QuickTravelTools Visa requirements for Costa Rica
Most visitors need a visa in advance for Costa Rica. 95 of 199 passports enter visa-free.
Popular passports: US · British · Canadian · Australian · Irish · New Zealand · Indian · Filipino · Singaporean · Malaysian · Emirati · South African
Rules by passport
Visa-free (95)
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- the Bahamas
- the Maldives
- the Marshall Islands
- the Netherlands
- the Philippines
- the Seychelles
- the Solomon Islands
- the United Arab Emirates
- the United Kingdom
- the United States
- the Vatican City
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
Checked against Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (via Procuraduria General, official legal database), SINALEVI / PGR Costa Rica (official legal portal) on October 10, 2026.
Visa required (104)
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- the Central African Republic
- the Comoros
- the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- the Dominican Republic
- the Gambia
- the Republic of the Congo
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Checked against Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (via Procuraduria General, official legal database), SINALEVI / PGR Costa Rica (official legal portal) on October 10, 2026.
Visa fees for Costa Rica
| Visa type | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | 30 USD, visa de turismo/negocios (consular) | Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia (embajadadecostarica.org, official) |
| Visa | 50 USD, visa autorizada / consultada por la DGME | Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia (embajadadecostarica.org, official) |
Processing times
Visa processing time: No official source publishes this information. No official standard processing time for consular tourist visas Checked: Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia (embajadadecostarica.org, official), Consulate General of Costa Rica in Mexico (embajadadecostarica.com.mx, official).
Apply through official channels
Travel insurance for Costa Rica
Not required. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit Costa Rica, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors.
Some visa services claim insurance is mandatory for Costa Rica and charge you for a policy. We found no official rule behind those claims, so we will not present it as one. Insurance may still be a sensible choice for your trip, but for Costa Rica it is your choice, not an entry rule. We watch for new mandates daily, and this page will say so if one appears.
Countries that do require it: the full travel insurance requirements list.
Sources and verification
199 of 199 passport rules verified against Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (via Procuraduria General, official legal database), SINALEVI / PGR Costa Rica (official legal portal), 0 with no official source publishing the rule.
- Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (via Procuraduria General, official legal database) (checked October 10, 2026)
- SINALEVI / PGR Costa Rica (official legal portal) (checked October 10, 2026)
Common questions
Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
It depends on your passport. 95 of 199 passports enter Costa Rica visa-free; 104 need a visa or authorisation arranged in advance. Find your passport in the groups above.
What does a visa for Costa Rica cost?
It depends on the visa type and your passport. For example, the visa costs 30 USD, visa de turismo/negocios (consular). See the full fee table above.
Do I need travel insurance for Costa Rica?
No verified requirement. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit Costa Rica, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors. Some visa services claim it is mandatory and charge for a policy; we found no official rule behind those claims.