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Getting There
By Air
Located in the middle of Central America, Costa Rica is easy to reach. Most major international carriers conveniently
serve San Jose, the capital city. You can also fly directly to the Guanacaste Region.
From the US
The largest gateways for flights to Costa Rica are Miami and Houston, with other flights originating from Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, L.A., New York, Newark, and Washington, D.C. Basic round-trip fares to San José, Costa
Rica range from US$500-1200. Standard commercial carriers like American, Continental, and United offer the most
convenient flights, but might not be the cheapest, unless you grab a special promotion or airfare war ticket. Charter
flights sometimes run from Canada, but scheduled flights are routed through the US. You might find cheaper fares
by flying on a Latin American airline like Lacsa, Taca, Copa, or MartinAir. Otherwise, check online or consult
a travel agent about discount airfares.
From Europe
British Airways flies from London to San José. Iberia flies from Spain with direct connections to San José.
Alitalia flies from Italy to Miami, Caracas, and Santo Domingo, and Taca provides passengers with a connecting
flight. LTU provides services from Germany.
Domestic Airlines
SANSA at www.flysansa.com (506)221-9414
Nature Air at www.natureair.net (506) 220-3054
Ocean Travel
Numerous cruise lines call at Costa Rican ports, including
Holland America, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Radisson and more.
Entry Requirements
Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries
are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France and Germany dependencies, Greece, Holland
and dependencies, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal,
Puerto Rico, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, United States
of America, Czech Republic and Uruguay.
Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries are exempt from all visa requirements for stays of
30 days in Costa Rica, though once inside the country, they can apply for extension from the Immigration office,
for an authorized period of stay of 90 days:
Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Saint
Kitts/Nevis, San Marino, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Taiwan, Turkey, The
Vatican, Venezuela, Estonia and Monaco.
Citizens of all countries not listed above are required a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before traveling.
Custom regulations
No customs duties are charged on personal luggage, which
includes a series of items for personal, professional, non-commercial use. Costa Rican laws require checked luggage
to be screened and travelers to fill out customs declarations declaring the value of any item in their possession,
including fruits, vegetables, meat and by- products, biological products such as vaccinations, serums, etc. The
head of a family may make a joint declaration for all members residing in the same household and traveling together
to Costa Rica.
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