Visit — consular visa (Non-Resident, Tourism): Vietnamese citizen in Vietnam → Costa Rica
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.
Costa Rica's short-visit consular visa for third-group nationalities, issued by a Costa Rican consul abroad under the Non-Resident category, Tourism subcategory.
- Validity
- Single entry: valid to use for 60 calendar days once stamped, and must be stamped within three months of authorisation.
- Entries
- Single entry
- Max stay per visit
- up to 30 calendar days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days
When to start
Start 15–30 days before your travel date.
Costa Rica's official visa Directrices place Vietnam in the THIRD entry group: its nationals require a consular visa — the authorisation issued by a Costa Rican consular officer to enter Costa Rica. Check the exemptions first: regardless of nationality you can skip the consular visa if you already hold a qualifying multiple-entry visa or residence of the United States or Canada, a residence of the UK nations / Iceland / Norway / Switzerland / an EU country, or a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa.
If you hold 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 Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or an EU country (multiple-entry, or valid at least 90 days, refugee/asylum excluded), or a multiple-entry Schengen category C or D visa valid up to 90 days, you may enter Costa Rica WITHOUT a consular visa. Otherwise, continue to the consular application.
Apply in person at the Costa Rican consulate accredited for your place of residence. The consul (acting as a migration agent) can issue tourism and provisional visas to any nationality in the consular-visa group, following the Reglamento para el Otorgamiento de Visas de Ingreso a Costa Rica. Documents not issued in the country where you apply must be apostilled or legalised.
The consular visa fee is US$30 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official consular tariff. A visa that must be referred to and authorised by the immigration directorate costs US$50, and a multiple visa (when granted) US$100.
If the visa is authorised, the consul stamps it in your passport. You have three non-extendable months to get it stamped once notified of the authorisation, and once stamped it is valid to use for 60 calendar days. The consular visa is for a SINGLE entry.
At the border every visitor must show a valid, machine-readable or biometric passport (ICAO standard) valid at least 180 days, the consular visa, proof of economic solvency of at least US$100 per month (or fraction) of stay, and a return or onward ticket. Admission is under the Non-Resident category, Tourism subcategory: rest, recreation, business or professional activities are allowed, but NOT paid work in Costa Rica. The stay granted is up to 30 calendar days, extendable in-country up to a total of 90 days.
What you'll need
- Valid passport (machine-readable or biometric) — Only machine-readable or biometric passports meeting ICAO standards are accepted. For the consular-visa group the passport must be valid for at least 180 calendar days. ✓ verified
- Consular visa application to the Costa Rican consul — A tourism (or provisional) visa application processed by the Costa Rican consul under the Reglamento para el Otorgamiento de Visas de Ingreso a Costa Rica; documents not issued in the country where you apply must be apostilled or legalised. ✓ verified
- Proof of economic solvency — Proof of economic solvency of at least US$100 per month (or fraction of a month) of legal stay in Costa Rica. ✓ verified
- Return or onward ticket — A return ticket to your country of origin, an onward ticket, or a navigation plan showing the port of destination. ✓ verified
Where you'll apply
You apply in person at the Costa Rican consulate accredited for your place of residence — 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.
Fees
| Consular visa | USD 30 |
Gotchas to watch
- The consular visa is for a SINGLE entry only — you must apply again for a second trip (consuls may issue two consular visas where a double entry is justified).
- Once authorised, you have three non-extendable months to get the visa stamped, and once stamped it must be used within 60 working days.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 180 calendar days and be machine-readable or biometric (ICAO standard).
- Visa-free entry does NOT apply — but you can skip the consular visa entirely if you hold a qualifying US/Canada visa or residence, an EU/UK/Iceland/Norway/Switzerland residence, or a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa.
- US C1, C2 and C3 visas are transit visas and are NOT accepted for the US-visa exemption.
- The visa does not guarantee entry — the immigration officer makes the final decision and sets the exact stay at the border.
