Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?

Requesting a restricted travel visa is relatively easy but there are a few steps you need to make sure you've completed so as to give your visa the best chance of approval. The best way to apply for a visa is by contacting your local Costa Rican consulate or sending a request away to the Commission of Restricted Visas (but you'll still need to have met with an official from the consulate before you start to travel). Restricted travel visas cost USD$52 and are non-refundable.

In most cases, you will also need to bring supporting documentation that has been authenticated by an attorney (specializing in visa requirements) with you to your consulate appointment. Failure to do so may harm your chances of obtaining an approved restricted travel visa. 

Please note, just because you apply for a restricted travel visa and have all the relevant documentation to support your application, doesn't automatically mean your visa application will be approved. The same goes for if your application is approved, you're not automatically guaranteed entry into Costa Rica with immigration officials at your entry point able to turn you away if they deem you don't meet the visa requirements. 

In order to be granted a restricted travel visa, you'll need to provide supporting documentation that includes a photocopy of every page of your passport (that has been notarised by a consulate official), your planned itinerary, other identification documentation such as a drivers license, bank account statements or salary statements, police record, copy of your birth certificate, documented reason for travel, and a photograph in color. 

In most cases, visas can take up to 90 days to be approved so make sure you leave an adequate amount of time for processing to avoid any disruption to your travel plans.