Skip to content

Visa rules · Tourist entry

Costa Rica visa rules for United Kingdom passport holders

Other passports: see the rules for every passport visiting Costa Rica.

The answer

Yes. United Kingdom passport holders can visit Costa Rica visa-free for up to 180 days.

Entry
Visa-free
Stay
180 days per entry
Covers
Tourist entry
ONE TIME LIVIN’VISA-FREE180 DAYS

Our summary of the official rule. Not an official stamp.

Official source

sinalevi.go.crDirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Resolución AJ-484-11-2025, as published in SINALEVI by the Procuraduría General de la RepúblicaChecked 29 Oct 2026

I. PRIMER GRUPO: . INGRESO SIN VISA. . PERMANENCIA MÁXIMA: HASTA 180 DÍAS NATURALES NO PRORROGABLES.

Quoted from the source.

Before you go

The conditions that come with this rule, from its official sources.

Conditions from official sources

  • Needs a passport valid on the day of arrival; the stay cannot run past its expiry date.
  • Needs a machine-readable or biometric passport in good condition.
  • Needs a return or onward ticket.
  • Needs proof of funds of at least USD 100 per month or part of a month of stay.

Passport validity

The source states no minimum passport validity.

Tourist entry only

These rules cover tourist visits. Work, study and transit follow other rules.

The other way round

What Costa Rica passport holders need to visit the United Kingdom.

Costa Rica passport United Kingdom

ETA needed before travel · 6 months

Fee
£20.00
Maximum stay
Up to 6 months

ETANL 1.1. Nationalities of the following locations (including countries and associated territories) are subject to the requirement to obtain an ETA for travel to the UK, pursuant to Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation: (a) for travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023: Qatar (b) for travel to the UK on or after 22 February 2024: Bahrain Kuwait Oman United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia (c) for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025: Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Barbados Belize Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Costa Rica Grenada Guatemala Guyana Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Israel Japan Kiribati Macao Special Administrative Region Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Federated States of Micronesia New Zealand Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru St Kitts and Nevis St Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Singapore Solomon Islands South Korea Taiwan* The Bahamas Tonga Tuvalu United States Uruguay *Those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan. (d) travelling to the UK on or after 2 April 2025: Andorra Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Vatican City

Show the full quote
Mentions Costa Rica
Costa Rica passport to the United Kingdom, full page

Visa-free nearby

Other places United Kingdom passport holders can visit without a visa, within 2,500 km of San José, nearest first.

  1. NicaraguaManagua, about 340 km from San JoséVisa-free
  2. PanamaPanama City, about 510 km from San JoséVisa-free · 3 months
  3. El SalvadorSan Salvador, about 690 km from San JoséVisa-free · 90 days
  4. GuatemalaGuatemala City, about 870 km from San JoséVisa-free · 90 days
  5. BelizeBelmopan, about 960 km from San JoséVisa-free · 30 days

We list only countries whose rules we have reviewed. More appear as we review them.

Weather in San José

Average high and low temperature and rainfall in San José, month by month.

  1. JanHigh 28.5°CLow 18.6°CRain 9 mm
  2. FebHigh 29.3°CLow 18.6°CRain 9 mm
  3. MarHigh 30.1°CLow 18.8°CRain 22 mm
  4. AprHigh 30.5°CLow 19.1°CRain 82 mm
  5. MayHigh 29.0°CLow 19.2°CRain 262 mm
  6. JunHigh 28.4°CLow 19.0°CRain 229 mm
  7. JulHigh 28.4°CLow 19.1°CRain 176 mm
  8. AugHigh 28.5°CLow 18.8°CRain 229 mm
  9. SepHigh 28.0°CLow 18.3°CRain 330 mm
  10. OctHigh 27.4°CLow 18.4°CRain 334 mm
  11. NovHigh 27.5°CLow 18.3°CRain 177 mm
  12. DecHigh 28.1°CLow 18.4°CRain 32 mm

Bar and large number: average high, °CSmaller number: average low, °Cmm: average rainfall

Averages of 21 to 25 years between 1991 and 2020, computed by One Time Livin’.

Plan the trip

Partner sites for flights, a place to stay, travel cover, and mobile data in Costa Rica.

Partner links. We earn a commission if you book through them. It doesn’t change the price you pay. How we make money

  • Aviasales · Flights

    Flights to San José

    Compare fares across airlines.

    No recent fare

    Check fares on the partner’s site.

    Check price in San José

  • Booking.com · Stays

    Hotels in San José

    Compare rooms and prices in San José.

    Prices on Booking.com

    Opens the partner’s site

    See hotels in San José

Full source list on Sources.