Passport and visa regulations

Nationalities

	Passport required	visa required	Return ticket required
Turkey	Yes	no	Yes
Other EU countries	Yes	no	Yes
Switzerland	Yes	no	Yes
Austria	Yes	no	Yes
Germany	Yes	no	Yes

Passport information

Generally required, must be valid upon entry and the day after entry. In the case of transit/onward travel via other countries, it is strongly recommended that the passport be valid for at least six months. Turkish passports must be valid for at least 3 months upon entry.

Visa information

A visa is generally required, except for tourist or business stays of up to 90 days (unless otherwise stated) including nationals of the following countries listed in the table above: (a) EU countries and Switzerland. (b) Turkey for stays of up to 30 days. Since most flights from Germany to Costa Rica stop in the USA, the entry requirements for the USA must also be observed (see also Passport/Visa USA).

Note on the visa

In individual cases, EU citizens, Swiss and Turks only receive a residence permit for 30 or 60 days for a tourist stay. This decision is at the discretion of the officer upon entry).

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Costs

Fees change frequently and depend on nationality and length of stay. Travelers are recommended to inquire at the responsible embassy (see contact addresses) in good time before starting their journey. The current visa fees are shown in US$ on the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica in Berlin together with the current exchange rate.

Visa types and costs

Tourist Visa, Transit Visa.

Validity

Visa: stay up to 30 days. Applications for extension should be submitted on site.

Transit

Travelers who otherwise require a visa and who continue their journey with the same or the next aircraft within 12 hours, have valid documents for the onward journey and do not leave the transit area do not require a transit visa. Consulate or consular department of the embassy (see contact addresses). The necessary forms can be requested by telephone or post, but the application must be submitted in person.

Application required

(a) Application Form. (b) Passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon entry. (c) If applicable, a residence permit for Germany/Austria/Switzerland that is still valid for at least six months upon entry. (d) Proof of sufficient funds for the stay. (e) Return/Onward Ticket. (f) Payment receipt for the visa fees (in Berlin: this must be from the same month in which the application interview takes place). Depending on nationality and purpose of travel, additional documents (passport photos, etc.) and fees are required, which can be requested from the responsible embassy in individual cases.

Temporary Residence

Information on residence permits for the purpose of taking up work or immigration can be obtained from the relevant diplomatic missions.

Processing time

Usually 2 – 3 weeks; if an approval from the immigration authorities in Costa Rica is required, the application takes up to 2 months.

Proof of sufficient funds

Foreigners must have sufficient funds (proved by credit cards, travelers checks or cash).

Documents required upon entry

Return or onward ticket, valid passport and proof of funding for stay (minimum US$100 per month). If necessary, proof of vaccination against yellow fever after staying in a yellow fever area.

Entry with children

German: Machine-readable children’s passport with photograph or your own passport. Attention: When traveling via the USA, a child’s passport requires a visa, only your own passport entitles you to enter the country without a visa. Austrians: Own passport. Swiss: Own passport. Turks: Own passport. Note: The same visa requirements apply to children as to their parents. Attention: Foreign minors can generally enter and exit Costa Rica alone. In practice, at the entry and exit of minors who are traveling alone or are only accompanied by a guardian, border officials require occasionally, however, a notarial declaration of consent in Spanish for both or the absent guardian (“permiso de salida”). Which documents are required in individual cases for entry and exit should be clarified with the responsible Costa Rican representation before the trip. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible. Which documents are required in individual cases for entry and exit should be clarified with the responsible Costa Rican representation before the trip. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible. Which documents are required in individual cases for entry and exit should be clarified with the responsible Costa Rican representation before the trip. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible. Since June 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (including within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible. Since June 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (including within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible.

Entry with pets

An international veterinary certificate and a pet passport are required for importing cats and dogs. The international veterinary certificate must be in original and copy and translated into either Spanish or English. She must also confirm that the animal is healthy and free of any signs of contagious disease. This test must not have been carried out earlier than two weeks before departure. The pet passport must show that dogs are vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and rabies and are vaccinated against rabies. The rabies vaccination must not be less than 30 days and no more than 3 months ago. The vaccination certificate and the health certificate (no earlier than 2 weeks before the trip) must be certified by an official veterinarian and then legalized by the responsible consular representation. Parrots always require an import permit from the Department of Agriculture in San Jose. The birds must have belonged to their owner for at least 6 months. In addition, a health certificate issued by a Costa Rican consulate is required for parrots, certifying that the animal is free from parrot plague, salmonella, ornithosis and other contagious diseases. Further information can be obtained from the relevant diplomatic missions (see contact addresses).