Costa Rica visa requirements for Dominican citizens
Dominican 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: 24 September 2026
How this visa is processed
Consulate of Costa Rica (consular tourist visa), unless one of the exceptions in the General Visa Guidelines applies
Costa Rica's General Visa Guidelines, published in La Gaceta on 17 November 2025, place the Dominican Republic in the third group: travellers on a Dominican passport need a consular visa. It is single-entry, must be stamped in the passport within three months of authorisation and used within sixty working days of stamping. The passport must have at least 180 days' validity, and the authorised stay is up to 30 calendar days, extendable to 90. Many people do not need to apply, because the same Guidelines set three exceptions. A multiple-entry US or Canadian visa or residence with at least one day of validity on the day of entry works, although US transit visas C1, C2 and C3 do not count. So does a residence permit allowing multiple entries, or valid for 90 days, in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or an EU country. And so does a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa with at least one day of validity that is already in force on the day of entry. With a US, Canadian or Schengen visa, the stay granted cannot exceed that visa's validity.
Official application site →Application details verified on 24 September 2026. Sources: migracion.go.cr, Costa Rica's General Directorate of Migration: the General Guidelines on Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents, Supplement No. 148 to La Gaceta No. 216 of 17 November 2025 (Dominican Republic in the third group, consular visa conditions, passport validity, maximum stay, section five exceptions for visas and residence permits from the US, Canada, the UK, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the EU and the Schengen area). Checked 24 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?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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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 the Dominican Republic visa-free. See the Costa Rica → Dominican Republic page.
Of the 13 passports from the Caribbean that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Costa Rica 9 enter visa-free and 4 need a visa. Same result as the Dominican Republic: Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.
With a passport from the Dominican Republic, in the rest of Central America you can enter El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua visa-free; you need a visa for Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.
A passport from the Dominican Republic ranks 127 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 64 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 Dominican 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 US tourist visa. Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
No, if it is multiple-entry and has at least one day of validity on the day you enter. C1, C2 and C3 transit visas do not count, and the stay cannot exceed your US visa's validity.
Does a Schengen visa work?
Yes, if it is type C or D, multiple-entry and already in force on the day of entry. A single-entry visa does not work.
How many days can I stay on the consular visa?
Up to 30 calendar days, extendable to 90. The visa is single-entry and the passport needs 180 days' validity.
How much money do Dominican 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 Dominican passport holders need for the countries near Costa Rica?
With a passport from the Dominican Republic, in the rest of Central America you can enter El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua visa-free; you need a visa for Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.
Related pages
See Costa Rica requirements for other passports →
See entry requirements to the Dominican Republic for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.