For those of you traveling to Costa Rica it is required to have the Customs Declaration Form ready to turn to customs officials. I have seen passengers struggling with this form which has very small text size. As such I am sharing the form and have highlighted in red the questions that are asked in the form.
In most cases when you arrive by airline you will collect your bags and then head out towards the customs control section of the airport. They will take your form and run your bags through the scanners.
What Can You Bring
The typical items that Customs allows you to bring with you are
-Clothing
-Personal use items
-Your medication. They may request to see your prescription
-Food items that are processed not raw.
-Sporting or Adventure equipment
-Your photography equipment (camera, or video camera)
What Does the Customs Law Indicate
The Customs Law allows passengers to bring in other items which value should not exceed $500 – anything above that must be declared and those additional items could be subject to import duties. Up to $500 they will stamp your passport indicating that you took advantage of the $500 exemption. Above that they have the legal right to retain the merchandise and transfer it over to a bonded warehouse where you will have to go through the customs import process. The same applies if you try and bring with you items that require a Costa Rican health permit.
For the most part the customs officers at the international airports seem very lenient when in comes to tourists visiting the country so you should not have any issues if you are just just visiting the country and bringing your personal belongings.
