2023 Costa Rica Visa Entry Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide for Travelers

1. REPUBLIC OF EL SALVADOR

According to the reciprocal Administrative Agreement between the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of the Republic of El Salvador and the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of the Republic of Costa Rica, signed in San Jose on April 23, 2008, nationals of El Salvador are allowed to enter with a valid passport until its expiration date. The length of stay granted by the immigration control officer shall not exceed the passport’s validity period.

1. RUSSIAN FEDERATION

According to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Conditions for the Elimination of Visa Formalities for Mutual Travel of Nationals of the Republic of Costa Rica and Nationals of the Russian Federation, dated February 5, 2019, nationals of the Russian Federation can stay for up to 90 calendar days from the day of entry.

III. REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

1. Nicaraguan nationals must have a passport with a minimum validity of 90 calendar days. The legal stay period for Nicaraguan nationals is up to 90 calendar days.
2. Nicaraguan citizens may apply for a single-entry transit visa or double-entry transit visa at the Consulates of Costa Rica in Nicaragua and Panama, provided their travel is for commercial or work purposes, including agricultural activities, domestic employment, construction, private security, and care for the elderly, disabled individuals, and minors.

To apply for a transit visa, the following requirements must be met: A. Transit visa application form. B. Payment receipt for consular fees, as applicable. C. Travel tickets indicating the dates of entry and departure from Costa Rica. In the case of a double-entry visa, the second entry ticket must be dated within 90 days. D. Letter from the employer indicating the duration of employment, job responsibilities, and salary. If the employer is a legal entity, a copy of the document demonstrating the legal existence of the company must be attached. Independent workers must provide income certification from a Certified Public Accountant. E. Certification confirming the absence of criminal records for the person applying for the transit visa. F. Passport in good condition with a minimum validity of 90 calendar days from the date of entry into Costa Rica.

3. Dependents of the individuals mentioned in the previous section who are Nicaraguan nationals and have a first-degree relationship with the person responsible for their maintenance (spouse, parents, children up to the age of 25) may also apply for a transit visa. Proof of the relationship must be provided with a suitable document issued no more than six months prior, unless the document explicitly states an expiration date.
4. Visa applications not covered in this section will be governed by the guidelines for regular tourist visas established in the Regulations for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.
5. Entry into Costa Rica with a transit visa is valid by air or land through immigration control posts duly authorized by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners.
6. Holders of a transit visa have a maximum period of 48 hours to transit through Costa Rica. The first entry into Costa Rica must occur within thirty days from the date of visa issuance. In the case of a double-entry transit visa, the second entry to Costa Rica must occur within 90 days from the date of the first entry.
7. REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA.
8. The minimum validity period for Nicaraguan passports shall be 90 calendar days, and the legal stay period for Nicaraguan individuals shall be up to 90 calendar days.
9. Nicaraguan citizens may apply for a single-entry transit visa or a double-entry transit visa at the Consulates of Costa Rica in Nicaragua and Panama, provided that their travel is for commercial or labor reasons, including agricultural activities, domestic employment, construction, private security, and care for the elderly, disabled individuals, and minors.

To apply for this transit visa, the following requirements must be submitted:

1. Transit visa application form. B. Proof of payment for consular fees as applicable. C. Travel tickets indicating the dates of entry and exit from Costa Rica; in the case of the double-entry visa, the ticket for the second entry must show a date within the following 90 days. D. Letter from the employer indicating the duration of employment, job functions, and salary. In the case of an employer being a legal entity, a copy of a document demonstrating the legal existence of the company must be attached. Self-employed individuals must provide income certification from a Certified Public Accountant. E. Certification demonstrating that the person applying for the transit visa does not have a criminal record. F. Passport in good condition with a minimum validity of 90 calendar days from the date of entry into Costa Rica.
2. Nicaraguan individuals dependent on the persons mentioned in the previous section, who have a first-degree relationship with the person responsible for their support (spouse, parents, children up to the age of 25), may also apply for a transit visa. To prove this relationship, suitable documentation issued no more than six months prior must be provided, unless the document explicitly states an expiration date.
3. Visa applications not covered in this section shall be governed by the guidelines for ordinary tourist visas established in the Regulations for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.
4. Entry into Costa Rica with a transit visa is valid by air or land through immigration checkpoints duly authorized by the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration.
5. The holder of a transit visa has a maximum period of 48 hours to transit through Costa Rica. The first entry into Costa Rica must be made within thirty days from the date of visa issuance. In the case of a double-entry transit visa, the period to make the second entry into Costa Rica is 90 days from the date of the first entry.

Issuance of two visas for Nicaraguan individuals.

1. The issuance of two consular visas is authorized according to the procedure established at the Consulate of Costa Rica in Managua, Nicaragua, for Nicaraguan individuals who justify the need to enter the country twice.
2. The cost of consular visas is determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, and the cost of two visas must be paid.
3. PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

1. Nationals of Hong Kong and Macao holding valid British or Portuguese passports will receive the same treatment as nationals from visa-exempt countries, meaning they do not require a visa to enter the country, and their stay is permitted for up to ninety days. However, nationals of Hong Kong and Macao without the mentioned travel document will require a consular visa, and the corresponding provisions of the People’s Republic of China will be applied to them.
2. Chinese nationals holding public affairs passports do not require an entry visa to the national territory.
3. Visa applications for minors of Chinese nationality will be processed exclusively by the Restricted Visa Commission. These applications must be submitted exclusively by parents or by those who can convincingly demonstrate that they are the legal representative or have custody, upbringing, and education responsibilities for the minor. The process for these applications will follow the guidelines established for minors in Chapter Six, Articles 125 and onwards, of the Regulations for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree No. 36626-G. The exceptions for entry into the national territory, established in Section II, also apply to minors of Chinese nationality.
4. Chinese nationals of legal age carrying passports issued in Beijing or Shanghai may exceptionally enter the country under the No Visa category. The duration of their stay will correspond to the acquired tour, not exceeding thirty days. Individuals entering the country under this exception will not have the possibility to change their immigration category or subcategory.

Visa applications not covered in this section shall be governed by the guidelines for ordinary tourist visas established in the Regulations for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.

1. REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA

1. Passport validity and legal stay period. The minimum validity period for Colombian passports shall be 90 calendar days, and the legal stay period for Colombian individuals shall be up to 90 calendar days.
2. Multiple visas for Colombian entrepreneurs. In accordance with Articles 46 and 58 of the General Law on Migration and Immigration, and Article 70, Clause 5 of Executive Decree 36626-G, Regulations for the Granting of Visas, the General Directorate and the Consulate of Costa Rica in Bogota, Colombia, may receive applications and grant visas for temporary resident status and their dependents, as well as special categories, multiple tourism visas, and business visas to foreign individuals of Colombian nationality requested by established companies in the country.

The requirements and procedures for their authorization shall be the same as stipulated in Article 150 and onwards of the Regulations for the Granting of Visas. These visas must be stamped at the Visa Unit or at the Consulate of Costa Rica in Bogota, Colombia, according to the capacity of both institutions, with the costs as stipulated in the General Law on Migration and Immigration.

The multiple visa for Colombian entrepreneurs may be granted for a period of up to 5 years. The procedure for submitting requirements will be digital according to the guidelines issued for such processing.

1. Multiple tourism visas for Colombian individuals. In accordance with Article 58 of the General Law on Migration and Immigration, the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration allows the receipt of applications and the granting of multiple entry visas to foreign individuals of Colombian nationality as long as they do not earn salaries or fees within the country and do not require residing in national territory to carry out their activities.

To apply for the multiple visa, applicants must provide the requirements established in Article 171 of the Regulations for the Granting of Visas. These visas must be stamped at the Visa Unit or at the Consulate of Costa Rica in Bogota, Colombia, according to the capacity of both institutions, with the costs as stipulated in the General Law on Migration and Immigration.