What you need to enter Djibouti with a Costa Rican passport
Costa Rican citizens need a visa for Djibouti, but they can get it on arrival at the border.
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 3 October 2026
Verified practical details
You can get your visa on arrival in Djibouti, but it's worth preparing the paperwork ahead of time:
Authorisation system
Electronic visa (e-Visa) or visa on arrival
The visa can be obtained before travel at a Djiboutian embassy or as an e-Visa on the official portal, which only covers short stays and transit. It is also issued on arrival at the international airport, for stays of up to 30 days only, but this depends on the airline and the authorities: some travellers have been sent back to their departure airport. That is why Spain's Foreign Ministry recommends getting it before arrival. It costs between 50 and 80 euros.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least six months.
- Proof of accommodation, arranged in advance.
- A return or onward ticket.
Transit rules
Police often run identity checks, so carry your passport or a copy including the visa. Photographing public buildings, military bases, officers and senior officials' residences is banned, as is photographing people, especially women, without consent. Customs may confiscate recreational drones. Selling alcohol is banned outside the capital and public drunkenness carries up to two years in prison. Journalists need prior accreditation.
More Djibouti rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Djibouti page:
Official portal: https://www.evisa.gouv.dj/. Destination data verified on 3 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Djibouti, updated 6 May 2026: visa routes, price, documents, overstay fines, photography, alcohol, risk areas); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/djibouti (UK Government: visa on arrival in dollars, yellow fever); evisa.gouv.dj (official e-Visa portal); data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 3 October 2026.
Travel insurance for Djibouti
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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Things to see and do in Djibouti
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 Djibouti need a visa to enter Costa Rica. See the Djibouti → Costa Rica page.
All 8 passports from Central America that VisaRadar tracks need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival to enter Djibouti. Same result as Costa Rica: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
With a passport from Costa Rica, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Seychelles and Zambia visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe; you need a visa for Eritrea.
A passport from Costa Rica ranks 63 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 127 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 Costa Rican citizens need a visa for Djibouti?
Yes, but you can obtain it directly upon arrival at Djibouti's entry point.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Passport valid for at least six months.
What currency is used in Djibouti?
Djiboutian Franc (DJF).
What do Costa Rican passport holders need for the countries near Djibouti?
With a passport from Costa Rica, in the rest of Eastern Africa you can enter Seychelles and Zambia visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe; you need a visa for Eritrea.
Related pages
See Djibouti requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.