Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica? 

For purposes of tourism, you may visit Costa Rica for up to 90 days without a visa. Please see the website for the Costa Rican Embassy in the U.S. for information regarding visa and entry requirements.

New Visa Regulations
Effective January 15, 2008, nationals of countries that require a consular visa to enter Costa Rica are no longer required to apply for the visa, if the visitors are holders of:  

• A valid visa to enter the U.S., Canada or the countries of the European Union, stamped in their passport and valid for at least 3 more months.  

OR

• A permanent residence (green card) in the United States, and/or permanent residence in any country member of the European Union or Canada, valid for a minimum of 6 months.

The passport expiration date needs to be over 30 days from the day of arrival to the country
Visitors are allowed to remain in the country for up to 30 days.  All visa extensions should be requested at the Immigration Office in San José, Costa Rica
NOTE: These new visa regulations DO NOT APPLY for citizens from the following countries: Afghanistan,  Bangladesh, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Syrian Arab Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Somalia

Do I need a passport to travel to Costa Rica?

Yes, you need a U.S. passport valid for at least 60 days after your arrival in Costa Rica. Please note that the State Department strongly recommends that every citizen travel on a valid U.S. passport even when the country of destination requires lesser documentation. American citizens may apply for passports at any of over 5,000 offices in the United States that accept passport applications. For complete information regarding passport renewal and application procedures, please consult the Department of State website: http://www.travel.state.gov.
For the most up-to-date information on Costa Rican entry requirements, visit: http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/93.

VISA REQUIREMENT: none
LENGTH OF STAY: maximum of 90 days
All adults and children require the following documents to enter Costa Rica:

• A passport valid for at least 30 days (expiration date has to be 30 days or more after arrival date). In the case of minors, if they do not have a passport, they should be included in the passport of one of the parents.
• A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica (either to return to your country or to go to another country)