Costa Rica visa requirements for Venezuelan citizens
Venezuelan 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 October 2026
How this visa is processed
Tourist consular visa at a Costa Rican consulate in a third country (not in Venezuela)
A Venezuelan falls in the third group of Costa Rica's General Visa Guidelines, the consular-visa group, with a rule of its own: the tourist visa is applied for at a Costa Rican consulate accredited in a third country, not in Venezuela. Family reunification visas and those requested by registered companies or institutions go through the Visa Unit of the immigration directorate in San José. The consular visa is single-entry; once approved there are three months to have it stamped and, once stamped, sixty working days to enter. The passport needs 180 days' validity and the stay is up to 30 days, extendable to 90. A copy of the passport's first page without an apostille is enough for the application, and at the border the passport is accepted with its extension attached. Holders of a multiple-entry visa or residence from the United States or Canada (C1, C2 and C3 transit visas do not count), or of residence in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, may enter without a Costa Rican visa if they meet the validity conditions in the guidelines. Venezuelans also need an airport transit visa to change planes in Costa Rica.
Official application site →Application details verified on 8 October 2026. Sources: migracion.go.cr, Costa Rica's Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners: "General Guidelines on Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents" (supplement 148 to La Gaceta 216, 17/11/2025; third group, specific regulations for Venezuela, exceptions for third-country visas and residences, and airport transit visas) and the "Visas" page (consular visa). Checked 8 October 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 Venezuela visa-free. See the Costa Rica → Venezuela 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 Venezuela: Colombia and Ecuador.
With a passport from Venezuela, 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 Venezuela ranks 92 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 103 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 Venezuelan 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).
Can the Costa Rican visa be applied for in Venezuela?
No. Costa Rica's immigration guidelines require Venezuelans to apply for the tourist consular visa at a Costa Rican consulate in a third country.
Can I enter Costa Rica with my U.S. visa?
Yes, if it is a multiple-entry U.S. or Canadian visa or residence that is valid on the day of entry. C1, C2 and C3 transit visas do not count.
Do I need a visa to change planes in Costa Rica?
Yes. Venezuela is among the nationalities that need an airport transit visa.
How much money do Venezuelan 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 Venezuelan passport holders need for the countries near Costa Rica?
With a passport from Venezuela, 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 →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.