Costa Rica visa requirements for Colombian citizens
Colombian citizens need a visa for Costa Rica and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Minimum passport validity
- 1 to 180 days, depending on nationality
Last verified: 8 September 2026
How this visa is processed
Consulate General of Costa Rica in Bogotá (consular tourist visa), unless exempt via a US or Canadian visa
Colombians need a visa to enter Costa Rica, even for tourism (currently under Circular AJ-484-11-2025). There is a clear exemption: anyone holding a valid multiple-entry visa from the United States or Canada (with at least one day of validity on entry) does not need to obtain the Costa Rican visa; US transit visas (C1, C2, C3) do not count for this exemption. Without such a visa, the consular tourist visa is applied for at the Consulate General of Costa Rica in Bogotá: it is single-entry, allows up to 90 days, and the visa is valid for 60 business days from issuance. The Colombian passport needs 3 months' validity to enter, but 6 months for the visa to be stamped. The decision is given the same day at 15:00; if refused, you cannot reapply for 6 months.
Official application site →Application details verified on 8 September 2026. Sources: embajadadecostarica.org (Embassy and Consulate General of Costa Rica in Colombia; Visas: visa required under Circular AJ-484-11-2025; exemption with a multiple-entry US or Canadian visa, C1/C2/C3 excluded; single-entry tourist visa up to 90 days, valid 60 business days; passport 3 months to enter / 6 to stamp; 6-month block after a refusal). Checked 8 September 2026.
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Fee
Tourist entry has no pre-authorisation fee for the passports we track (no paid ETA/eVisa-type system).
Required documents
- A machine-readable passport, valid and in good condition. The minimum validity depends on the group Costa Rica places your nationality in: one day is enough in the first group, the second needs 90 days (as do Colombians and Nicaraguans) and anyone who needs a consular or restricted visa needs 180 days. The stay granted by the immigration officer never runs past the passport's expiry date.
- Return or onward travel ticket (pre-purchased bus, flight, or cruise passage): Costa Rica requires it, though border enforcement is inconsistent.
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.
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
The maximum stay is set by the immigration officer on arrival, up to 180 days depending on nationality and discretion: there's no single fixed limit for all nationalities.
More Costa Rica rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Costa Rica page:
Official portal: https://migracion.go.cr. Destination data verified on 18 August 2026. 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.
Travel insurance for Costa Rica
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
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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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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Costa Rica can enter Colombia visa-free. See the Costa Rica → Colombia page.
Of the 12 passports from South America that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Costa Rica 9 enter visa-free and 3 need a visa. Same result as Colombia: Ecuador and Venezuela.
With a passport from Colombia, in the rest of Central America you can enter Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Panama visa-free; you need a visa for Nicaragua.
A passport from Colombia ranks 75 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 115 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Colombian citizens need a visa for Costa Rica?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A machine-readable passport, valid and in good condition. The minimum validity depends on the group Costa Rica places your nationality in: one day is enough in the first group, the second needs 90 days (as do Colombians and Nicaraguans) and anyone who needs a consular or restricted visa needs 180 days. The stay granted by the immigration officer never runs past the passport's expiry date.
What currency is used in Costa Rica?
Costa Rican Colón (CRC).
I have a valid US tourist visa: do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
No, if it's multiple-entry and has at least one day of validity left on entry. US transit visas (C1/C2/C3) don't count for the exemption.
Where is the consular visa applied for?
At the Consulate General of Costa Rica in Bogotá. It's single-entry, up to 90 days, and the decision is given the same day. A refusal blocks new applications for 6 months.
How much money do Colombian passport holders need to enter Costa Rica?
The reference amount is US$100 for each month or part of a month of stay. The immigration officer may ask you to prove it on arrival.
What do Colombian passport holders need for the countries near Costa Rica?
With a passport from Colombia, in the rest of Central America you can enter Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Panama visa-free; you need a visa for Nicaragua.
Related pages
See Costa Rica requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.