Located in Central Amercia, Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San José, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity.
Air travel is the best way to get to Costa Rica with major airlines serving flights into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José.
To enter Costa Rica, your passport must be valid for at least three months after arrival. You also must have a return or onward ticket. Citizens of the United States, Canada and most European nations do not need a visa. Tourists are generally permitted to stay in Costa Rica for up to 90 days. To stay longer than that, you must apply for an extension with the country's Department of Immigration.
Upon departure from Costa Rica, you must pay a departure tax. As of January 2019, the fee is $29 and is included in the price of most, but not all, airline tickets. Your airline can tell you whether you've already paid the departure tax as part of your ticket purchase.
The citizens of the following countries must apply for a visa at the nearest Costa Rican Embassy or Consulate close to their country of origin. These citizens, if approved, are generally given a 30 day visa. To find out the location of the Costa Rican Consulate nearest to you look at the website of the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Relation for all the contact information.
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Benin
Belarus
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
China
Colombia
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Chad
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eswatini
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
India
Indonesia
Ivory Coast
Jordan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Oman
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sudan
South Sudan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Citizens from the following countries will need to get their visas approved by the Commission for Restricted Visas:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Cuba
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Myanmar
North Korea
Palestine
Syria
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Anyone entering Costa Rica from certain South American countries, including Colombia , Brazil, and Ecuador, must provide a yellow fever vaccination certificate. This is also necessary when traveling to Costa Rica from African nations where yellow fever is present.
In addition, the CDC and WHO recommend getting the following vaccinations when travelling to Costa Rica: Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.
Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica: it’s also the most widely spoken language throughout the country. Other languages spoken are English, Creole, and some Indian languages. All official business and major newspapers are in Spanish, whereas English is widely used in areas frequented by tourists. Generally, tourist information is often English only, or bilingual. There are many businesses in Costa Rica that are operated by European proprietors who accommodate guests in Spanish, English, and their native languages.
Costa Rica itself has an average temperature of 70 F to 81 F. Due to its proximity to the equator, it has no real summer or winter. However, Costa Rica does have two seasons: the dry season and the rainy or “green” season. During the months of December to April, the dry season, much of the country experiences little if any rain. Although the rainy season still lingers in early November, by the end of the month the dry season has often arrived.
Costa Rica's national currency is known as the colón (plural: colones), but dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas and other places around the country.
Current Conversion rate: 1USD = 572.08 CR Colones
There are a few different ways to deal with changing money in Costa Rica. You can bring some US dollars and use them to get local currency back as change. Then if you run out of money, you can get colones out of the ATM with your debit card. This saves the hassle of having to exchange money and also the associated fees. Only bring denominations of $20 or less as bigger bills are not widely accepted.
San José, Costa Rica, is a small city frequently underrated by both tourists and locals. It's true that Chepe – as San José is affectionately known – doesn't make a great first impression with its unremarkable concrete structures, but it's well worth digging deeper to discover the city's charms.
Teatro Nacional: Costa Rica’s most important theater stages plays, dance, opera, classical concerts, Latin American music and other major events. The main season runs from March to November, but there are performances throughout the year.
Visit Costa Rica: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en?utm_actcampaign=62976&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr7Wf6_nb6AIVDYvICh2KsQJNEAAYASAAEgIQu_D_BwE
Lonely Planet Guide: Costa Rica : https://www.lonelyplanet.com/costa-rica
Go Visit Costa Rica: https://www.govisitcostarica.com/
Planet Ware: https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/costa-rica-crc.htm