Does a U.S. citizen need a passport to visit Costa Rica? Or any neighboring countries?

Question

Does a U.S. citizen need a passport to visit Costa Rica? Or any neighboring countries?

Answer 1

Yes, you will need a passport valid thru your time of stay in the country.  It will be checked every time you enter the country and at random road stops by border towns.

Answer 2

Yes

Answer 3

Yes.  When you enter Costa Rica you also have to buy a VISA, good for 90 days.  After you have to check out of the country.  I live in the southern zone, so I just go to thye Panama border to check out,  It's been 10 years since I 1st entered Costa Rica and is was $3.00.  To enter Panama is $5.00 for a 30 day VISA.  And $1.00 for a stamp. Then I check out of Panama  back into Costa Rica  and am good for anther 90 days.

Answer 4

Yes, you do need a passport to visit Costa Rica and any of its neighboring  countries.  A U.S. citizen needs a passport to enter any other country, including Canada.  New regulations are in place, so you need a passport any time you leave the country.

Answer 5

yes you do. goto the nearest major post office or go online for an application. usual time is about 4 months, but if you pay an extra 70 bucks you can have it in a few weeks

Answer 6

New Requirements for Travelers

    * Media Notes

    * Flyers & Fact Sheet

    * Frequently Asked Questions

    * Federal Regulations

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

    * Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

    * As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.  U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport.  U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI

Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:

    * U.S. Passport:   U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).

    * The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card):   This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.  Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.

    * DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI:  SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document.  As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.

Background

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States.  Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006.  The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the Administration’s proposed plan to implement this mandate.

The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which will allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and accurately identify a traveler.

Media Notes

    * 11/22/2006  Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007

    * 10/17/2006  Department of State to Introduce Passport Card

Flyers & Fact Sheet

    * Fact Sheet - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (pdfPDF)

    * Flyer on Passport Requirement for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007 (pdfPDF)

    * Hoja de Informacion (pdfPDF)

    * WHTI Information Sheet - French (pdfPDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

    * Frequently Asked Questions about the New Travel Initiative Requirements (FAQs)

Federal Regulations

    *

      Final Rule - Air Phase (pdf PDF)

    *

      Proposed Rule - Passport Card (pdf PDF)

    *

      Comments Submitted in Passport Card Rule Making Proceeding (DOS-2006-0329-0001)

Other Relevant Links

    * Department of Homeland Security

    * U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Answer 7

Exit tax

There is a US$ 26 departure tax for all passengers on all international flights exiting the country. This can be paid rigth at the airport or in some local banks, must show your passport.

Costa Rica VISA information and entry requirements

(90 days without a visa)

Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa:

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France and dependencies Germany, Greece, Holland and dependencies, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Uruguay. Visa Extensions are possible from the Immigration office (Migración).

(30 days without a visa)

Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries are allowed to stay in Costa Rica for 30 days without a visa, though once in the country, they can apply for an extension (Prórroga de Turismo) from the Immigration office (Migración), which allows them to stay a total of 90 days:

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada , Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, San Cristobal/Nevis, San Marino, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, The Vatican, and Venezuela.

Citizens of all countries not listed above must obtain a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before arrival.

Custom regulations

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 or meat products, biological products such as vaccinations, serums, etc. Families traveling together need to fill out only one declaration for all family members.

Answer 8

Yes. U.S. citizens are not exempt from the law. We need passports but in many cases, other countries will not require a visa to enter. You will need to check with the consulate in Washington to confirm your plans.