Tourist visa for Costa Rica: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

• Visa application letter addressed to the consul of Costa RicaConditions and details

  The letter, dated and signed, states: full first and last names, nationality, passport number, address, purpose of the trip, duration of the trip, place and date of arrival and departure, profession or activity, exact address in Costa Rica, place and date of birth, and a fax number or an email address for notifications.
• Visa application form issued by a consulate of Costa RicaConditions and details

  Use the official form indicated by the competent consulate. The regulation also provides for its availability on the website of the General Directorate of Migration. Fill it out legibly, without erasures or corrections.
• Machine-readable or biometric passport: 180 days of validity, or 90 days for Colombia and NicaraguaConditions and details

  For the group subject to the consular visa, the passport must be valid for at least 180 calendar days. For Colombian and Nicaraguan nationals, this minimum is 90 calendar days. At entry, only passports or travel documents that are machine-readable or biometric compliant with ICAO standards are accepted.
• Photocopy of all pages of the passportPresent your passport or travel document accepted by Costa Rica as well as a copy of all its pages. Respect the minimum validity applicable to your nationality.
• Provisional reservation of the return or onward travel ticketPrepare a provisional reservation of the return or onward ticket. The embassy in Washington recommends not purchasing the ticket before the visa approval.
• Proof of financial means necessary for the stayConditions and details

  Present proof of your means of subsistence during the stay. Follow the consulate's instructions for their form and the period to be covered: in Washington, bank statements, salary certificate or equivalent documents cover the last three months. The proof of solvency to be presented at entry is separate.
• Valid criminal record extract, with Spanish translation if necessaryConditions and details

  Provide a valid criminal record extract, accompanied by a Spanish translation if it is in another language. Check the consulate's instructions on its recency: Washington requires an extract from the last six months. Documents issued in another country may require an apostille or legalization.
• Consular visa affixed in the passport, to be presented upon arrivalConditions and details

  The visa is valid for a single entry. Once authorized, it must be affixed in the passport within a period of three months; once affixed, it must be used within a maximum period of sixty working days.
• Proof of solvency of at least 100 United States dollars per month or fraction of a month of stay, to be presented upon entryConditions and details

  The directives require this proof of solvency at the immigration control upon entry, in addition to the passport, the visa and the return or onward ticket. They do not detail the form of the supporting document.
• Return ticket to the country of origin or onward journey, to be presented upon entryThe directives require upon entry a return ticket, ticket or passage to the country of origin or onward journey, or the navigation plan indicating the port of destination.

Depending on your situation

• Photograph in the format requested by the consulateIf the consulate requests a photograph, respect its format. In Washington, a color passport-format photo of 2 × 2 inches is required.
• Apostille or legalization of documents issued in another country, according to the consulate's instructionsConditions and details

  For foreign public documents submitted to the migration authority, the regulation provides for an apostille where the relevant convention applies; otherwise, consular legalization and authentication by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are required. An official Spanish translation is required for documents in another language. Check the formalities applicable to your documents with the consulate.
• Additional documents, if the consul requests themThe consul may request additional documents necessary for the examination of your situation. The submission of all documents does not guarantee the granting of the visa.
• International certificate of vaccination against yellow fever, for travelers coming from a risk areaConditions and details

  For travelers coming from a yellow fever transmission area, vaccination is required at least ten days before entry and is proven by the international certificate. Check the official list of areas and the exceptions. The embassy notably mentions a stay of at least six days in a country without risk without having developed fever during that period. In case of contraindication, a non-resident coming from a risk area must present before entry a valid medical opinion, endorsed by the national health authority of the country from which the traveler is arriving.