Travel

How do I get to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is a beautiful, peaceful country located in the heart of Central America. Costa Rica is nestled between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The territorial division includes seven provinces: San Jose, Alajuela, cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon.

The Caribbean coast (Atlantic Ocean) is about 200km and known for its variety of marine wildlife and beautiful white and black sand beaches. The Pacific coastline is about 1000km and is rocky and jagged. Some of Costa Rica’s most famous beaches are found along the Pacific Coast – offering the best in surfing snorkeling and diving.

Costa Rica is easily accessible by major air carriers flying into the capital city of San Jose and Liberia International Airport within the Guanacaste Region.

In most cases the flight is less than 4 hours.

 

Entry Requirements

You can stay in the country for up to 3 months without requiring a visa.

You will need a passport, so start the process early. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. You can have your passport sooner using express services, but it is more expensive, click here to download printable passport aplication.

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months when entering the country.

Upon entry to the country you receive a tourist visa stamp in your passport.

For people who arrive from certain countries it is necessary to obtain a visa prior to entering the country.  In this case you can contact the Internet page for the Costa Rican consulate or embassy in your country.

Those traveling by air are permitted to stay in the country for 90 days. Travelers should also be able to present their return tickets and they should have enough money to take care of themselves during their stay in Costa Rica.

Upon departure, the following fees will be charged at San Jose airport (prices from January 2013)   (the official exchange rate is Collones $495 / US$1).

 

1. International Departure Tax: $28USD / person

 

Important:
It should be noted that there is a limit to the amount of cash permitted to bring into the country, and that limit is US$10.000.

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