Recently, the Government of Costa Rica has modified the regulations on the period of permanence for tourists arriving in Costa Rica.
These new regulations apply to tourists coming from any of the countries that are part of Group One established by the Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Affairs (see list below). Citizens of these countries are not required to obtain a Costa Rica entry visa prior to their arrival in the country.
When a person from any of these countries arrives in Costa Rica as a tourist, the respective Immigration Officer at the point of entry will interview him/her and grant him/her a permanence permit for a number of days that the Immigration Officer determines at that time. Previously, this period had a maximum limit of only ninety (90) days. With the new regulations, this permanence permit can now be up to one hundred and eighty (180) days.
Likewise, according to the new regulations, if the stay permit granted is for less than ninety days, a one-time extension can be requested to complete a maximum of ninety days. If the permanence permit granted is for ninety or more days, it cannot be extended.
Now, the regulations on driver’s licenses for tourists have not yet been modified, so the regulations that only allow tourists to drive in Costa Rica using the driver’s license from their country of origin for a maximum of ninety days upon arrival in the country are still in place. We hope that the required modifications will soon be approved so that the use of the driver’s license from the country of origin can be for the same period of the upon arrival in the country permit granted upon arrival in the country.
The following are the countries classified by the Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs as Group One:
Germany. Andorra. Argentina*. Australia*. Austria. Bahamas. Barbados. Belgium. Brazil. Bulgaria. Canada. Croatia. Chile. Cyprus. Denmark*. United Arab Emirates. Slovakia. Slovenia. Spain. State of Qatar. United States of America*. Estonia. Finland. France*. Hungary. Ireland. Iceland. Israel. Italy. Japan. Latvia. Liechtenstein. Lithuania. Luxembourg. Malt. Mexico. Montenegro. Norway*. New Zealand*. Netherlands (Holland)*. Panama. Paraguay. Poland. Portugal. Principality of Monaco. San Marino. Peru. Puerto Rico. Serbia. South Africa. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland**. Czech Republic. Republic of Korea (South Korea). Hellenic Republic (Greece). Romania. Holy See (Vatican). Singapore. Sweden. Swiss. Trinidad and Tobago. Ukraine. Uruguay.
(*) Their dependencies receive the same treatment. (**) Includes England, Wales and Scotland.
Dependencies: Argentine, Australian, British, Danish, American, French, Dutch (Netherlands), New Zealand and Norwegian dependencies receive the same treatment as long as they carry a passport from the country of which they are dependent.