🌎 Onward ticket checker / Costa Rica
🇨🇷 Do I Need an Onward Ticket for Costa Rica?
Yes — proof of onward travel is required.
Official sources · last checked 8 October 2026
The rule
Costa Rica's immigration directorate lists a ticket out among the entry requirements for every visitor: a return ticket to your own country, or a ticket on to another destination, alongside proof of US$100 for each month of your stay. Airlines flying to San José check it before boarding. Your ticket should leave within your permitted stay (your permitted stay).
What counts as proof: A return ticket to your home country · Or a ticket from Costa Rica on to another country
When it may be checked: Airline check-in · Migración officer on arrival
Recommended: have proof available before departure.
Check your passport
How long can you stay?
Visa-free — up to 180 days (Group 1)
Visa-free · up to 180 days
- The officer sets the days — up to 180, not extendable — and never more than your passport's remaining validity.
61 passports — show all
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City
Visa-free — 30 days, extendable to 90 (Group 2)
Visa-free · up to 30 days
- Your passport must have at least 90 days' validity. Russians get 90 days under a bilateral agreement; Salvadorans may enter on a passport valid only to its expiry date, for a stay no longer than that; Hondurans aged 18 or over must also show a police clearance certificate from home.
34 passports — show all
Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, São Tomé & Príncipe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Taiwan, Tonga, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Consular visa required before travel (Group 3)
Visa required · up to 30 days
- Passport valid for at least 180 days; stays of 30 days, extendable to 90. Nicaraguans and Colombians get 90 days on a passport valid for 90 days.
- You can skip the visa with a multiple-entry US or Canadian visa or residence that is valid on the day you arrive, a residence permit in the EU, the UK, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland valid for 90 days, or a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa.
78 passports — show all
Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bahrain, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Restricted visa — decided by the Visa Commission (Group 4)
Visa required · up to 30 days
- Applied for at a consulate but authorised only by the Comisión de Visas Restringidas. Passport valid for at least 180 days; stays of 30 days, extendable to 90.
- The same exceptions apply: a valid multiple-entry US or Canadian visa or residence, a European residence permit valid for 90 days, or a multiple-entry Schengen C or D visa.
23 passports — show all
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Not named in the directive — treated as restricted visa
Visa required · up to 30 days
- The directive says any nationality it does not name falls in the restricted-visa group.
All other passports
Also good to know
- Carry proof of US$100 for each month, or part of a month, of your stay. The directive lists it right beside the ticket out.
- Group 1 passports only need to be valid on the day you arrive, but the officer never grants more days than your passport has left.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an onward ticket to enter Costa Rica?
Yes — proof of onward travel is required. Costa Rica's immigration directorate lists a ticket out among the entry requirements for every visitor: a return ticket to your own country, or a ticket on to another destination, alongside proof of US$100 for each month of your stay. Airlines flying to San José check it before boarding. Your ticket should leave within your permitted stay (your permitted stay).
How long can I stay in Costa Rica without a visa?
It depends on your passport — 61 nationalities, including Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria: Visa-free · up to 180 days; 34 nationalities, including Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei: Visa-free · up to 30 days; 78 nationalities, including Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia: Visa required · up to 30 days; 23 nationalities, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cuba: Visa required · up to 30 days; all other passports: Visa required.
What counts as proof of onward travel for Costa Rica?
A return ticket to your home country. Or a ticket from Costa Rica on to another country.
Who checks my onward ticket?
It may be checked at: Airline check-in, Migración officer on arrival.
Is this information official?
It comes from official government sources (listed below), last checked 8 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice — airlines and immigration officers make the final decision.
Official sources
- Directrices Generales de Visas de Ingreso y Permanencia para No Residentes (November 2025) — Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, published in La Gaceta No. 216, Alcance 148 (Imprenta Nacional) (Section Primero 4 (entry requirements), Segundo (the four groups), Quinto (exceptions); in force from 17 November 2025). Checked 8 October 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Airlines and immigration officers make the final decision. Rules change — check the official source before you travel.
Guides
What Is an Onward Ticket? Proof of Onward Travel Explained
An onward ticket shows you’ll leave a country within your permitted stay. What counts as proof, who checks it and which countries ask — with official sources.
Can Airlines Deny Boarding Without an Onward Ticket?
Yes — if your destination requires proof of onward travel, the airline can refuse to board you. Why airlines check, what the law says, and how to avoid problems.
What Happens If You Don’t Have Proof of Onward Travel?
Without proof of onward travel you can be refused boarding or refused entry. What happens at check-in and at immigration, real examples, and what to do.
How to Show Proof of Onward Travel: 5 Options Compared
Return ticket, refundable fare, bus or ferry ticket, cruise itinerary or a flight reservation: the honest pros and cons of each way to show proof of onward travel.
Dummy Ticket vs Onward Ticket vs Flight Reservation
Three names, often used for the same thing, that do not mean the same thing. What each one is, which an airline can actually verify, and where the risk sits.
Other destinations
🇵🇭 Philippines · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · 🇺🇸 United States · 🇸🇬 Singapore · 🇨🇴 Colombia · 🇮🇩 Indonesia · 🇵🇪 Peru · 🇹🇭 Thailand · 🇻🇳 Vietnam · 🇵🇦 Panama · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 🇯🇵 Japan · 🇲🇽 Mexico · 🇧🇷 Brazil