VISA FOR NON-RESIDENTS (TOURIST OR BUSINESS)
1. Citizens who do NOT require a visa to enter Costa Rica for tourism or business purposes:
Citizens of the member countries of the European Union do not require a special visa to enter Costa Rica for tourism or business purposes. Likewise, citizens of the following list do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica.
When entering Costa Rica these persons must present:
1. Continuity of travel ticket to another country or return to Germany departing from Costa Rica, within 90 days of entry into the country. This can only be proven by the following means:
- Air ticket
- Bus ticket
- Ship ticket
- Flight plan in case of private air transport
- Sailing plan (stating the port of destination) in the case of private sea transport
2. Proof of financial solvency (US$ 100 for each month).
3. Passport in good condition and in force.
4. In some cases a yellow fever vaccination may be required, according to the information you can review by clicking here.
More information can be found on the website of the Costa Rican Directorate of Migration and Foreigners Affairs (Dirección de Migración y Extranjería de Costa Rica).
2. Citizens who REQUIRE VISA to enter Costa Rica for tourism or business purposes:
Citizens of countries NOT in the first or second group of this list must apply for a tourist visa, except in the following cases:
- If you have a visa (tourist, crew or business visa) from the United States of America or Canada, stamped in your passport and valid for at least three months.
- If you have a residence permit (residence, work permit, study permit) of at least three months in the United States of America, Canada or the countries of the European Union.
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This does not apply to citizens with refugee status or stateless persons.
! Important:
The document of legal stay must have an official translation into Spanish (even if the document is already in several languages), the translation must be duly apostilled. Once the translation with apostille has been obtained, no further formalities must be carried out at the Costa Rican Embassy.
Persons belonging to one of the countries in the third or fourth group of the following list who do not meet the above requirements must apply for a visa.
Persons belonging to the fourth group (see list above) must meet the additional requirements listed below.
Procedure:
The interested person must send the following original documents by post to the Costa Rican Embassy in Berlin. Once the documentation has been revised, information will be provided on the type of visa needed to travel to Costa Rica.
1. Letter of request addressed to the Costa Rican Consulate containing the following information:
- Name and surname
- Date and place of birth
- Nationality
- Profession or occupation
- Address
- Passport number
- Trip purpose
- Trip duration
- The place and date of arrival and departure
- Exact address where you will be staying in Costa Rica
- Date of application and signature
2. Complete copy of the passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months.
3. Tentative itinerary or temporary reservation of your travel ticket. It is recommended not to purchase the ticket until the visa is approved.
4. Proof of economic solvency (bank statements, salary statement, etc.) for the last three months.
5. Certificate of criminal records of the last six months translated into Spanish and duly apostilled.
6. Persons with and refugee immigration status need an approval letter from their country of residence, so that they can travel to another country.
7. 1 passport size color photo.
8. ! Proof of legal status in Germany or a country of the European Union (permanent residence, student visa, work visa) The permit must be valid for the planned date of travel. Visas are only granted to people who have a regular immigration status in a country of the European Union.
. Persons that do not meet this requirement must apply for the visa in their home country.
9. The consul may request, if necessary, additional documents.
Additional requirements for people belonging to the fourth group
1. Police record of the home country or the country where he/she has lived for the last ten years, with apostille, as well as an official translation into Spanish with apostille.
2. Proof of economic solvency such as Bank statements for the last three months duly stamped and signed by the appropriate bank, letter from employer with company letterhead and stamp showing gross and net salary, years of service and position, proof of payment, certificates of movable or immovable property issued by the Public Property Registry
3. Complete certified copy of the passport, with apostille, as well as an official translation into Spanish with apostille
4. Provisional booking of the return or onward ticket
! Important: All documents issued outside Costa Rica and in a language other than Spanish must have an official translation into Spanish or English and be duly apostilled.
Deadline:
The process can take 90 days or more until the Immigration and Foreign Affairs Office (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería) in Costa Rica makes a decision.
Cost:
You will be informed about the cost once the visa is approved.
