Exact Automated Translation
GENERAL DIRECTIVES FOR ENTRY VISAS AND STAY FOR NON-RESIDENTS
AJ-484-11-2025
DIRECTION GENERAL OF MIGRATION AND FOREIGNERS. At the hour and date that appears in the digital certificate as stipulated by the Law of Digital Certificates, Digital Signatures and Electronic Documents. In use of the powers conferred by articles 12, 13 subsection 1), 47, 48 and 51 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners number 8764, of 19 August 2009; articles 6 and 8 of the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica issued by Executive Decree No. 36626-G, of 23 May 2011; the General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents are issued:
CONSIDERING
I. That the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners is the body of the Ministry of Governance and Police competent to exercise control and supervision of the entry of foreign persons into Costa Rica and to execute the migration policy dictated by the Executive Power, in accordance with articles 12 and 13 subsection 1) of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners number 8764, of 19 August 2009.
II. That according to articles 47, 48 and 51 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764 and 6 and 8 of the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica (Executive Decree No. 36626-G, of 23 May 2011), the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners must issue the General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents, in order to establish the countries whose citizens will not require a visa to enter the national territory under the migratory category of Non-Residents, those that will require a consular visa and those that will require a restricted visa, all in accordance with the agreements and international treaties in force and for reasons of security, convenience or opportunity for the Costa Rican State.
III. That article 7 of the Regulation for the granting of entry visas to Costa Rica (Decree No. 36626-G and its amendments) states, in what is of interest:
"Article 7º—The General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents in the country, will divide the different countries of the world into four groups:
1. In the first group will be placed the countries whose nationals may enter without the need to require a visa. The maximum period of legal stay for foreign persons whose nationalities are located within this group, will be that determined by the competent official of the General Directorate to carry out entry control into the country, which in no case may be greater than one hundred and eighty natural days counted from their entry".
2. In the second group will be placed the countries whose nationals will not require a visa to enter Costa Rica. The maximum period of legal stay for nationals whose nationalities are located in this group, will be that determined by the competent official of the General Directorate to carry out entry control into the country, which in no case may be greater than thirty days counted from their entry…
…3. In the third group will be placed the countries whose nationals will require a consular visa, which will be understood as the authorisation issued by a Costa Rican consular official to enter Costa Rica. The maximum period of legal stay for nationals whose nationalities are located in this group, will be that determined by the competent official of the General Directorate to carry out entry control into the country, which in no case may be greater than thirty days counted from their entry…
…4. In the fourth group will be placed the countries whose nationals will require a restricted visa, which will be understood as that which obligatorily must be authorised by the Restricted Visas Commission. The period of legal stay for nationals whose nationalities are located in this group will be that determined by the Commission, which will not exceed thirty days…"
IV. That according to articles 39 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764; 22 and 30 of the Regulation of Migratory Control (Decree No. 36769-G, of 23 May 2011), to enter the country foreign persons must present a passport or travel document valid and in force for the period determined by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners in the General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents.
V. That the General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents that are in force to date, require various adjustments and some important modifications, for the purposes of having clear guidelines for the execution of an effective migratory control and for the regulation of various exceptions, according to the current situation.
VI. That by means of resolution D. JUR-220-05-2024-JM-ABM of ten hours of the seventeenth of May of two thousand and twenty-four published in Supplement No. 109 to La Gaceta No. 106 of the twelfth of June of two thousand and twenty-four and its reforms, the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners issues new administrative measures applicable to procedures and administrative processes of the Visa Unit, among others, which are pending to be resolved or are presented in the future.
THEREFORE
This General Directorate proceeds to issue the new General Directives for Entry Visas and Stay for Non-Residents, in accordance with the following:
FIRST: GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. Scope of application: These directives will be of mandatory compliance for users in general, Migration Agents Abroad, Directorates, Managements, Units, Departments, Delegations and Regional Offices of the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners.
2. Scope: These directives explicitly detail the countries whose citizens will not require a visa to enter Costa Rica under the migratory category of Non-Residents; those that will require consular, that is, a visa processed and authorised by a Costa Rican consul accredited abroad, in his function as migration agent, as established by article 21 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764; and those that will require a restricted entry visa, that is, that whose granting is the exclusive competence of the Restricted Visas and Refugee Commission, created by article 49 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764.
Also, the directives establish the maximum period of stay that may be authorised to foreign persons by the competent officials to carry out migratory control of entry, according to the group in which the country of their nationality is located.
Finally, the directives will regulate the minimum validity that the passport of the foreign person who intends to enter the country must have.
These directives do not apply to foreign persons, regardless of their nationality, contained in article 4 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764, that is to say for:
1) "Diplomatic agents and consular officials accredited in Costa Rica, as well as the other persons members of the permanent or special diplomatic missions and of the consular offices, by virtue of the norms of international law and of the treaties ratified by Costa Rica. This provision will be extended to the primary family nucleus of the official.
2) The officials, representatives and delegates, as well as the other persons members duly accredited, of the permanent missions or of the delegations before the international organisations headquartered in Costa Rica. This provision will be extended to the primary family nucleus of the official.
For the purposes of the interpretation of this rule, primary family nucleus is understood to be that constituted by the spouse of the official or the official, as the case may be, as well as the sons and daughters of either, under twenty-five years of age or older with some disability; likewise, their parents, provided that there is a dependency relationship. All the indicated foreign persons must be bearers of a diplomatic or official visa to enter the national territory and remain in it, unless they are exempt from that requirement by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Worship, due to the principle of reciprocity or of the international regulations ratified by Costa Rica. Said Ministry will have exclusive competence in this matter".
The other persons who intend to enter Costa Rica by means of their diplomatic passports, must present all the ordinary requirements contained in the migratory legislation in force, including the validity of the passport and presentation of the respective visa issued by the Ministry of Foreign Relations or by the Consulates when applicable, in accordance with the entry groups established in this document, unless they have agreements of visa suppression duly notified by the Ministry of Foreign Relations to the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners or unless they present one of the exceptions established in point FIFTH of this document.
3. Activities authorised under the category "MIGRATORY OF NON-RESIDENT": Persons admitted to the country under the migratory category of "NON-RESIDENTS", subcategory Tourism, may carry out only activities of rest, entertainment, recreation or any other with leisure purposes, business or professional, provided that they are not activities that imply remuneration or profit within the national territory, in accordance with what is established for that purpose by the World Tourism Organisation under the concept "Tourism".
Foreign persons to whom entry to the country has been authorised under the subcategory of Tourism, in accordance with these directives, may request a change of their migratory category or subcategory, in accordance with the requirements established by the applicable legislation, except when these directives expressly establish otherwise.
4. Entry Requirements: According to articles 42 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners No. 8764 and 30 of the Regulation of Migratory Control (Executive Decree No. 36769-G), foreign persons who intend to enter Costa Rica must provide: 1) Passport or travel document valid, in force and in good condition. Only machine-readable or biometric passports or travel documents will be accepted, in accordance with the guidelines established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and with the validity determined by these directives. 2) Visa, when required as established by these directives. 3) Proof of economic solvency, with a minimum of USD$ 100.00 (one hundred American dollars) per month or fraction of month of legal stay in the country. 4) Ticket, ticket or passage of return to the country of origin or continuation of travel, or the navigation plan in which the port of destination appears. 5) Not to have an impediment of entry to the national territory.
SECOND: GROUPS OF ENTRY TO COSTA RICA
I. FIRST GROUP:
• ENTRY WITHOUT VISA.
• MAXIMUM STAY: UP TO 180 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS NON-EXTENDABLE. (It will only be extended for those who are granted fewer than 90 days and up to a maximum of 90 days).
• MINIMUM PASSPORT VALIDITY: UP TO ONE DAY (the period of stay granted by the migratory control officer will not be greater than the validity of the passport).
GERMANY
ANDORRA
ARGENTINA*
AUSTRALIA*
AUSTRIA
BAHAMAS
BARBADOS
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
BULGARIA
CANADA
CROATIA
CHILE
CYPRUS
DENMARK*
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SPAIN
STATE OF QATAR
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA*
ESTONIA
FINLAND
FRANCE*
HUNGARY
IRELAND
ICELAND
ISRAEL
ITALY
JAPAN
LATVIA
LIECHTENSTEIN
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
MALTA
MEXICO
MONTENEGRO
NORWAY*
NEW ZEALAND*
NETHERLANDS*
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
POLAND
PORTUGAL
PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO
SAN MARINO
PERU
PUERTO RICO
SERBIA
SOUTH AFRICA
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND**
CZECH REPUBLIC
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (SOUTH KOREA)
HELLENIC REPUBLIC (GREECE)
ROMANIA
HOLY SEE VATICAN
SINGAPORE
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
UKRAINE
URUGUAY
*Their dependencies receive the same treatment.
**Includes England, Wales and Scotland.
DEPENDENCIES. The Argentine, Australian, British, Danish, United States, French, Dutch (Netherlands), New Zealand and Norwegian dependencies receive the same treatment while they carry the passport of the country on which they depend.
ARGENTINE:
FALKLAND ISLANDS
AUSTRALIAN:
COCOS ISLANDS
CHRISTMAS ISLANDS
HEARD AND McDONALD ISLANDS
NORFOLK ISLANDS
BRITISH:
ANGUILLA
ASCENSION
BERMUDA
GIBRALTAR
CAYMAN ISLANDS
CHANNEL ISLANDS
ISLE OF MAN
PITCAIRN ISLANDS
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
MONTSERRAT
SAINT HELENA
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
DANISH:
GREENLAND
FAROE ISLANDS
UNITED STATES:
GUAM
UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS
UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS
AMERICAN SAMOA
FRENCH:
GUADELOUPE
FRENCH GUIANA
MARTINIQUE
MAYOTTE
NEW CALEDONIA
FRENCH POLYNESIA
RÉUNION
SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON
SAINT MARTIN
FRENCH SOUTHERN TERRITORIES
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
DUTCH (NETHERLANDS):
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
ARUBA
BONAIRE
CURACAO
NEW ZEALAND:
COOK ISLANDS
NIUE
TOKELAU
NORWEGIAN:
BOUVET ISLAND
SVALBARD AND JAN MAYEN
II. SECOND GROUP:
• ENTRY WITHOUT VISA
• MAXIMUM STAY: UP TO THIRTY NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS (extendable up to a total of ninety natural calendar days, in accordance with applicable legislation)
• MINIMUM PASSPORT VALIDITY: 90 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
BELIZE
BOLIVIA
DOMINICA
EL SALVADOR*
STATE OF BRUNEI
RUSSIAN FEDERATION*
PHILIPPINES
FIJI
GRENADA
GUATEMALA
GUYANA
HONDURAS*
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MARSHALL ISLANDS
SOLOMON ISLANDS
KIRIBATI
MALAYSIA
MALDIVES
MAURITIUS
MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES)
NAURU
PALAU
KINGDOM OF TONGA
SAMOA
SAINT CHRISTOPHER AND NEVIS
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
SAINT LUCIA
SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE
SEYCHELLES
SURINAME
TAIWAN (REGION)
TUVALU
TURKEY
VANUATU
*See section of specific regulations for the case of the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Honduras and the Russian Federation.
III. THIRD GROUP:
• GROUP ENTRY WITH CONSULAR VISA
• VALIDITY OF THE VISA: SINGLE ENTRY.
• PERIOD TO STAMP THE VISA IN THE PASSPORT: THREE MONTHS ONCE AUTHORISED.
• PERIOD TO ENTER COSTA RICA: ONCE STAMPED IN THE PASSPORT, THE VISA MUST BE USED WITHIN A MAXIMUM PERIOD OF SIXTY WORKING DAYS.
• MINIMUM PASSPORT VALIDITY: 180 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS.
• MAXIMUM STAY: UP TO 30 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS, EXTENDABLE UP TO NINETY NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS.
ALBANIA
ANGOLA
SAUDI ARABIA
ALGERIA
ARMENIA
BAHRAIN
BENIN
BELARUS
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
BOTSWANA
BURKINA FASO (UPPER VOLTA)
BURUNDI
BHUTAN
CAPE VERDE
CAMBODIA
CAMEROON
COLOMBIA*
CÔTE D'IVOIRE (IVORY COAST)
COMOROS
CHAD
ECUADOR
EGYPT
ESWATINI (FORMERLY SWAZILAND)
GABON
GAMBIA
GEORGIA
GHANA
GUINEA
GUINEA-BISSAU
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JORDAN
KENYA
KOSOVO
KUWAIT
LESOTHO
LIBERIA
LIBYA
LEBANON
MADAGASCAR
MALAWI
MALI
MOROCCO
MOLDOVA
MONGOLIA
MOZAMBIQUE
NAMIBIA
NEPAL
NICARAGUA*
NIGER
NIGERIA
OMAN
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SAHARAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (WESTERN SAHARA)
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA (FORMERLY REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA)
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (FORMERLY ZAIRE)
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA*
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
RWANDA
SENEGAL
SIERRA LEONE
SUDAN (NORTH SUDAN)
SOUTH SUDAN
THAILAND
TANZANIA
TIMOR-LESTE
TOGO
TUNISIA
UGANDA
VENEZUELA*
VIETNAM
YEMEN
DJIBOUTI
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
*See section of specific regulations for China, Colombia, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
IV. FOURTH GROUP:
• GROUP ENTRY WITH RESTRICTED VISA
• VALIDITY OF THE VISA: SINGLE ENTRY.
• PERIOD TO STAMP THE VISA IN THE PASSPORT: THREE MONTHS ONCE AUTHORISED.
• PERIOD TO ENTER COSTA RICA: ONCE STAMPED IN THE PASSPORT, THE VISA MUST BE USED WITHIN A MAXIMUM PERIOD OF SIXTY DAYS.
• MANDATORY PASSPORT VALIDITY: 180 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS.
• MAXIMUM STAY: UP TO 30 NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS, EXTENDABLE UP TO NINETY NATURAL CALENDAR DAYS.
AFGHANISTAN
AZERBAIJAN
BANGLADESH
CUBA
ERITREA
ETHIOPIA
HAITI
KAZAKHSTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
IRAN
IRAQ
JAMAICA
MAURITANIA
MYANMAR (BURMA)
PAKISTAN
PALESTINE
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (NORTH KOREA)
SOMALIA
SRI LANKA
TAJIKISTAN
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
THIRD: SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR EL SALVADOR, RUSSIA, NICARAGUA, CHINA AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS, COLOMBIA, VENEZUELA AND HONDURAS.
I. REPUBLIC OF EL SALVADOR
According to the Reciprocal Administrative Agreement between the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of the Republic of El Salvador and the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of the Republic of Costa Rica, signed in San José on 23 April 2008, entry is permitted for nationals of El Salvador with their passport valid up to the day of its expiration. The period of stay granted by the migratory control officer shall not exceed the validity of the passport.
II. RUSSIAN FEDERATION
According to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Conditions for the Suppression of Visa Formalities in Mutual Travel of Nationals of the Republic of Costa Rica and Nationals of the Russian Federation, of 5 February 2019, the stay of nationals of the Russian Federation shall be up to 90 natural calendar days counted from the date of entry.
III. REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA
1. The minimum validity that the passport must have for Nicaraguan persons shall be 90 natural calendar days.
2. The period of legal stay for Nicaraguan persons shall be a maximum of up to 90 natural calendar days.
3. Nicaraguan citizens may request at the Consulates of Costa Rica in Nicaragua and Panama, a single-entry transit visa or double transit visa, provided that their travel is for commercial or labour reasons, including agricultural activities, domestic employment, construction, private security and care of elderly persons, persons with disabilities and minors.
To opt for this transit visa the following requirements must be presented:
A. Application form for transit visa.
B. Proof of payment of consular fees as applicable.
C. Travel tickets showing dates of entry and departure from Costa Rica; in the case of a double visa, the ticket for the second entry must show a date within 90 days following.
D. Letter from the employer indicating time worked, functions and salary. If the employer is a legal entity, a copy of the document proving the legal existence of the company must also be attached. Independent workers must provide certification of income from an Authorised Public Accountant.
E. Certification demonstrating that the person applying for the transit visa does not have criminal records.
F. Passport in perfect condition with a minimum validity of 90 natural calendar days from the date of entry to Costa Rica.
4. Nicaraguan persons who are dependents of the persons indicated in the previous subsection may also opt for a transit visa, provided they have a first-degree relationship with the person responsible for their maintenance (spouse, parents, children up to 25 years of age). For these purposes, such relationship must be accredited with an appropriate document issued no more than six months prior, unless the document expressly indicates an expiration date.
5. Visa applications not contemplated in this section shall be governed by the guidelines for ordinary tourist visas established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.
6. Entry to Costa Rica with a transit visa shall be valid by air or land, through migratory control posts duly authorised by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners.
7. The holder of a transit visa shall have a maximum period of 48 hours to transit through Costa Rica once having entered the country. The first entry into Costa Rica must be made within thirty natural calendar days from the date of issuance of the visa. In the case of a double transit visa, the period to make the second entry into Costa Rica is 90 days counted from the date of the first entry. The 48-hour transit is for migratory purposes; however, for purposes of land exit tax payments, it should be taken into account that it is charged from a transit of 12 hours.
IV. PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS
1. Nationals of Hong Kong and Macao who are holders of valid British or Portuguese passports shall receive the same treatment as nationals of the first entry group, therefore they shall not require a visa to enter the country and their stay shall be up to one hundred and eighty days. Nationals of Hong Kong and Macao who do not hold the aforementioned travel document shall require a consular visa and the corresponding provisions of the People's Republic of China shall apply.
2. Chinese nationals who hold public affairs passports shall not require an entry visa to the national territory.
3. Visa applications for minors of Chinese nationality shall be known and resolved exclusively by the Restricted Visas Commission. Such applications must be processed exclusively by the parents, or by whoever reliably demonstrates being the legal representative or holding custody, upbringing and education of the minor. The procedure to be followed for such applications shall be that established in Chapter Six, articles 125 and following, of the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree No. 36626-G. The exceptions for entry to the national territory established in Section V shall also apply to minors of Chinese nationality.
4. Chinese nationals of legal age, holders of passports issued in Beijing or Shanghai, may exceptionally enter the country under the category of Non-Resident, subcategory Tourism, under the procedure established in the “Temporary Protocol for the Promotion of Tourism of China”. The period of stay shall correspond to that of the acquired tour and shall not exceed thirty days. Persons who enter the country under this exception shall not have the possibility of change of migratory category or subcategory. Visa applications not contemplated in this section shall be governed by the guidelines for ordinary tourist visas established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.
V. REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA
1. Passport validity and legal stay period. The minimum validity that the passport must have for Colombian persons shall be 90 natural calendar days and the legal stay period for Colombian persons shall be up to 90 natural calendar days.
VI. BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA
Nationals of Venezuela must request the consular visa for tourism reasons before a third Costa Rican consulate accredited abroad according to the requirements established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree 36626-G and what is established in this directive.
Visas for family reunification or those requested by companies and institutions registered before the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners shall follow the ordinary procedure and may submit applications before the Visa Unit of the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners, in accordance with the regulations in force.
For purposes of consular or exceptional visa applications, a copy of the first page of the valid passport shall be accepted without apostille, because this document shall be verified by the migration officer when carrying out the respective migratory control upon entry to Costa Rica (Article 30 of the Regulation of Migratory Control).
For purposes of migratory control both for entry and exit from Costa Rica, the passport and its respective extension shall be accepted provided that it appears within the passport, whether stamped or adhered thereto by adhesive, and that it complies with the regulations issued by ICAO, provided that they comply with the validity established in these Directives.
VII. REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS
Although the Republic of Honduras is incorporated into the Second Group of these Directives, and therefore does not require a visa to enter Costa Rican territory, as an entry requirement they must present a certificate of police record, without apostille, demonstrating that they do not have records in their country of origin. This requirement shall be demanded from Honduran persons from 18 years of age.
The requirement of the certificate demonstrating the absence of records shall be demanded even if the person holds a provisional visa granted by the Consulate for subsequent procedure in the Foreigners Management.
The requirement of the certificate demonstrating the absence of records shall not be demanded from Honduran persons who travel in air transit or who have one of the exceptions established in the fifth section of these Directives, called: “FIFTH: Exceptions for Groups of Entry with Consular Visa or Restricted Visa”.
Honduran persons who intend to enter Costa Rican territory under the migratory category of Non-Residents, subcategory “International Transport Personnel of Merchandise” contemplated in article 87 subsection 5) of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners, shall only demonstrate by means of a valid transporter card that they work in international transport activities of merchandise or cargo; as well as demonstrate during migratory control that they are carrying out international transport activities of merchandise or cargo.
Additionally, such persons may during their legal stay in Costa Rican territory carry out the pertinent procedures for obtaining their Multiple Permit for Transporter, complying with the requirements established in article 165 of the “Regulation of Foreigners and Creates Day of the Costa Rican Abroad, Whose Date of Commemoration Will Be 11 April of Each Year”, executive decree 37112-GOB.
FOURTH: AIRPORT TRANSIT VISAS.
Every national of the countries of the fourth group, in addition to nationals of Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, India, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Togo, Djibouti, Yemen and Venezuela, who intend to enter the country by air under the migratory category of Non-Resident, subcategory Foreign Person in Transit, to effect change of aircraft, must obligatorily present the requirements and respect the procedures established for this purpose by this General Directorate.
Requirements for the airport transit visa:
The requirements that must be presented for the airport transit visa before the authorised Consulate of Costa Rica abroad, whether in the country of origin of the interested person or in a third country, are the following:
1. Request addressed to the Consul of Costa Rica including the following information of the applicant:
a. Full name and surnames.
b. Nationality.
c. Passport number.
d. Place of residence.
e. Profession or occupation.
f. Date and place of birth of the interested party.
g. Place and approximate date of arrival and departure from Costa Rica.
h. Expected time of stay at the International Airport of Costa Rica.
i. Airline(s) with which he/she would travel.
j. Final destination.
k. Consulate to which the visa should be directed for stamping, in case of authorisation.
l. Means to receive notifications.
m. Date.
n. Signature.
2. Copy of the first page of the valid passport or travel document accepted by the Costa Rican State, with expiration date not less than six months, except the exceptions established in these directives.
3. Reservation of the ticket or air ticket in order to verify the final destination of the trip.
4. Certification of proof of economic solvency of the applicant.
5. Certification of criminal record of the country of origin or residence in the last ten years.
6. If the person requires a visa to enter the country to which he/she is directed, he/she must present the respective valid visa issued by the country of final destination.
7. The Consul may request, if necessary, additional documents issued in the country of origin or residence of the applicant, provided that their presentation is fundamental for the analysis of the visa application.
Likewise, these requirements must adhere to what is established in the Law of Protection to the Citizen from Excess of Requirements and Administrative Procedures.
Applications of nationals of Cuba must be forwarded by the Consul to the Visa Unit, to be evaluated and resolved by the Restricted Visas and Refugee Commission in accordance with the law.
If the visa is authorised, the Consul must stamp it in the passport. The foreign person has three months of non-extendable term to carry out this procedure once notified of the authorisation. The validity for use of the visa, once stamped, is sixty natural calendar days. The stamped visa must indicate that it is a transit visa. The exceptions of the following section apply in order to dispense with the transit visa.
FIFTH: EXCEPTIONS FOR GROUPS OF ENTRY WITH CONSULAR VISA OR RESTRICTED VISA.
Nationals of countries with a requirement of consular or restricted visa, whose passport complies with the minimum validity established by nationality in this directive, and who comply with any of the exceptions established below, may dispense with consular visas or restricted visas to enter Costa Rican territory:
I. Entry with visas and residences of the United States of America and Canada.
Nationals of countries with requirement of consular or restricted visa who hold visas or residences that allow multiple entries in any category, including refugee and/or asylum category and visa type D and C1/D exclusively, with a minimum validity of 1 natural calendar day in the United States of America and Canada may dispense with visa to enter Costa Rica. The period of 1 natural calendar day must be counted from the day they intend to enter Costa Rica; however, the period of stay granted by the migratory control officer shall not exceed the validity of the visa or residence presented as exception. Visas of the United States of America type C1, C2 and C3 correspond to transit visas and shall not be accepted.
II. Entry with residences of Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the countries of the European Union*.
Nationals of countries with requirement of consular or restricted visa who hold a residence in any category that allows multiple entries or with a minimum validity of 90 natural calendar days, excluding the refugee and/or asylum category, in Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the countries of the European Union, may dispense with consular visa to enter Costa Rica. The period of 90 natural calendar days must be counted from the day they intend to enter Costa Rica.
*The countries that make up the European Union are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.
III. Entry with visas categories “C” and “D” of the Schengen Area**
Nationals of countries that require visa under these directives may dispense with consular or restricted visa to enter Costa Rica, when they hold a Schengen Area visa category “C” exclusively multiple entry and valid up to 90 days or category “D” also exclusively multiple entry and valid up to 90 days. In both cases the minimum validity of the visa may be 1 natural calendar day counted from the day they intend to enter Costa Rica; however, the period of stay granted by the migratory control officer shall not exceed the validity of the visa. Under no circumstances shall visas in categories “C” and “D” be accepted whose validity start date is later than the intended date of entry into Costa Rica.
**The countries that make up the Schengen Area are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Sweden and Switzerland.
SIXTH. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
I. Issuance of visas for refugee, asylee or stateless persons in countries of the third and fourth group.
1. Nationals of countries with requirement of consular visa who hold legal stay as refugees or stateless persons must apply for consular visa in their host country or in any Consulate of Costa Rica through the procedure established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree 36626-G.
2. Nationals of countries with requirement of restricted visa who hold legal stay as refugees or stateless persons must apply for restricted entry visa before the Restricted Visas Commission through the procedure established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, Executive Decree 36626-G.
3. Refugees of nationalities included in the groups of entry with consular visa and entry with restricted visa may enter the country, without the requirement of visa, if they hold exclusively refugee status in the United States of America or Canada and must provide, in addition to the travel document, the residence or refugee status valid for 90 natural calendar days counted from the date they intend to enter Costa Rica. Otherwise, they must provide consular visa or restricted visa, as applicable, plus their travel document to enter Costa Rica.
II. Entry to Costa Rica with travel document (Travel Document)
The travel document shall be valid to enter Costa Rica according to what is established in article 39 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners. This document must comply with the minimum validity established for each nationality in this directive. Likewise, visa shall only be required for those who carry this travel document and are nationals of countries established in the groups of entry with consular visa and entry with restricted visa in these directives, unless they have one of the exceptions of the section FIFTH of this document.
III. Entry to Costa Rica with travel document issued by the United Nations known as Laissez-Passer
The travel document issued by the United Nations known as Laissez-Passer shall be valid to enter Costa Rica according to what is established in article 39 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners. This document must comply with the minimum validity established for each nationality in this directive.
Visa shall not be required for officials of the United Nations who hold this valid passport, in good condition and containing the security measures established by ICAO.
IV. Mandatory requirements for visas and residences issued by other countries.
1. Documents of legal stay, visas and residences must be reliably demonstrated before the migratory control officer and obligatorily must contain the security measures established by ICAO. The following shall not be accepted: stamps, handwritten documents, sheets, documents indicating residences in process, extensions of residences, residences stamped in the passport, indefinite residences or documents with alterations. Documents of legal stay must be in Spanish or English language, otherwise the corresponding translation must be provided.
2. When the data or information of the passport, visa and/or document of legal stay of a foreign person who intends to benefit from one of the exceptions indicated above do not coincide, the migratory control officer may carry out the pertinent investigation in order to determine the identity of the person. For such purposes the migratory control officer is authorised to request marriage certificate, naturalisation certificate or any other document considered necessary.
3. The visas and residences established in the exceptions of point FIFTH of this document may be taken into account even if they are printed in diplomatic or official passports.
The period of stay and the passport validity shall be that established for each entry group with their respective exceptions.
The foreign person who does not have an exception for entry to the national territory stipulated in this Directive may process an entry visa according to what is established in the guidelines of the Regulation for the Granting of Visas, Executive Decree 36626-G.
V. Issuance of two visas for tourist persons of any nationality of the group of entry with consular visa.
Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and diplomatic officials with consular functions are authorised to issue two consular visas for those persons who justify the need to enter the country twice and whose nationality is in the third group of entry of these Directives, according to the ordinary consular visa procedure established in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica.
SEVENTH: REGULATIONS FOR CONSULS GENERAL AND HONORARY CONSULS.
1. Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and diplomatic officials with consular functions may issue tourist visas and provisional visas in the categories authorised in the Regulation for the Granting of Entry Visas to Costa Rica, to any nationality of the consular visa group, including persons who hold refugee and/or asylum status, following the guidelines established in said Regulation, all in accordance with articles 22 subsection 5), 46 and 53 of the General Law of Migration and Foreigners. Documentation not issued by the country where the consular visa is processed must be duly apostilled or legalised.
The cost of consular visas shall be that established by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Worship and the cost of two visas must be paid.
2. Honorary Consuls General, Honorary Consuls and Honorary Vice-Consuls may only grant the visas authorised by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners; therefore all applications shall be consulted to this dependency without exception.
EIGHTH: FINAL PROVISIONS.
1. Circular DG-30-10-2023-AJ published on 6 October 2023 and its modifications issued by resolutions DJUR-0583-10-2023-JM of 24 October 2023 and DJUR-655-11-2023-LSS-JM of 30 November 2023 are hereby repealed.
2. Nationals of countries not indicated in the previous groups are included in the group of entry with restricted visa.
IN FORCE: From its publication in the Official Gazette La Gaceta.
MSC. OMER BADILLA TOLEDO
VICE-MINISTER OF GOVERNANCE AND POLICE
IN CHARGE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MIGRATION AND FOREIGNERS