Costa Rica passport results — January 2025 VisaGlance matrix

Costa Rica destination visa policy visual: Travel planning desk with a blank passport-like booklet, map texture, blank paper sheet, and magnifier.

In the January 2025 VisaGlance matrix, 38 passports were listed as visa-free · 0 were listed under visa on arrival, eVisa, or ETA

Historical snapshot of 50 tracked passports for Costa Rica; individual rows were not independently verified and may not reflect current rules.

A destination-level source is mapped and reviewed: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Costa Rica · reviewed 2026-06-13 · Official destination source ↗ This source supports destination-level context; it does not verify every passport row on this page.

Methodology

A mapped source supports destination-level context, not every passport row shown on this page. Each row needs its own governing evidence before it can be called verified.

Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Costa Rica Destination source ↗
Last reviewed: 2026-06-13
Author: William W.
Reviewer: William W. Same person as the author; this is not an independent review.

Costa Rica packages biodiversity and adventure into a country barely larger than New Jersey — cloud forests and rainforests blanket both coasts, volcanic peaks rise inland, and beaches range from Caribbean black sand to Pacific surfer's breaks. The nation's stability and ecotourism infrastructure make it the go-to Central American choice for families, backpackers, and retirees seeking warm-weather escapes. Nature lovers find themselves spoiled for choice with wildlife spotting around every corner.

San José's Juan Manuel Santamaría International (SJO) channels the bulk of arrivals into the Central Valley, with Liberia (LIR) on the northwest coast serving an important secondary flow. Immigration processing is generally swift and paperwork-light; queues are orderly and rarely exceed 20 minutes, though evening charter arrivals from North America can create temporary congestion.

Visa results start from a historical January 2025 base matrix with limited, documented corrections. A mapped destination-level source provides context only; it does not independently verify a passport-destination result.

Listed as visa-free — January 2025 matrix 38 passports

Listed as visa required in advance — January 2025 matrix 12 passports

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