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Costa Rica

Every Costa Rica visa route, explained

Costa Rica has a route for every purpose — short visits (visa-free for around 60 nationalities up to 180 days and ~35 more up to 30 days; third-group nationalities need a consular visa from a Costa Rican consulate, fourth-group a restricted visa), plus transit, the Law-10008 digital-nomad stay, and residence routes for work, study and family. Routes with verified guides link straight to them; the rest link to the official migracion.go.cr pages.

The routes

Visit & tourism

Visit (tourism) — visa-free, consular or restricted visa

Short visits under the Non-Resident category, Tourism subcategory. Around 60 nationalities enter visa-free for up to 180 days (first group) and another ~35 for up to 30 days (second group); third-group nationalities apply for a consular visa at a Costa Rican consulate, and fourth-group nationalities need a restricted visa authorised by the Restricted Visas Commission.

  • Tourists, short-term business visitors and family visitors
Visa-free: up to 180 days (first group) or 30 days (second group); with a visa: up to 30 days, extendable to 90

19 verified step-by-step guides →

Transit

Airport transit visa

Nationals of the fourth group — plus a list of third-group nationalities named in the Directrices (including India, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and others) — need an airport transit visa to change aircraft in Costa Rica. It is applied for at a Costa Rican consulate and stamped in the passport.

  • Travellers changing aircraft in Costa Rica en route to a third country

official page →

Study

Student stay (Estancia / temporary residence for study)

Study at a Costa Rican institution is authorised through a student stay or temporary-residence category processed by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería; visa-required nationalities also need the corresponding entry visa.

  • Students admitted to a Costa Rican educational institution

official page →

Work & business

Temporary residence (work, rentista, pensionado, investor)

Longer stays — employment, rentista (stable foreign income), pensionado (pension income) and investor categories — are residence permits processed by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, not visit visas. Requirements and forms are on the official DGME site.

  • Workers, retirees, rentistas and investors settling in Costa Rica

official page →

Family & residence

Family reunification (residence)

Family members of Costa Rican citizens or residents apply for residence by family link with the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería; visa-required nationalities also need the corresponding entry visa.

  • Spouses, children and parents of citizens or residents of Costa Rica

official page →

Other routes

Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers (Law 10008)

Costa Rica's digital-nomad immigration subcategory (Estancia) for foreign nationals who provide paid services remotely to people or companies outside Costa Rica — at least US$3,000/month in foreign income (US$4,000 with family), granted for one year and renewable once.

  • Remote workers and service providers paid from outside Costa Rica
1 year, renewable for one additional year

1 verified step-by-step guide →

Verified step-by-step guides

Grounded on official sources — documents, fees, timeline, every fact dated and linked.

Visit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism) (19)

🇨🇳 China → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Chinese citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇨🇳 China (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Chinese citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇨🇴 Colombia → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Colombian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇨🇴 Colombia (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Colombian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇪🇨 Ecuador → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Ecuadorian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇪🇨 Ecuador (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Ecuadorian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇪🇬 Egypt → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Egyptian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇪🇬 Egypt (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Egyptian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇮🇳 India → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Indian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇮🇳 India (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Indian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇮🇩 Indonesia → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Indonesian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇮🇩 Indonesia (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Indonesian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇳🇵 Nepal → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Nepali citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇳🇵 Nepal (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Nepali citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇳🇬 Nigeria → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Nigerian citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.
🇳🇬 Nigeria (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Nigerian citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇺🇸 United States → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free — first entry group)
US citizens do NOT need a visa for Costa Rica — the United States is in Costa Rica's first entry group, so US passport holders enter visa-free for up to 180 days. You still need a valid passport, proof of at least US$100 per month of stay, and a return or onward ticket.
🇻🇳 Vietnam (in United States) → Costa RicaVisit (visa-free with US residence)
Vietnamese citizens who hold a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence permit may enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism — no Costa Rica consular visa needed — and are admitted for up to 30 days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
🇻🇳 Vietnam → Costa RicaVisit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism)
Vietnamese citizens are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa. The consular fee is US$30 and the visa is single-entry.

Stay for Remote Workers and Service Providers (Estancia, Law 10008) (1)

🇺🇸 United States → Costa RicaStay for Remote Workers and Service Providers (Estancia, Law 10008)
US citizens can apply for Costa Rica's Estancia for Remote Workers and Service Providers under Law 10008 — show at least US$3,000/month in foreign income, pay the US$100 fee, and submit the application online via the Trámite Ya platform or in person at Immigration.