Costa Ricans soon won’t need visas to travel to Peru

Costa Ricans looking to visit Machu Picchu and try Peruvian ceviche are getting good news. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel González and his Peruvian counterpart Ana María Sánchez Vargas signed an agreement during a meeting of the Pacific Alliance in Paracas, Peru on Thursday that lifts visa requirements for Costa Rican and Peruvian tourists.

But that doesn’t mean travelers can hop on the next plane to Lima. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Melissa Duran told The Tico Times that Costa Ricans traveling to Peru would need to continue applying for visas until the agreement is fully implemented. Duran said that it would likely be sometime in September before both nationalities can travel freely between Costa Rica and Peru.

Until then, Costa Ricans need to continue applying for a $30 visa. Information on what Tico travelers need to apply for the visa can be found at the Peruvian Embassy’s website.

The visa snag caught many Costa Ricans off guard after several airlines offered cheap fares between San José and Lima. Visa applications at the Peruvian embassy swelled 500 percent and some travelers reported missing their flights because of longer than expected delays.

U.S. passport holders do not require a tourist visa to travel to Peru for less than 90 days.