No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeAirportsAirport departure tax to rise in July

Airport departure tax to rise in July

Travelers leaving Costa Rica by air will have to pay an extra $2 in taxes starting in July, bringing the total cost of the airport departure tax to $31.

A new decree published in the official newspaper La Gaceta on May 25 approved the new tax, which will provide additional funds for the National Animal Health Service (SENASA).

The tax hike was approved as part of changes in tariffs for services SENASA provides to the country’s airports, such as inspections, luggage spraying and issuing of sanitary permits.

SENASA interim director Alexis Sandí reported Friday that 90 percent of the agency’s annual budget is spent on salaries, leaving only 10 percent for operating costs and other expenses. He said the agency expects the new tax to provide some $4.5 million a year for operating expenses, and for improving laboratories and inspections conducted at airports.

The new decree, signed by President Luis Guillermo Solís and Agriculture Minister Luis Felipe Arauz, states that the new tariffs apply starting 15 days after publication in La Gaceta, but SENASA has up to 60 days to put measures in place for charging the new tax.

Last year, visitors made 1.9 million trips to Costa Rica via air and Ticos made more than 600,000 trips abroad via air, according to data from the Costa Rican Tourism Board.

According to information collected at embassies, consulates and airlines, Costa Rica currently has the cheapest airport departure tax in Central America, while Panama has the most expensive at $50.

When Costa Rica’s new tax goes into effect, Guatemala will have the cheapest airport tax in the region. See the full list:

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s UN Ocean Conference Role Slammed as Hypocritical

Costa Rica’s high-profile role in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, has triggered fierce criticism from lawmakers and environmentalists, who...

Costa Rica’s New Extradition Law Faces Limits in Tackling Organized Crime

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly passed a constitutional amendment in May, allowing the extradition of nationals for international drug trafficking and terrorism. With 44 of...

Costa Rica Law Now Requires Corporations to Register an Email for Legal Notices

Costa Rica has recently approved a very important law which establishes a new obligation for commercial corporations, and that obligation is that they must...

UN Ocean Conference Opens with Push for Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium

The UN Ocean Conference began Monday in France with a call from Secretary-General António Guterres to prevent the ocean floor from becoming the “Wild...

Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Welcomes First Starbucks in Liberia

Starbucks has opened its first store in Guanacaste at Solarium Business Park in Liberia, marking a significant step in its expansion across Costa Rica....

Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister Dismisses Crime and Currency Concerns

Tourism Minister William Rodríguez López addressed growing concerns about crime and the strengthening colón’s impact on Costa Rica’s tourism industry, asserting that these issues...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica