Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article, published November 24, 2025, contained several errors regarding visa validity requirements and country-specific rules. The article has been corrected and updated against the official directive published in Alcance N° 148 to La Gaceta N° 216 on November 17, 2025. The Tico Times regrets the errors.
The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME) published new general visa entry and stay guidelines for non-residents in Alcance N° 148 a La Gaceta N° 216 on November 17, 2025. The directive keeps Costa Rica’s four-group system but tightens several exemption rules and clarifies documentation requirements.
Foreign nationals fall into one of four groups based on nationality, which determines whether a Costa Rican visa is required and how long they may stay.
Group 1 — Visa-free, up to 180 days. Passport must be valid for at least one day on arrival. Includes citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, most of the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and others.
Group 2 — Visa-free, up to 30 days (extendable to 90). Passport must be valid for at least 90 days. Includes Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey and others. Russian citizens may stay up to 90 days under a bilateral agreement. Honduran citizens over 18 must present a police record certificate from their country of origin.
Group 3 — Consular visa required. Visa application processed at a Costa Rican consulate; once issued, it is valid for 60 business days for use. Passport validity required: 180 days. Authorized stay: up to 30 days, extendable to 90. Includes Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, China, Vietnam, Venezuela and others. Colombian and Nicaraguan citizens have reduced requirements: 90-day passport validity and up to 90 days of stay. Venezuelan citizens must apply for the visa at a Costa Rican consulate located in a third country.
Group 4 — Restricted visa required. Approval by Costa Rica’s Restricted Visa Commission is required before a consulate can issue the visa. Passport validity: 180 days. Authorized stay: up to 30 days, extendable to 90. Any nationality not listed in Groups 1, 2 or 3 falls automatically into this group.
Key changes in the November directive
The resolution expands and refines exemptions that allow nationals of Groups 3 and 4 to enter Costa Rica without applying for a Costa Rican visa, while tightening the conditions attached to those exemptions.
Travelers from Group 3 or Group 4 countries may enter Costa Rica without a Costa Rican visa if they hold a valid multiple-entry visa or legal residence from the United States or Canada, provided the document is valid for at least one day at the time of arrival. The authorized stay in Costa Rica cannot exceed the remaining validity of that visa or residence.
A separate, stricter standard applies to Schengen Category C or D multiple-entry visas: those must have at least 90 days of validity remaining at the time of arrival, and the stay in Costa Rica cannot exceed the visa’s remaining validity. Schengen visas that take effect after the planned arrival date are not accepted. Residence in European Union countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom also qualifies for the exemption.
The directive also re-designates Mauritania and Pakistan as Group 4 nationalities, meaning their citizens now require a Restricted Entry Visa for tourism and business travel to Costa Rica.
A new provision allows entry with a United Nations laissez-passer travel document, provided it meets the minimum passport validity required for the nationality under the four-group system.
Practical notes for travelers
Costa Rican immigration officers retain discretion over the exact number of days stamped on entry — the maximum stay associated with each group is a ceiling, not a guarantee. Officers may consider onward travel documentation, proof of economic means and travel history when granting time.
Visitors who overstay their authorized period face fines and may be barred from re-entry for a period determined by DGME.
Costa Rica’s four-group system itself remains unchanged; the November directive refines the exemption rules around it, and travelers in Groups 3 and 4 in particular should confirm their documentation before booking. The DGME visa page carries the full country lists, current forms and consulate locations.
