Costa Rica visa requirements for Bissau-Guinean citizens
Bissau-Guinean citizens need a visa for Costa Rica and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
Last verified: 18 August 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
- 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.
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).
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 get a visa on arrival in Guinea-Bissau. See the Costa Rica → Guinea-Bissau page.
All 16 passports from Western Africa that VisaRadar tracks need a visa to enter Costa Rica. Same result as Guinea-Bissau: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana and Guinea.
With a passport from Guinea-Bissau, in the rest of Central America you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for El Salvador; you need a visa for Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
A passport from Guinea-Bissau ranks 165 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 48 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 Bissau-Guinean citizens need a visa for Costa Rica?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
What currency is used in Costa Rica?
Costa Rican Colón (CRC).
What do Bissau-Guinean passport holders need for the countries near Costa Rica?
With a passport from Guinea-Bissau, in the rest of Central America you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for El Salvador; you need a visa for Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
Related pages
See Costa Rica requirements for other passports →
See entry requirements to Guinea-Bissau for other passports →
Every visa-free country for Bissau-Guinean passport holders →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.