Recently on social media, stories surfaced in relation to tourists intending to “transit” through Costa Rica to Nicaragua but being refused entry by Costa Rica Immigration. This was for various reasons, such as; no PCR-RT test (required by Nicaragua, not Costa Rica), or not meeting other requirements for entering Costa Rica, either as a tourist or in transit.
It would appear that Immigration Officials were applying the rules of “entering as a tourist” to some people who were trying to “transit” through Costa Rica yet those people were not following either set of requirements (either by design or not understanding the difference).
The following explains the requirements for being In Transit;
TOURISTS ENTERING COSTA RICA IN TRANSIT
From the Costa Rica Immigration web site; Current Provisions for the Entry of National and Foreign Persons to Costa Rica.
Entry to Costa Rica (CR) is permitted by air, land or sea (yacht, sailboat or cruise ship) to those intending to enter “in transit”.
Anyone wishing to enter CR in transit must meet the following requirements:
- Meet migratory entry requirements (including the respective entry visa if required).
- At the time of entry, must show that you have all of the immigration and health requirements necessary for your EXIT from Costa Rica. This will be based on the border route you intend to use to leave CR and the country you are travelling to.
- Costa Rica checking Covid results when leaving Costa Rica to Nicaragua
- Even those in transit must complete the Health Pass available at the REPUBLIC OF COSTA RICA Health Pass link.
- You will need your document that verifies that you have completed the vaccination schedule against COVID-19 as you would if you were a tourist visiting CR. If not vaccinated or cannot prove vaccination, you will need to prove your travel insurance, again in the same way as a tourist to CR with the exception that the MINIMUM INSURANCE VALIDITY MUST BE 05 DAYS.
Also;
- THE MAXIMUM TERM TO BE GRANTED FOR PEOPLE IN TRANSIT WILL BE 24 HOURS WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION.
- Once you have left CR (within the 24 hours) your authorization to stay in CR “in transit” will expire automatically as you are at the end of that immigration cycle. If you need to return to CR and transit again, you must carry out a new migration process and again provide all the requirements indicated in this article.
General Comments on the Requirements
For example, you can’t claim to be in transit if you arrive at Liberia planning to tour Guanacaste for few days before stopping in at Liberia and getting your PCR-RT test for Nicaragua.
Even if you are landing in San Jose or Liberia intending to get a PCR-RT test and the result, and make it to the border under the in transit time limit of 24 hours, you will have to be organized.
TIP: Getting the PCR-RT test in your country 72 hours before you intend crossing the border into Nicaragua would be a good option to consider.
NOTE: This is not a “Transit Visa” per se. It’s a passport entry stamp from Costa Rica Migracion showing you are “In Transit” and how long you have to do so. It’s only going to work for those nationalities that are visa exempt for a stay in Costa Rica.
For the record, here are the requirements for a regular visitor on a 90 day stay or an actual visa.
COSTA RICA IMMIGRATION – ENTRY OF A FOREIGN PERSON AS A VISITOR TO COSTA RICA
From the Costa Rica Immigration web site; Current Provisions for the Entry of National and Foreign Persons to Costa Rica.
- A return flight ticket is needed when entering Costa Rica as a visitor. The immigration officer will ask for it upon your arrival. It is advisable to make a photocopy or take a picture of your passport with the entry stamp to carry at all times during your stay.
- Your country of origin determines the amount of days available to stay in Costa Rica as a tourist.
- In some cases, the Immigration official may request you show economic solvency for your stay in the country.
- Even with a 90-day tourist visa, the immigration official determines the duration of your stay as allowed by your passport.
- Visitors to Costa Rica must have a valid passport as well as proof of their intent to exit the country before their visa or entry stamp expires, usually within 90 days.
All non-resident travelers must possess a return ticket or a ticket as proof of when they intend to exit the country, commonly referred to as an outbound exit or onward ticket. An onward ticket is required of non-residents who are:
- Traveling on a one-way ticket
- Entering the country with a return ticket dated more than 90 days after arrival
- Flying into Costa Rica and flying out of another country
By law, an onward ticket includes any of the following on approved, commercial transport:
- A pre-purchased bus ticket out of the country
- A pre-purchased flight out of the country
- Proof of passage on a cruise ship
