No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rica to allow visa-free tourism from China

Costa Rica to allow visa-free tourism from China

Costa Rica will make it easier for tourists from China to visit, the Tourism Board announced Wednesday.

Starting in March, tourists from Beijing and Shanghai will be allowed to enter the country without the need for a prior visa. Under the current requirements, Chinese nationals must apply for an entry permit at the Costa Rican consulate.

Chinese nationals will have to demonstrate that they have a tourism package booked through an accredited Costa Rican company in order to receive the visa exemption.

The relaxed requirements are meant to help Costa Rica tap into a growing tourism market. By 2027, the number of Chinese citizens with passports is expected to reach 300 million people, according to the Tourism Board.

“In order to explore this market, the Tourism Board, the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed on the visa exception for the entry of tourists from Beijing and Shanghai,” the Tourism Board said in a statement.

The news was announced as part of a series of measures to help stimulate tourism. Among the others are infrastructure improvements to national parks, financial credits to rural entrepreneurs, and suspended income-tax payments to companies that registered losses in 2020.

Costa Rica already allows visa-free entry to citizens of many countries, including the United States, Canada, and most European nations.

In 2019, Costa Rica registered 16,847 arrivals of Chinese citizens through all ports of entry to the country. There are currently no direct flights from China to Costa Rica, but there are one-stop routes through Europe.

Trending Now

UN Experts Warn of Possible Nicaraguan Government Role in Exile’s Murder in Costa Rica

A team of UN human rights experts said Tuesday that involvement by the Nicaraguan government in the killing of retired major Roberto Samcam cannot...

Costa Rica Police Uncover Second Cyanide-Laced Mining Operation in Crucitas

The environmental crisis in Crucitas persists. Police discovered and dismantled an artisanal mining material processing plant in a wooded area of Tatú Hill in Crucitas,...

Costa Rica Minister Slams NGO “Blackmail” Following Ocean Award

Last November, Costa Rica received the 2024 Oceans Advocate Rob Stewart Award at the annual “Save Our Oceans” gala, organized by Fins Attached in...

Quiet Force, Loud Legacy: Jannik Sinner Beats Alcaraz for First Wimbledon Title

Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon...

El Salvador Under Fire for Detaining Migrants Without Rights or Access

Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez on Wednesday urged the government of Nayib Bukele to provide information about the 252 Venezuelan migrants deported from the United...

Costa Rica’s Olympic Hero Claudia Poll Alleges Abuse by Famed Swim Coach

Claudia Poll, Costa Rica's only Olympic gold medalist, and two other former swimmers from the country, alleged on Monday that they suffered psychological, physical,...
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