentation you may require to enter Costa Rica.

List of countries having Embassies and Consulates in the Costa Rica
Dominican Republic ,Australia ,Canada ,Chile ,United States ,Germany ,Austria ,Bahamas ,Belgium ,Brazil ,Cyprus ,Cuba ,Denmark ,Spain ,Philippines ,Finland ,Greece ,Haiti ,India ,Italy ,Japan ,Jordan ,Kenya ,Lebanon ,Monaco ,Nicaragua ,Panama ,Portugal ,Estonia ,South Africa ,Sweden ,Switzerland ,Thailand ,Turkey ,Taiwan ,Colombia ,France ,Netherlands ,Argentina ,Norway ,South Korea ,United Kingdom ,Uruguay ,Venezuela ,Belize ,Bolivia ,Ecuador ,El Salvador ,Czech Republic ,Russia ,Guatemala ,Honduras ,Israel ,Mexico ,Jamaica ,Paraguay ,Peru ,Poland ,China ,Singapore ,