Destination

Costa Rica visa requirements 2026

Do you need a visa for Costa Rica? Entry rules for every passport, grouped by visa category.

Visa data last updated 2026-01-09

Region: Central America | Continent: North America

95Visa-free

0eVisa

0Visa on arrival

103Visa required

Costa Rica entry rules at a glance

Of the 198 passports we track, 95 can enter Costa Rica visa-free (most commonly for up to 180 days) and 0 can get a visa on arrival. Of the rest, 103 need a visa issued in advance by an embassy or consulate.

95 of 198 passports can travel to Costa Rica without arranging anything before departure.

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Costa Rica entry rules for common passports

Passport	Entry rule for Costa Rica
United States of America	Visa-free (180 days)
United Kingdom	Visa-free (180 days)
Canada	Visa-free (180 days)
Australia	Visa-free (180 days)
Germany	Visa-free (180 days)
France	Visa-free (180 days)
India	Visa required
China	Visa required
Nigeria	Visa required
South Africa	Visa-free (180 days)
Brazil	Visa-free (180 days)
Philippines	Visa-free (30 days)

Costa Rica visa requirements by region of passport

Number of passports from each region in each entry category for Costa Rica.

Passport region	Visa-free	Visa required
Africa	4	50
Asia	13	38
Europe	39	6
North America	17	5
Oceania	13	1
South America	9	3

Entry rules for every passport

Visa-free 95

Andorra180 days
Antigua and Barbuda30 days
Argentina180 days
Australia180 days
Austria180 days
Bahamas180 days
Barbados180 days
Belgium180 days
Belize30 days
Bolivia30 days
Brazil180 days
Brunei30 days
Bulgaria180 days
Canada180 days
Chile180 days
Croatia180 days
Cyprus180 days
Czechia180 days
Denmark180 days
Dominica30 days
El Salvador30 days
Estonia180 days
Fiji30 days
Finland180 days
France180 days
Germany180 days
Greece180 days
Grenada30 days
Guatemala30 days
Guyana30 days
Honduras180 days
Hungary180 days
Iceland180 days
Ireland180 days
Israel180 days
Italy180 days
Japan180 days
Kiribati30 days
Latvia180 days
Liechtenstein180 days
Lithuania180 days
Luxembourg180 days
Malaysia30 days
Maldives30 days
Malta180 days
Marshall Islands30 days
Mauritius30 days
Mexico180 days
Micronesia30 days
Monaco180 days
Montenegro180 days
Nauru30 days
Netherlands180 days
New Zealand180 days
Norway180 days
Palau30 days
Panama180 days
Paraguay180 days
Peru180 days
Philippines30 days
Poland180 days
Portugal180 days
Qatar180 days
Romania180 days
Russia30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis30 days
Saint Lucia30 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines30 days
Samoa30 days
San Marino180 days
Serbia180 days
Seychelles30 days
Singapore180 days
Slovakia180 days
Slovenia180 days
Solomon Is.30 days
South Africa180 days
South Korea180 days
Spain180 days
Suriname30 days
Sweden180 days
Switzerland180 days
São Tomé and Príncipe30 days
Taiwan30 days
Tonga30 days
Trinidad and Tobago180 days
Turkey30 days
Tuvalu30 days
Ukraine180 days
United Arab Emirates180 days
United Kingdom180 days
United States of America180 days
Uruguay180 days
Vanuatu30 days
Vatican City180 days

Visa required 103

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?

It depends on your passport. Of 198 passports, 95 can enter visa-free and 103 need a visa before travel. Find your passport in the lists on this page.

Which passports can enter Costa Rica without a visa?

95 passports have visa-free access to Costa Rica, including Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and others. The most common visa-free stay is 180 days.

Does Costa Rica offer visa on arrival?

Our data shows no passports eligible for a visa on arrival in Costa Rica. Travellers who are not visa-exempt should arrange an eVisa or visa before departure.

Do North American passport holders need a visa for Costa Rica?

Of 22 passports from North America, 17 can enter Costa Rica visa-free or with a visa on arrival. The region table on this page breaks this down by category.

Visa rules for nearby destinations

About this data

Entry categories come from our passport-by-destination matrix, last updated 2026-01-09. Visa policies change, and special rules can apply to diplomatic passports, residents of third countries or travellers arriving by land. Always confirm with the destination's official immigration website or your airline before you travel.

Connecting through a third country? Read when a layover needs a transit visa.