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Do I need a visa? Costa Rica's visa groups

The four visa groups, how long you can stay, and where to check your passport.

Costa Rica places every passport in one of four groups. Your group decides whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and how much time your passport needs left on it. This summary follows the visa rules Costa Rica's immigration office (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería) published on 17 November 2025, which we last checked on 16 October 2026.

Group 1: no visa. This includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most of Europe. Immigration can allow up to 180 days, but the officer decides the number on arrival and it is not guaranteed. You will never be given more days than your passport has left, so travel on a passport that is valid for your whole trip.

Group 2: no visa, for up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days from the day you arrive.

Group 3: a visa from a Costa Rican consulate, before you fly. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive. Stays are up to 30 days, and can be extended to 90.

Group 4: a restricted visa, approved by immigration in San José. It is granted mainly to close family of Costa Ricans and residents. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive. Any nationality not named in the other three groups is in Group 4.

An important exception for Groups 3 and 4: a valid multiple-entry US or Canadian visa, or US or Canadian residency, usually lets you enter without a Costa Rican visa, as long as your passport meets your group's validity rule and the US or Canadian document is still valid on the day you arrive. You can stay only as long as that document stays valid. US transit visas (C1, C2 and C3) do not count. Some residence permits and visas from the EU, the UK and the Schengen area can also qualify, under their own conditions.

Some nationalities have extra rules, for example Colombia, China, Honduras, Russia and Venezuela, so please read the official page for yours.

Everyone, whatever the group, needs:

  • A machine-readable passport in good condition
  • Proof of your flight home or onward
  • Proof that you can support yourself during your stay, if immigration asks (the rule sets at least US$100 per month)
  • A yellow fever certificate, for some travelers. See Do I need a visa or anything special to enter Costa Rica?

If you need a visa, start early. The consulate asks for a tentative flight reservation, so you can apply before you buy your tickets.

Find your group: Costa Rica's immigration office lists every country on its visa page, with the full rules in Spanish: https://migracion.go.cr/visas/. US citizens can also check the US State Department's Costa Rica page: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/costa-rica.html.

We are glad to help. Traveling on a passport from another country, or holding a visa or residency from somewhere else? Tell us when you book. We will help you find the official rules that apply to you, and gladly provide any reservation details a consulate asks for.

Entry requirements are each traveler's own responsibility, and we cannot be responsible for them. Rules can change, so please confirm what you need with Costa Rica's immigration office, your own government or the nearest Costa Rican consulate well before you fly.