Documents required for US citizen in Costa Rica
 

Can anyone tell me what is currently required for a US citizen to visit CR? Every source I look at has different info, including the State Department and Continental Airlines. No one seems to know. If anyone has been recently please let me know if a passport is required or if a birth cert/liscense will do. Thanks!

A state certified birth certificate(with an offical seal) will be accepted for entry.A passport is a good investment and you should really look into getting one.

Hi Charlie,
I am addressing this to Charlie because it was my understanding that as of May 1, 2003 all U.S. Citizens had to have a passport and return ticket to enter CR.
Has this changed???

A good source of info for this type of thing is Costarica.com

You will need a passport if you are a US resident traveling to CR. For more info see http://www.costarica-embassy.org/Documents.htm.

Suzie may be correct...I was last there in early February. Sorry if I've provided wrong info.

The latest poop......
U.S. Citizens do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica!
U. S. citizens may enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa and can stay up to ninety (90) days.

U.S. citizens - regardless of their age - only need the following documents to enter Costa Rica:

a pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica (either to return to your country or to go to another country)
a passport valid for at least (90) ninety days (*)
(*) Your passport can not expire no earlier than ninety days from the date that you arrive in Costa Rica. For example, if you are going to fly to Costa Rica on January 1st, your passport can not expire before April 1st of the same year.

A $20.00 U.S. dollar fine will be charged upon departure from Costa Rica if you overstayed your permitted length in the country.

Note: Starting on May 1, 2003, U.S. photo identification cards and original birth or naturalization certificates will no longer be accepted at any Costa Rican Immigration port of entry.

Why have you not got a passport?

How do you normally go on holiday?

This is what the Costa Rica Tourism section of the Government has said:
Starting January 1 2003,ALL United States citizens have to have a valid passport AND that passport MUST be valid for six months upon your departure.
So if your passports expires on October 1 st,and you plan to stay 2 weeks in June 2003, then you will not have a valid passport according the the CR government because you are coming back in June 2003 and in 4 months your passport will expire.
I live in Canada and I went to my travel agent and asked her about this and she said "yes", this has been the shift in many contries now.
If I can get the exact website to the Costa Rica government again ,I willreturn here and post it . But I saw it and I read it.
It must apply to Canadian also.
My passport expires December 2003 and I am going the first week in July to get another updated passport.
I do not want anyproblems at another country's Custom Office.
Percy
Percy

Here is the web site for the new regulations toenter Costa Rica.
http://www.costaricaexperts.com/geninfo.htm
Click on General information( if you are not already inthere)
These people in the USA are specialist in sending people to Costa Rica.

Another site that I just read and one that checked withthe Costa Rica Consulate, stated that for SURE starting March 1 2003 all US citizens have to have a valid passport.
Personally I would get a passport.
Thanks
Percy

Read the "NOTE" at the bottom of my last post.

Thanks Charlie,
They have changed the date of the change over so many times I think everyone on here was a little bit right at some point LOL.

Sorry Charlie
I did not see your note at the bottom.

Atleast we all know that it is almost a must to have a passport.
Thanks
Percy