Costa Rica: visa and entry rules
What you need to get in, how long you may stay, and what an overstay costs
Costa Rica's borders: every crossing point
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Costa Rica's land border crossings, listed by the neighbours it shares a border with:
With Nicaragua: Penas Blancas on the Pacific side, the main crossing; Las Tablillas in the north.
With Panama: Paso Canoas on the Pacific side; Sixaola on the Caribbean coast, where an old bridge over the river serves as the border; and Rio Sereno in the mountains.
Penas Blancas is the region's main visa-run hub: people cross it to renew their permitted stay.
By sea, there are the cruise ports of Puerto Limon and Puntarenas.
There is biosecurity control on entry: bringing in food and plants is restricted.
Driving to Costa Rica
Land routes work with Nicaragua and Panama - the country lies on the Pan-American Highway.
Temporary import is processed at the border, and a note is entered in your documents.
Insurance is compulsory and has to be bought locally, right at the crossing.
You will be told how long the car may stay in the country when you bring it into Costa Rica. Check with customs in advance: the periods get revised.
A licence in Spanish or English is accepted for the length of your legal stay; in any other language you need an International Driving Permit.
Travelling to Costa Rica with a pet
An import permit is required, arranged in advance.
A rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.
An international veterinary certificate is required.
On arrival the animal is inspected by the SENASA service.
Agree vaccinations and quarantine for bringing an animal into Costa Rica with the local veterinary service in advance - before you buy tickets.
Overstaying your visa in Costa Rica
A fine is charged for every month by which you exceed your permitted stay.
The fine is calculated on departure, and you will learn the figure at passport control. There is no finding it out in Costa Rica in advance: rates get revised and reference sources disagree. Allow for cash and for time.
An overstay makes it harder to come back: on your next entry the officer sees the violation and may shorten your stay or refuse you.
Go by the stamp in your own passport rather than counting on ninety days by default.
What else to check before you go
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Entry rules change faster than anything else on this site, and they change without notice. We cross-check every page against several sources and state the date it was verified, but that does not replace the main step: before you travel, check an official source — the country’s consulate, its immigration service or its e-visa portal. Especially if more than a couple of months have passed since our check.