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Travel Information

Visa and passport requirements frequently change. We do our best to keep this information as current as possible; however, we recommend you to check with your embassy or consulate before departing.

List of Costa Rican embassies and consulates around the world: view list
 

To find out if you need a visa to enter Costa Rica, please check this link:
http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/72

 

Yellow Fever Vaccine

If you will be traveling to Costa Rica from South America and/or sub-Saharan Africa, you will need the YELLOW FEVER VACCINE

The countries considered at risk are: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Venezuela.

You can travel to Costa Rica ten days after the shot. Exceptions (http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/97)

 

General Entry Requirements:

All adults and children (from 0 - 16 years old) require the following documents to enter Costa Rica:

  • A valid passport with at least one blank visa page. The expiration date of your passport must be greater than either 30 or 180 days - depending on your country of citizenship - from your date of entry to Costa Rica.
  • A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica or a pre-purchased bus ticket to another country. Proof of financial resources ($400.00 - $1,000.00 U.S. dollars in cash, traveler checks, and/or credit cards) to pay for the market value of a one-way airline ticket may also apply depending on airline requirements either to return to your home country or to go to another country.
  • Minors (children under the age of 18) who do not have their own passport must have a joint passport with one of their parents, legal guardian or the adult traveling with them.

Juan Santamaría International Airport (IATA: SJO, ICAO: MROC) 
The Juan Santamaría International Airport is Costa Rica’s main airport and is located in Alajuela, 18 km from San José and 84 km from the Marriot Los Sueños Hotel, venue of this year’s Sintercafé. 

Licensed taxis are available at the airport, TAXI AEROPUERTO. Taxis will generally accept both Colones and U.S. dollars, but not other currencies. 
For more information: http://www.taxiaeropuerto.com

The major operator at the airport is TACA/LACSA, followed by Copa Airlines, Continental Airlines and American Airlines.

The page have scheduled direct services to and/or from Juan Santamaría International Airport: 
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeropuerto_Internacional_Juan_Santamar%C3%ADa#Vuelos_Internacionales

Juan Santamaría International Airport  Airlines: http://www.fly2sanjose.com/front/pt5.php

 

Departure Tax

If you are flying with of one the following airlines, departure tax has been included in the ticket price:

  • AeroMéxico
  • Air Panamá
  • Air Canada
  • American Airlines
  • Grupo Avianca
  • Copa Airlines
  • Delta Airlines
  • VECA
  • Jet Blue Airways
  • Southwest Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • IBERIA
  • Interjet
  • Volaris
  • Condor
  • Air France
  • Volaris