Leaving The Country

Any tourist who has stayed in Costa Rica more than 30 days with just a tourist card will need an exit visa or visa de salida to leave the country. Likewise, foreigners who entered Costa Rica using just a passport and overstayed the maximum permitted time of 90 days, will also have to get an exit visa.
To obtain this document you first need pensión alimenticia stamps to prove you haven’t left dependent children behind. Go to the court buildings or Tribunales de Justicia (Calle 17, Aves. 6-8) for these stamps. Then take your passport, the stamps and your return ticket to the Immigration Office to get an exit visa. The whole process takes two working days. As we just mentioned above, most tourist agencies will do all of the running around for a small fee.

One good thing about having to obtain an exit visa is that it is valid for 10 days from date it is issued. You can stay in the country another thirty days using this extension, so you can remain in Costa Rica for a total of 100 days.

Costa Rican citizens, retirees and permanent residents must also get an exit visa and pension alimenticia stamps. A foreigner living under any of the three residency categories will pay about $50 for an exit visa.