When you are planning to travel to a country you’ve never been before one of the first questions that arise is do I need a Visa? And if the plan is moving to a different country and establish your residency there, a bunch of new questions come to mind regarding migration policies. The problem is that these are never easy questions to answer, since the conditions for entering the country and more so for a foreigner to obtain a residency in Costa Rica will depend on a number of different factors that we will try to explain briefly with the help of Costa Rica’s
Immigration Experts:

A visa is the authorization needed by a foreigner to enter a country temporarily; there are multiple types of visas usually conditioned to the purpose of the trip (transit, tourism, business, athletic, refugee etc.), the country of residence or nationality of the traveler, and the time the traveler is planning to stay. Not all foreigners traveling to Costa Rica require a Visa since there are international agreements and/or treaties in place with several countries that allow the citizens of the same to enter Costa Rica’s territory without the need of a visa; yet this does not mean that entry is guaranteed for every citizen of those particular countries, as there are other factors that come into play.

In Costa Rica the Migration and Immigration General Law (Law No. 8764) establishes in Article 47:

“The Immigration Direction shall establish general guidelines for entry and stay vistas to non-residents for foreigners from certain countries or geographical areas, based on existing agreements and international treaties and security reasons, convenience or opportunity for the Costa Rican Government.”

The non-residents are divided in four groups, each of which has a list of requirements to obtain a visa to enter Costa Rica:

Group 1: Citizens/Residents of Countries that do not require visa and may remain in Costa Rica for up to 90 days. Citizens from the United States of America, Schengen group (Europe) and Canada for example, and among others, do not require a Visa to enter the country; having a valid passport and a return ticket is usually enough.

Group 2: Citizens of the countries listed in this group may enter Costa Rica without a visa as long as their stay for a maximum of 30 days. Visa is required for stays that exceed the 30 days. Example: Honduras, Venezuela.

Group 3: Citizens of the countries included in this group require consular visa to enter the country. This visa is granted for up to 30 days. Example: India, Nicaragua, Colombia.

Group 4: This group involves Restricted Visas / Citizens of countries that require consular visa and approval of the Immigration Direction. These include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cuba, Eritrea, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Myanmar, Palestine, Syria, North Korea, Somalia, Sri Lanka; in the case of citizens from any of the aforementioned countries if the visa is granted it usually has a 30 day maximum stay; this term can be extended for up to 90 days following certain requirements.

These immigration controls are necessary to avoid possible threats, economic, health or political instability and in general to have a more secure country.

Want to get your residence in Costa Rica?

When there is an interest in obtaining the residency in Costa Rica, all applications have to go through the Immigration Direction. Unlike other countries, Costa Rica has strict and complicated migration policies and although it offers several alternatives to apply for a residency, there are also several restrictions in place pertaining to citizens of specific geographical areas; not all nationalities have the possibility of opting for a Costa Rican residence; these restrictions are in place to help guarantee the safety and well-being of Costa Rican citizens and residents.

There are two types of residency procedures: the temporary residency (usually related to work permits, investors, retirees, renters, athletes, having a Costa Rican spouse etc.) and the permanent residency which can be requested if you have a direct family member who is a Costa Rican citizen or if you have had three years of temporary residence in the country. There are other alternatives to requesting a residence; perhaps the most popular one among foreigners that want to retire in our country is the “Retirement or Income Based Residency”; but you have to fit certain criteria in order to apply under this category.

As you can see immigration laws and procedures in Costa Rica are not at all simple, which is why we recommend you seek the professional help of an expert law firm such as Immigration Experts if you have inquiries regarding your entry to the country, your immigration status or the possibility of getting your residency in Costa Rica.