Costa Rica's General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners has released an official directive listing over 80 countries whose citizens can enter the Central American nation without a visa. The policy divides eligible nations into two groups based on the maximum length of stay permitted.
Two-Tier Visa-Free Policy Announced
The directive, published by the immigration authority, categorizes visa-free travelers into Group 1 and Group 2, each with distinct entry conditions. Group 1 nationals from 54 countries can stay up to 90 calendar days, while Group 2 nationals from a further set of countries are limited to an initial 30-day stay, extendable to 90 days in total.
Group 1: Up to 90 Days Without Visa
Citizens of the following 62 countries and territories are eligible for visa-free entry for up to 90 days, with passports only required to be valid upon entry: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Vatican City.
The directive specifies that overseas territories and dependencies of Argentina, Australia, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States receive the same Group 1 treatment, provided the traveler holds a passport from the sovereign state.
Group 2: Up to 30 Days Initial Stay
Nationals of the following 35 countries can enter visa-free but are limited to a maximum initial stay of 30 calendar days, which can be extended up to 90 days. Passports must be valid for at least 90 days upon arrival: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Taiwan, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Common Entry Requirements for All Travelers
Regardless of group, all visa-free visitors must carry a valid machine-readable passport, demonstrate financial solvency of at least USD $100 per month of stay, and present a confirmed onward or return travel ticket out of Costa Rica.
Context: Malta Also Published Visa-Free List
In related news, Legit.ng previously reported that Malta published a full list of countries whose nationals are exempt from holding a visa when crossing its external borders. Only a few African countries made Malta's visa-free list, including Mauritius, Seychelles, and Trinidad and Tobago.
