Visiting Costa Rica: Bhutanese citizen → Costa Rica
You need a visa — apply at a Costa Rican consulate
Bhutan passport holders are in Costa Rica's third entry group and need a consular visa — processed and authorised by a Costa Rican consul abroad — before travelling, unless they hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, EU/UK residence, or multiple-entry Schengen C/D visa.
The bottom line
- The consular visa is valid for a SINGLE entry. Once authorised you have three months to have it stamped in your passport, and once stamped it must be used within 60 working days. The stay granted is up to 30 calendar days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 180 calendar days and be machine-readable or biometric (ICAO standard).
- The consular fee is US$30 per the official consular tariff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visas referred to and authorised by the immigration directorate cost US$50, and multiple visas US$100, where those are granted).
- At entry every visitor must show a valid machine-readable or biometric passport, proof of economic solvency of at least US$100 per month (or fraction) of stay, and a return or onward ticket — the immigration officer makes the final entry decision.
- Regardless of nationality, you can enter WITHOUT a consular or restricted visa if you hold a qualifying document listed in the Directrices: a multiple-entry visa or residence of the United States or Canada valid at least 1 day (US C1/C2/C3 transit visas are not accepted), a residence of the UK nations, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or an EU country (multiple-entry, or valid ≥90 days; refugee/asylum categories excluded), or a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa — confirm the exact conditions on the official page.
No step-by-step guide for this exact situation yet. The summary above is our rule-based guidance — deliberately conservative, and grounded in the official policy, but not a full source-checked document-and-timeline plan like our verified guides.
For the exact documents, fees and processing time, confirm on the official source →
Where you'll apply
Apply in person at the Costa Rican consulate accredited for your country — the consular visa is processed and authorised by a Costa Rican consul abroad acting as a migration agent. Find your consulate in the official directory on rree.go.cr.
Confirm exactly what you need for your passport on the official visa-information page →