Costa Rica Entry Requirements for U.S. Citizens

The entry checklist

• Passport valid for duration of stay — duration-of-stay rule; a blank page for the stamp
• No visa for U.S. tourists — up to 180 days, raised from 90 days
• Proof of onward travel — return ticket or onward booking; this one is actually checked, by the airline before you board AND sometimes at immigration
• Proof of funds — technically ~$100/month available; rarely asked but listed

The onward ticket is the real requirement

Costa Rica's single most-enforced rule isn't a visa — it's proof you'll leave. U.S. airline check-in agents routinely ask for a return flight, and land/arrival officers can too. One-way ticket with no onward proof = potential denial of boarding in the U.S., before you ever see Costa Rica.

If you're doing the nomad thing on a one-way ticket: a fully refundable onward flight, or a cheap bus/shuttle booking to Nicaragua or Panama, satisfies the requirement.

The 180-day reality

Costa Rica bumped tourist stays to 180 days — the most generous in the region. But the immigration officer decides your stamp: most get the full 180, some get less based on itinerary and demeanor. The stamp in your passport is what counts.

Extensions are possible at Migración in San José; the old "border run" trick to reset days is widely used but officers increasingly clock it — third reset raises eyebrows.

Vaccines and health

No mandatory vaccines arriving from the U.S. Yellow fever proof is required ONLY if you're coming from an endemic country (most of tropical South America and Africa) — transit through one on the way triggers it. Otherwise: Hep A/Typhoid are the standard recommendations, nothing exotic.

Money, seasons, practical

Colón is the currency; USD accepted nearly everywhere tourists go — prices get quoted in both. Cards work in tourist corridors; bring cash for sodas, rurales, and tips. Dry season December-April is peak; the "green season" May-November means cheaper everything and afternoon rain. Two international airports: San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) — Liberia is the better gateway for Guanacaste beaches.