Extending Your Stay

Every tourist with a valid passport (U.S. citizens, Canadians and most Europeans) has permission to remain in Costa Rica without a visa for up to 90 days.

U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens may enter the country with just a 30-day tourist card or another piece of identification such as a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate.

You can get tourist cards from any Costa Rican consulate or embassy prior to your trip or at the airline ticket counter on the day you leave for Costa Rica. Tourist cards can be renewed monthly by applying for an extension called a prórroga de turismo. To obtain this extension you will need your passport, a ticket out of the country (see the section titled Bus Travel to and from Costa Rica in Chapter 8), three passport-size photos, and at least $200 in cash or travelers checks for each additional month you’re staying. Many people opt to pay the fine instead, since this process is such a hassle.

This process takes a couple of days and is a bureaucratic nightmare. To save yourself many headaches, long lines and time, you should go to any local travel agency. Most of the agencies in San José will help extend your tourist card or obtain an exit visa for about $5, even if you didn’t purchase your ticket there. This service is worthwhile and usually takes two working days.

The immigration offices are in the suburb of La Uruca, about a half mile west of the Irazú Hotel.