Costa Rica

United Kingdom citizenship

Visa

Visa-free

Language

Spanish

Car traffic

Right-hand

Phone code

+506

Currency

Costa Rican colon (CRC)

Covid

There are no COVID restrictions

Health

Yellow fever vaccination certificate is required

Insurance policy

Insurance policy is required

Entry rules

Transit

Entry with pets

Customs regulations

Emergency contact

Embassy contacts

Who needs a tourist visa to Costa Rica?

Before applying for a visa to Costa Rica, it is important to determine whether you need to apply for a visa at all. This will depend on your country of origin.

Citizens holding a passport from one of the following countries do not need to apply for a tourist visa to Costa Rica:

Schengen countries such as Switzerland, Iceland, etc.
Canada
States of the European Union
Japan
South Korea
United States of America

You can check on the website of the Costa Rican Embassy to see if you need an entry visa to Costa Rica.

Important note: If you are eligible for visa-free entry, your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months after the date of entry.

What are the requirements for a tourist visa to Costa Rica?

After you have determined whether you need a visa to Costa Rica, the next important step is to collect all the necessary documents. It is important to gather all the documents before you start the application process:

Application form
Copies of all pages of your valid passport (your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months from the date of entry into the country)
Two passport photos
Certificate of no criminal record issued within the last 6 months
Booking a ticket for the return flight (it is recommended not to pay for the air ticket before your visa is approved)
Proof of financial solvency (this can be bank statements for the last 3 months, a letter from the employer or proof of ownership)
Travel insurance (optional)
Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination (only if you are traveling from a country that is a high risk area for yellow fever): Beginning July 30, 2007, all travelers from the following countries must have a certificate of yellow fever vaccination before being allowed to enter Costa Rica: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and the Republic of Guyana.
Proof of visa or permanent residence permit (if you are a permanent resident of a country that requires a visa to Costa Rica)

How long is a tourist visa to Costa Rica valid for?

Your country of origin determines the number of days available to stay in Costa Rica as a tourist. Even with a 90-day tourist visa, the migration service determines the length of your stay according to your passport.

How to apply for a tourist visa to Costa Rica?

1. Gather all the necessary documents

2. Fill out the application form

3. Schedule a visa appointment

4. Attend a visa appointment

5. Wait for your visa to be processed

6. Get your approved Costa Rica tourist visa

When entering Costa Rica, you need a return airline ticket. The immigration officer will ask for it upon your arrival. It is advisable to make a photocopy or take a photo of your passport with the entry stamp to have it with you for the entire duration of your stay in the country.

All non-resident travelers must have a return ticket as proof that they intend to leave the country.

No further ticket is required for non-residents who:

Traveling on a one-way ticket
Enter the country with a return ticket dated more than 90 days after arrival
They fly to Costa Rica and depart from another country.

According to the law, a subsequent ticket includes any of the following on approved commercial vehicles:

Pre-purchased bus ticket from the country
Pre-purchased flight from the country
Confirmation of passage on a cruise ship

IMPORT/EXPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR CATS AND DOGS TO COSTA RICA:

1) Costa Rica does not require your pet to be identified using a pet microchip, but it is recommended that you make your pet's microchip and register your contact information before traveling as a means of identification if your pet is lost or separated from you.

If your pet doesn't have a registered microchip, make sure that your pets wear identification tags and have the owner's contact information.

2) All dogs and cats who are entering Costa Rica must have a valid rabies vaccination. Your pet should be vaccinated against rabies no later than 30 days before the trip.

Dogs should also be vaccinated against plague, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and parvovirus.

Cats should be vaccinated against viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and feline leukemia.

3) A blood antibody titer test is not required to enter Costa Rica from any country.

4) Within 14 days from entry, a licensed veterinarian must complete a veterinary certificate for Costa Rica. You also need either a bilingual certificate (Spanish is one of the languages) or an alternative copy translated into Spanish. The certificate must be confirmed by the Department of Agriculture Office of USA if your pet is traveling from the United States, and the local CFIA office if your pet is traveling from Canada. If you are traveling from another country, the government agency responsible for importing and exporting animals must confirm the health certificate.

Please note that all requirements must be met, otherwise your pet will be returned to its original destination or euthanized.

5) Up to five pets can be brought into Costa Rica without an import permit.

An import permit is required if your pet enters Costa Rica unaccompanied or for commercial reasons (breeding, competition, or resale). A permission will also be required if you aren’t flying to Costa Rica on the same flight as your pet. Your pet may be detained for 24 hours for additional inspection and paperwork.

A customs broker in Costa Rica must obtain an import permit if your pet enters Costa Rica as manifest (air) shipment or other types of service where an air waybill is

involved, regardless of whether you are traveling with your pet

6) Before your dog or cat can enter Costa Rica, it must be treated for internal and external parasites within 15 days of entering the country.

7) Entry to Costa Rica by airplane

Pets must enter Costa Rica via Juan Santamaria airport in Alajuela, located in the Central Valley region north of San Jose, or via Daniel Oduber airport (LIR) in Liberia.

All domestic dogs and cats shouldn’t show signs of human-transmitted diseases when checked at the airport of entry. If your dog or cat is not in good health, you may need an additional checkup with a licensed veterinarian at your expense.

You will need to have a personal letter which is indicated the market value of your pet or a document which is confirmed this, such as an invoice. Or you can provide this information in your veterinary certificate.

8) Import puppies or kittens from Costa Rica

Puppies and kittens under 3 months of age can enter Costa Rica with a health certificate confirmed by the state body responsible for importing and exporting animals.

9) Costa Rica doesn’t publish a list of prohibited breeds.

10) Dogs and cats who are leaving Costa Rica whose health and rabies certificates used to enter Costa Rica are still valid for return don’t require additional documents. They must have the necessary documents to return to their destination country. For example, the United States will accept medical certificates dated within 30 days of entering the country, so export medical certificates are not required in this case.

Dogs and cats who are leaving Costa Rica whose health or rabies certificates have expired will need to visit a veterinarian to obtain an export permit issued by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture. Authorization is valid for 30 days and a commission fee is charged. Its processing will take several business days.

Dogs and cats will also need to be treated for internal and external parasites within 10 days of removal.

Dogs will need to be vaccinated against DHLP and cats against FVRCP in the last 12 months prior to export.

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