Visitor Information:

Vistors can request information and brochures at:
Web: www.costarica.tourism.co.cr
E-Mail: info@tourism.co.cr
Phone: 011 506 234-6222
Fax: 011 506 253-8102

Entry Requirements/Customs:

Citizens from Canada, the U.S. and Panama can enter with just a tourist card and one other piece of identification, such as a passport, driver's license or birth certificate. Citizens of all other countries require a valid passport to enter. Visas are needed by certain nationalities so check ahead before traveling.

Without Visa / 90 days:
Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holand, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Polland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rumany, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom*, United States, Urugua*, England, Gales, Scotland and North Ireland

Without Visa / 30 days:
Antigua & Barbuda, Arabian Emirates, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrein, Barbados, Bolivia, Bulgary, Colombia, Chile, China Republic (Taiwan), Czech Republic, Dominica, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemal, Guyana, Honduras, Ireland Republic, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zeland, Oman, Philipines, Principado de Monaco, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Saint Christobal and Nevis, Saint Marino, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Granadinas, Saudi Arabia, Singapor, Slovak, Suriname, Turkey, Vatican, Venezuela,

With Visa / 30 days:
Andorra, Belarus (Ant. Bielorrusia), Chipre, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egipt, EstoniaMoldova (Ant. Moldavia), India, Indonesia, Letonia, Lithuania, Malasya, Malta, Maroccos, Nicaragua, Peru, Slovenia, Tailand, Ucrania, Zimbabwe (Rodhesia)

Travel Tips:

• A country can accept the refugee status of a person, if he/she needs to travel as a tourist, he/she can do it without problems. In this case, he/she should carry a special travel document for refugees. This document is given by the country that has taken refuge.
• Every person, as a tourist, requires a ticket where indicates if it is round or one way trip.
• No one should have a expired passport. This is a document that lasts 10 years. It can be revalidate after 5 years of been issued. If you travel with a passport that expires in the next 6 months, you will not be allowed to enter any country.
• A child can travel without his/her parents with no problem, but all his/her travel documents should be valid.

No customs duties are charged on personal luggage, which includes an array of items for personal and professional use, as long as they do not appear in quantities that suggest commercial intent. Costa Rican law requires that baggage be examined and that travelers submit customs declarations listing all articles acquired abroad, including fruit, vegetables, meat, meat products, biological products such as vaccinations, serums, etc. Families traveling together need to fill out only one declaration for all family members.

Language:

The offical language of Costa Rica is Spanish.

Health:

Health care in Costa Rica is very good and sanitary standards are high. First-class hospitals are found throughout San José and some of the other largely populated areas. Costa Rica's socialized medical system has been extremely successful at keeping the diseases that plague most tropical countries. Through a system of education and preventive medicine, Costa Ricans enjoy a life expectancy comparable to that of North Americans. Such health standards is one of the reasons that visitors feel so comfortable in Costa Rica.

If you do happen to need medical attention, first rate care is available at any of Costa Rica's public hospitals and private clinics. You can even pay with your credit card at private clinics in San José. Medical care is actually surprisingly inexpensive, which has spurred a minor but growing trend of medical tourism. Foreigners who require medical treatment not covered by insurance in their respective countries often head to Costa Rica for treatment, where the cost is less than half of what they would pay at home. A growing number of high quality cosmetic surgery specialists regularly treat foreign patients.

Medical Assistance

While in the capital, several hospitals and health centers are available:

Clinica Catolica (225-5055) in Guadalupe

Clinica Americana (222-1010) in downtown San José

Clinica Biblica (257-5252, 257-0466) also in downtown San José

KOP Medical Clinic (228-4119) in San Rafael de Escazú

All these places offer services in English, Spanish and sometimes other languages.

The water is safe to drink in all areas of the country.

If you want to bring your dog or cat, you will need to get in touch with the Consulate of Costa Rica in your country, bring a health certificate from a Veterinarian plus all vaccination given to your pet, or a certified of this by the doctor. Once you have all these papers, the Consulate will seal all your documents; that will allow your pet to come into any country.

Climate:

Costa Rica’s year round climate is pleasant with naturally occurring breezes cooling down most of the coastal areas. Temperatures in the highlands and the mountains are warm by day and brisk at night giving an “eternal spring” feeling. The average annual temperatures range from 31.7°C (89°F) on the coast to 16.7°C (62°F) inland. The rainy, or green, season lasts from May to December with noticeably drier days during the rest of the year.