Costa Rica visa and entry requirements for tourists

Travelers from the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK do not need a visa to visit Costa Rica as tourists. That much has not changed. What has changed, and what still causes confusion at check-in counters and border desks, is worth spelling out clearly.

How long you can stay

Under an executive decree in force since September 2023, visa-exempt nationalities including the US, Canada, EU countries, and the UK are legally eligible to stay up to 180 days, double the old 90-day cap. That said, 180 days is a ceiling, not a guarantee: the immigration officer at the airport has discretion to stamp a shorter period, and plenty of US and Canadian travelers still report getting 90-day stamps in practice even though the law allows more. Do not assume 180 days until you see it stamped in your passport.

Passport validity: the rule most people get wrong

The old advice to carry a passport valid for six months beyond your travel dates is not Costa Rica's actual legal requirement. Costa Rican rules for these visa-exempt nationalities only require a passport valid through your planned departure date, as little as one day beyond it. The six-month rule persists mainly because airline check-in systems often enforce it as a blanket policy regardless of the destination country's real rule, so it is still worth having the buffer to avoid a problem at check-in, even though Costa Rica itself does not require it.

The onward ticket requirement

Costa Rica formally requires proof of onward or return travel to enter as a tourist, a return flight, a ticket to a third country, or documented overland or cruise departure plans. In practice, enforcement is inconsistent: airlines check this far more reliably than Costa Rican immigration officers do at the border, because the airline is the one that bears the cost of flying back a passenger who gets refused entry. Treat it as a real requirement rather than an optional formality, since a strict check-in agent can deny boarding over it even if the border itself might not ask.

Fees and paperwork

There is no tourist visa fee for these visa-exempt nationalities, and Costa Rica does not currently require a pre-arrival online form or health pass. There is a departure tax, commonly cited around $29 USD when leaving by air, though this is usually already built into the airline ticket price rather than collected separately at the airport. Carrying more than $10,000 USD in cash requires a declaration.

What this does not cover

None of the above applies to longer-term stays. If you are looking at spending more than a standard tourist visit, particularly for remote work, see our separate guide on Costa Rica's digital nomad visa, which is a distinct application process with its own income and duration rules.

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