What you need to enter Costa Rica with a Salvadoran passport

Fee

Tourist entry has no pre-authorization fee for the passports we track (no paid ETA/eVisa-type system).

Required documents

• Return or onward travel ticket (pre-purchased bus, flight, or cruise passage) — Costa Rica requires it, though border enforcement is inconsistent.
• Proof of economic means: a minimum of US$100 per month or partial month of intended stay.

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.

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this destination.

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.

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.

Common reasons for denial

• 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.