Costa Rica travel advice
A summary of the UK government’s (FCDO) travel advice for Costa Rica, last updated by the FCDO on 19 May 2026. The full advice on GOV.UK is the authoritative version.
FCDO status
No areas listed where FCDO advises against travel
The FCDO’s alert status for Costa Rica names no areas where it advises against travel. The FCDO says no travel can be guaranteed safe. Read the full advice.
Latest FCDO update (19 May 2026): Updated information on customs rules; gang-related violence; fines for unauthorised entry into restricted conservation areas and earthquakes and recent volcanic activity ('Entry requirements' and 'Safety and security' pages).
Passport validity
Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 1 day after the day you plan to leave Costa Rica.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
From FCDO: entry requirements. Written for British passport holders.
Recent FCDO updates
- 19 May 2026: Updated information on customs rules; gang-related violence; fines for unauthorised entry into restricted conservation areas and earthquakes and recent volcanic activity ('Entry requirements' and 'Safety and security' pages).
- 10 December 2025: New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).
- 25 September 2025: Removal of information that on Wednesday 24 September 2025 there is disruption to flights at all airports in Costa Rica due to a reported technical issue ('Warnings and insurance' page).
Plan your trip
This page shows the FCDO’s headline status and quotes its text word for word; we don’t reword safety advice. It refreshes automatically, so it can lag GOV.UK by up to a day. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: FCDO foreign travel advice on GOV.UK. FCDO advice is written for British nationals; other nationalities should also check their own government’s advice.