Costa Rica Entry, Transit and Exit Requirements
All people above 18 years of age entering Costa Rica by air, sea or land are required to carry a valid passport along with other travel and health required documents upon arrival at a Costa Rican international airport, harbor or at a pedestrian border crossing point of entry in Nicaragua or Panama. Children under 18 may travel with a joint passport with their parents, legal guardians or travel companion.
The travel and health documentation requirements vary depending on the country that issued your passport. So please select the name of the country that issued your passport below to find out exactly what documents you will need to enter Costa Rica.
Please note that requirements for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or travel medical insurance and a health pass are not required, if you enter Costa Rica after April 1, 2022.
Required Travel and Health Documents
for
U.S.
Adults and Minors
| Required Travel Documents |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Passport Validity | 1 calendar day from the date of entry into Costa Rica. For example, if you arrive on December 15, your passport must be valid through December 16 | |
| Blank Passport Pages | 1 page per entry stamp | |
| Tourist Visa Required | Not required for less than 90 calendar days | |
| Vaccination | Yellow Fever, if departing from high-risk countries (See below if you require it) | |
| Intend to Return | Pre-paid airline or bus ticket to depart from Costa Rica to your home or another country | |
| Proof of Financial Means | $100 USD for every 30 calendar days of your period of stay in cash, travelers' checks, credit cards, etc. | |
| Currency Restriction for Exit | $10,000 USD | |
| Currency Restrictions for Entry | $10,000 USD | |
Yellow Fever Vaccination
The yellow fever vaccine is required if you depart from any yellow fever high-risk country. The high-risk countries are:
In South America:
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Venezuela
In Africa:
Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Sudan
You do not need yellow fever vaccination if:
- You have only been in transit at airports, seaports or land boarder of high-risk countries
- You have been in one of the high-risk countries and stayed in a different country for at least six calendar days before entering Costa Rica and have not developed the disease
- Your yellow fever vaccination was deferred due to contraindications. You must show a medical opinion supported by a health institution of the country where you live
- You are under 9 months old
- You have severe allergy to eggs, immunosuppression and thymic disease shown in your medical history.
- You are over 60 years old, pregnant, lactating, or have a family history of adverse events associated with vaccination against yellow fever, hypersensitivity to gelatin and asymptomatic HIV infection with laboratory verification of the immune system function and holding a medical assessment of the pros and cons of vaccination