Costa Rica entry requirements, by passport
Costa Rica visa requirements at a glance: 95 of the 198 passports VisaRadar tracks can enter Costa Rica without arranging a visa beforehand: visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorisation. The other 103 must obtain a visa before they travel.
Which passport do you hold?
We'll take you straight to the entry requirements for Costa Rica for your nationality.
What we've verified for Costa Rica
Beyond the yes/no matrix, we've checked these against an official primary source (last checked 18 August 2026). The specifics depend on your nationality: open your passport's row in the table for the detail that applies to you.
- Required documents (2)
- Money you need to show on entry
- Required vaccinations
- Health-insurance rules
- Customs limits (cash, alcohol, tobacco)
- Overstay penalties
- Stay and transit rules
Sources: visitcostarica.com/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements (official ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Board) portal: onward ticket, US$100/month proof of funds, no mandatory insurance mentioned); migracion.go.cr (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, stay up to 180 days at officer's discretion); pgrweb.go.cr/scij (Costa Rican Legal Information System, cash declaration rules, USD 10,000 threshold); hacienda.go.cr (Ministry of Finance / Customs Directorate) (checked 18/08/2026). Passport validity by group: General Guidelines on Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents of the Directorate General of Migration (La Gaceta, Supplement 148, 17 November 2025), checked 31 October 2026.
Costa Rica sets its entry regime by nationality: most passports from the Americas and Western Europe enter visa-free for up to 90 days, while other nationalities need a prior consular visa.
This table summarises the exact entry mechanism for every passport we track. The difference between entering visa-free, with an electronic authorisation, with an e-Visa, or with a traditional visa is explained in visa, e-Visa, and electronic authorisation: what's the difference. How we verify every row before publishing it is on methodology.
Base entry rules refreshed 2 November 2026. Published: 18 August 2026.
| Passport | Requirement | Max. stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | ||
| Andorra | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Argentina | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Australia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Austria | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Bahamas | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Barbados | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Belgium | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Belize | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Bolivia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Brazil | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Brunei | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Bulgaria | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Canada | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Chile | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Croatia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Cyprus | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Czech Republic | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Denmark | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Dominica | Visa-free | 30 days |
| El Salvador | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Estonia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Fiji | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Finland | Visa-free | 180 days |
| France | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Germany | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Greece | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Grenada | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Guatemala | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Guyana | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Honduras | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Hungary | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Iceland | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Ireland | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Israel | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Italy | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Japan | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Kiribati | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Latvia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Liechtenstein | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Lithuania | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Luxembourg | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Malaysia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Maldives | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Malta | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Marshall Islands | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Mauritius | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Mexico | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Micronesia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Monaco | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Montenegro | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Nauru | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Netherlands | Visa-free | 180 days |
| New Zealand | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Norway | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Palau | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Panama | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Paraguay | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Peru | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Philippines | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Poland | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Portugal | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Qatar | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Romania | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Russia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Saint Lucia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Samoa | Visa-free | 30 days |
| San Marino | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Serbia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Seychelles | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Singapore | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Slovakia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Slovenia | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Solomon Islands | Visa-free | 30 days |
| South Africa | Visa-free | 180 days |
| South Korea | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Spain | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Suriname | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Sweden | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Switzerland | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Taiwan | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Tonga | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Turkey | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Tuvalu | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Ukraine | Visa-free | 180 days |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa-free | 180 days |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | 180 days |
| United States | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Uruguay | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Vanuatu | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Vatican | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Visa required | ||
| Afghanistan | Visa required | — |
| Albania | Visa required | — |
| Algeria | Visa required | — |
| Angola | Visa required | — |
| Armenia | Visa required | — |
| Azerbaijan | Visa required | — |
| Bahrain | Visa required | — |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | — |
| Belarus | Visa required | — |
| Benin | Visa required | — |
| Bhutan | Visa required | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa required | — |
| Botswana | Visa required | — |
| Burkina Faso | Visa required | — |
| Burundi | Visa required | — |
| Cambodia | Visa required | — |
| Cameroon | Visa required | — |
| Cape Verde | Visa required | — |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | — |
| Chad | Visa required | — |
| China | Visa required | — |
| Colombia | Visa required | — |
| Comoros | Visa required | — |
| Cuba | Visa required | — |
| Djibouti | Visa required | — |
| Dominican Republic | Visa required | — |
| DR Congo | Visa required | — |
| Ecuador | Visa required | — |
| Egypt | Visa required | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Eritrea | Visa required | — |
| Eswatini | Visa required | — |
| Ethiopia | Visa required | — |
| Gabon | Visa required | — |
| Gambia | Visa required | — |
| Georgia | Visa required | — |
| Ghana | Visa required | — |
| Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa required | — |
| Haiti | Visa required | — |
| Hong Kong | Visa required | — |
| India | Visa required | — |
| Indonesia | Visa required | — |
| Iran | Visa required | — |
| Iraq | Visa required | — |
| Ivory Coast | Visa required | — |
| Jamaica | Visa required | — |
| Jordan | Visa required | — |
| Kazakhstan | Visa required | — |
| Kenya | Visa required | — |
| Kosovo | Visa required | — |
| Kuwait | Visa required | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa required | — |
| Laos | Visa required | — |
| Lebanon | Visa required | — |
| Lesotho | Visa required | — |
| Liberia | Visa required | — |
| Libya | Visa required | — |
| Macao | Visa required | — |
| Madagascar | Visa required | — |
| Malawi | Visa required | — |
| Mali | Visa required | — |
| Mauritania | Visa required | — |
| Moldova | Visa required | — |
| Mongolia | Visa required | — |
| Morocco | Visa required | — |
| Mozambique | Visa required | — |
| Myanmar | Visa required | — |
| Namibia | Visa required | — |
| Nepal | Visa required | — |
| Nicaragua | Visa required | — |
| Niger | Visa required | — |
| Nigeria | Visa required | — |
| North Korea | Visa required | — |
| North Macedonia | Visa required | — |
| Oman | Visa required | — |
| Pakistan | Visa required | — |
| Palestine | Visa required | — |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | — |
| Rwanda | Visa required | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required | — |
| Senegal | Visa required | — |
| Sierra Leone | Visa required | — |
| Somalia | Visa required | — |
| South Sudan | Visa required | — |
| Sri Lanka | Visa required | — |
| Sudan | Visa required | — |
| Syria | Visa required | — |
| Tajikistan | Visa required | — |
| Tanzania | Visa required | — |
| Thailand | Visa required | — |
| Timor-Leste | Visa required | — |
| Togo | Visa required | — |
| Tunisia | Visa required | — |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | — |
| Uganda | Visa required | — |
| Uzbekistan | Visa required | — |
| Venezuela | Visa required | — |
| Vietnam | Visa required | — |
| Yemen | Visa required | — |
| Zambia | Visa required | — |
| Zimbabwe | Visa required | — |
Costa Rica rules for every passport
Vaccinations, customs limits and penalties are the same for every traveller.
How much money you need to show
US$100 for each month or part of a month of stay
The immigration officer may ask you to prove it on arrival.
Source: Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), page on entry requirements. Checked on 1 November 2026.
Vaccinations
- No mandatory vaccines for general entry. A yellow fever certificate is required from travellers over 9 months of age arriving from (or having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of) a country with risk of transmission; Argentina, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago are exempt from that requirement.
Customs limits
- Cash
- Declare to Customs if entering or leaving Costa Rica with USD 10,000 or more in cash or securities (or the equivalent in another currency).
- Alcohol
- Up to 5 litres of wine, brandy or other spirits per adult traveller, duty-free; the excess is held by customs.
- Tobacco
- Up to 500 g of tobacco (about 5 cartons of cigarettes) per adult traveller, duty-free; the excess is held by customs.
Overstay penalties
Costa Rica charges for each month or part month of irregular stay. Payment may be made in US dollars or the equivalent in colones at the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference rate. The exact amount is set by the Reglamento de Extranjería and is not given here because the source consulted does not publish it.
Grounds for refusal
- Not carrying a purchased return/onward travel ticket (even though it isn't always checked, it's a legal ground for denial).
- Not being able to show the US$100/month proof of economic means if the immigration officer asks for it.
Travel insurance
Each destination decides whether to require insurance, and some check it at the border. If yours does, make sure the policy covers the whole trip.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
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Do you need a different visa for San Jose, Liberia, or Tamarindo?
No. Costa Rica sets the requirements, so entering through San Jose asks for the same as entering through Liberia or Tamarindo. If you're arriving overland or through a small border post, check that separately: some countries apply their own rules to specific crossings.
What does change is where you file the application when a visa is needed, and that depends on the country you live in rather than the city you're travelling to.
What draws travellers to Costa Rica
Costa Rica is small and everything revolves around nature: nearly a quarter of the territory is protected. The classic route combines the Arenal volcano and its hot springs, the Monteverde cloud forest: of hanging bridges and quetzals: and a coast to finish, whether the Pacific of Manuel Antonio and Guanacaste or the Caribbean of Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero. In the remote south, Corcovado National Park, which National Geographic called "the most biologically intense place on Earth". Costa Rica has 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites, three of them natural. Ten days cover volcano, cloud forest and beach at an easy pace. The dry season (December-April) is the most reliable; the green season (May-November) has afternoon showers and fewer people.
Sources for this section: visitcostarica.com (Costa Rican Tourism Board, ICT); UNESCO World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org, 4 sites in Costa Rica); UK FCDO travel advice for Costa Rica. Accessed 31 August 2026.
Things to see and do in Costa Rica
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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Where can Costa Rica passport holders travel visa-free? →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.