Costa Rica e-Visa
Everything you need to apply for your Costa Rica e-Visa: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Costa Rica government portalOverview
The Costa Rica e-Visa is the entry authorisation for nationals who must arrange a visa before they travel for tourism or a short visit. Costa Rica admits visitors for stays of up to 90 days, and a 2025 immigration resolution raised the permitted stay for many nationalities to 180 days, so most short trips fit comfortably within a single authorised period. The right route depends on your nationality: many passport holders, including those from the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia, enter without a visa, while others must obtain one ahead of travel.
When a visa is required, your application is prepared and reviewed in your own language so it reaches the authority complete and consistent. The authorisation covers tourism and short visits only; it does not permit paid work, study toward a degree or long-term residence, which require the corresponding visa applied for at a Costa Rican consulate. Whether or not a visa is needed, every traveller still has to satisfy Costa Rica's entry conditions at the border, and an entry-readiness check helps you arrive with the right documents in hand.
You travel on the passport used for the application, and each traveller, including children, is handled as a separate case. The closing step is always one clear, all-inclusive price covering the government fee and the service fee, with the government portion itemised on your receipt.
Requirements in detail
Costa Rica's entry rules are document-light but checked closely on arrival, so prepare each item carefully. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay; many travellers are turned away when a passport is close to expiry, so allow a comfortable margin beyond your return date. You will be asked to show proof of onward or return travel, normally a booked flight leaving the country, because a one-way ticket alone is a frequent reason for problems at check-in and at immigration.
You also need evidence of sufficient funds for your trip and details of where you will stay, such as a hotel booking or a host address. For nationalities that must obtain a visa before travel, the application asks for your passport data, trip dates and these supporting documents, and the consular tourist visa is issued for a single trip. The single most common avoidable error is a mismatch between the details you enter and your passport: one mistyped letter in your name or one wrong digit in the passport number can stop you at the airport.
Check every field against the passport itself before submitting. The application is reviewed for completeness and consistency before it goes to the authority, so that small mistakes are caught early rather than at the border.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Recent digital passport photograph
- Confirmed return or onward flight booking
- Costa Rican accommodation address or host invitation
- Email address for e-Visa delivery
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
Arriving in Costa Rica is mainly about being ready for the border check rather than carrying a printout. Immigration officers commonly ask to see a return or onward ticket, proof that you can support yourself during the stay, and where you will be staying, so keep these to hand as you land. Travel on the same passport used for your application, since that is what is checked against your records.
The officer makes the final decision on admission and sets the length of stay stamped in your passport, which may be shorter than the maximum, so be ready to explain your plans briefly and clearly. If you obtained a visa before travelling, have it available with your passport. Saving your booking confirmations and accommodation details on your phone, with a printed copy as a backup, makes the arrival quick and avoids needless questions.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: Costa Rica Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria decides in 1 to 7 business days for nationalities that need a visa before travel. When to apply: submit as soon as your trip is booked rather than waiting until the last week, because a request still in review cannot be sped up once your departure date is close and a consular appointment may be needed. VisitPass review: Standard 1 to 3 business days, Rush 1 business day, Super Rush under 6 hours.
The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued by email once the decision is made.
Who can apply
Costa Rica uses a nationality-based entry system: some travellers enter visa-free, while others must arrange an e-Visa before they fly. The correct route is confirmed for your passport so you arrive with the right documents either way. EU, US, Canadian, Australian and most Latin American travellers are visa-exempt for stays up to 90 days, while restricted-nationality travellers obtain the e-Visa before departure.
Each traveller, including children, needs their own application, and the passport is checked against the current list before any charge.
Costa Rica help desk
Have questions about your e-Visa? Email the Costa Rica desk and we reply within 24 hours.
costarica@visitpass-online.com