Canadian passport · Costa Rica
Do Canadians need a visa for Costa Rica?
In brief
No. Canadian passport holders can visit Costa Rica visa-free (up to 180 days, not extendable).
Costa Rica visa-free stay for Canadians: up to 180 days, not extendable. Official rule. Source: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI, checked .
Costa Rica visa fee for Canadians: none for visa-free entry.
I. PRIMER GRUPO: . INGRESO SIN VISA. . PERMANENCIA MÁXIMA: HASTA 180 DÍAS NATURALES NO PRORROGABLES.
In English: First group: entry without a visa; maximum stay up to 180 calendar days, not extendable.Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI (Procuraduría General de la República)
Checked 5 Nov 2026Source: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI (Procuraduría General de la República)Report a change
Independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.
ContentsIn brief
At a glance
| Access | Visa-free · up to 180 days, not extendable |
|---|---|
| Stay | Up to 180 days, not extendable |
| Validity and entries | Not stated by the official source |
| Official fee | None for visa-free entry |
| Official processing | Nothing to apply for |
| Where to apply | Nothing to apply for to visit visa-free |
Do Canadians need a visa for Costa Rica?
Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI (Procuraduría General de la República) lists Canada among the countries whose nationals can visit without a visa. Stay: up to 180 days, not extendable.
“I. PRIMER GRUPO: . INGRESO SIN VISA. . PERMANENCIA MÁXIMA: HASTA 180 DÍAS NATURALES NO PRORROGABLES.”
In English: “First group: entry without a visa; maximum stay up to 180 calendar days, not extendable.”
Conditions and exceptions
Canadians can visit Costa Rica without a visa; the border officer sets your stay, up to 180 calendar days. It cannot be extended, except that a visitor given fewer than 90 days can be extended up to a maximum of 90 days.
I. PRIMER GRUPO: . INGRESO SIN VISA. . PERMANENCIA MÁXIMA: HASTA 180 DÍAS NATURALES NO PRORROGABLES. (Únicamente se prorrogará a quienes se le otorguen menos de 90 días y hasta por un máximo de 90 días). ... CANADÁ
In English: I. FIRST GROUP: entry without a visa. Maximum stay: up to 180 calendar days, not extendable. (Extensions are granted only to those given fewer than 90 days, and up to a maximum of 90 days.) ... CANADADirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025 (Directrices generales de visas de ingreso y permanencia para no residentes), via SINALEVI · checkedA pre-purchased bus ticket or flight out of Costa Rica, or proof of passage on a cruise ship, counts as the onward ticket; it is checked if you arrive one-way, with a return more than 90 days away, or fly out from another country.
Non-residents must have a ticket for return or onward travel if they: Are arriving on a one-way ticket. Are entering the country with a return ticket that is more than 90 days after their date of arrival. Are flying to Costa Rica and flying out of a different country. By law, a return or onward travel ticket may be on one of the following means of approved commercial transportation: A pre-purchased bus ticket out of the country. A pre-purchased flight out of the country. Proof of passage on a cruise ship.
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo · checkedAs a tourist you may holiday and do business or professional activities, but nothing paid or for profit inside Costa Rica; a change of immigration category can be requested under the applicable rules.
Las personas admitidas en el país bajo la categoría migratoria de "NO RESIDENTES", subcategoría Turismo, podrán realizar únicamente actividades de descanso, esparcimiento, recreación o cualquiera otra con fines de ocio, negocios o profesionales, siempre y cuando no sean actividades que impliquen remuneración o lucro dentro del territorio nacional
In English: People admitted under the 'NON-RESIDENT' immigration category, Tourism subcategory, may only carry out rest, leisure or recreational activities or any other for leisure, business or professional purposes, as long as they do not involve pay or profit within the national territoryDirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025 (Directrices generales de visas de ingreso y permanencia para no residentes), via SINALEVI · checked
Fee
Visa-free entry costs nothing.
Processing time
Nothing to apply for to visit visa-free (up to 180 days, not extendable). For visas, the official sources we read state no processing time.
Documents and entry checks
What changed
- Costa Rica's current visa rules, DGME directive AJ-484-11-2025, have applied since their publication in La Gaceta No. 216 on 17 November 2025, replacing the October 2023 circular; Canada stays in the visa-free first group. Procuraduría General de la República (SINALEVI), record card of DGME Resolución AJ-484-11-2025 · checked
- Checked against the official sources on this page: the rule above still holds.
FAQ
Is Costa Rica visa-free for Canadians now?
Yes: visa-free (up to 180 days, not extendable). Checked on 5 Nov 2026 against Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI (Procuraduría General de la República).
How much does a Costa Rica visa cost for Canadians?
Visa-free entry costs nothing.
Can I get a Costa Rica visa in 7 days?
There is nothing to apply for to visit visa-free (up to 180 days, not extendable). The official sources we read state no processing time.
Other trips on a Canadian passport
Sources
Official sources only. Each was checked on the date shown.
- Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, via SINALEVI (Procuraduría General de la República): entry rule, entry conditions, documents and changes
- Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rica Tourism Board, visitcostarica.com): entry conditions and documents