Costa Rica Passport:
Visa-Free Countries & Entry Rules
Abroad Travel Guide – 164 destinations open to Costa Rica passport holders without a visa arranged in advance.
Costa Rica passport holders can currently enter 95 destinations visa-free (including simple eTA authorisations), receive a visa on arrival in 33 countries and apply online for an e-Visa in 36. An embassy visa is still required for 33 destinations. The full breakdown by category is below, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26. Select another passport to compare, and wherever a second citizenship or residency could strengthen your passport, we will show you the way.
How It Works
Select the passport you actually travel with – your citizenship, or the country of your current residence permit. Your passport check will instantly sort every destination into five entry categories. Countries marked with the green icon have citizenship or residency programs available through Abroad Mobility.
without arranging
a visa in advance
Albania90 days
Andorra90 days
Argentina90 days
Austria90 days
Bahamas90 days
Barbados30 days
Belgium90 days
Belize30 days
Bolivia90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina90 days
Botswana90 days
Brazil90 days
Brunei14 days
Bulgaria90 days
Chile90 days
Colombia90 days
Croatia90 days
Cyprus90 days
Czech Republic90 days
Denmark90 days
Dominica180 days
Dominican Republic
Ecuador90 days
El Salvador180 days
Estonia90 days
Finland90 days
France90 days
Georgia360 days
Germany90 days
Greece90 days
Grenada90 days
Guatemala90 days
Guyana90 days
Haiti90 days
Honduras90 days
Hong Kong30 days
Hungary90 days
Iceland90 days
Ireland90 days
Israel90 days
Italy90 days
Ivory CoasteTA
Jamaica30 days
Japan90 days
KenyaeTA
Kiribati90 days
Kosovo90 days
Latvia90 days
Liechtenstein90 days
Lithuania90 days
Luxembourg90 days
Malaysia30 days
Malta90 days
Mexico180 days
Micronesia30 days
Moldova90 days
Monaco90 days
Montenegro90 days
Netherlands90 days
Nicaragua90 days
North Macedonia90 days
Norway90 days
PakistaneTA
Panama90 days
Paraguay90 days
Peru90 days
Philippines30 days
Poland90 days
Portugal90 days
Romania90 days
Russia90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
Saint Lucia42 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
San Marino90 days
Serbia90 days
Seychelles90 days
Singapore30 days
Slovakia90 days
Slovenia90 days
South Africa30 days
South KoreaeTA
Spain90 days
Sweden90 days
Switzerland90 days
Tajikistan30 days
Trinidad and Tobago90 days
Tunisia90 days
Turkey30 days
United Arab Emirates90 days
United KingdomeTA
Uruguay90 days
Uzbekistan30 days
Vatican90 days
Venezuela90 daysEnter with just your passport, no visa needed. Some destinations require a simple electronic travel authorization (eTA). Permitted stay length is shown for each country.
Bangladesh
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Iran
Jordan
Laos
Lebanon
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Nepal
Palau
Qatar
Rwanda
Samoa
Senegal
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Tuvalu
Zambia
ZimbabweA visa is issued when you land, usually a short form and a fee right at the border. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cuba
DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Guinea
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Lesotho
Libya
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nigeria
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Thailand
Togo
Uganda
VietnamApply online before you travel; approval usually arrives within a few days by email. No embassy visit needed, you land with the document ready.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Belarus
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Congo
Eritrea
Fiji
Gambia
Kuwait
Liberia
Mali
Morocco
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Niger
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
Solomon Islands
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Taiwan
Tonga
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United States
Vanuatu
YemenA visa must be obtained before travelling, via an embassy or consulate of the destination country.
No destinations in this category.
Entry is currently not permitted for holders of this passport. Rules change; always verify before planning a trip.
About the Costa Rica Passport
Costa Rica is ranked 15th, which puts its passport in the strong tier. Holders can enter 95 destinations visa-free, and total mobility reaches 164 once visa on arrival and e-Visa options are included. Europe is the best region with 43 visa-free destinations, while Oceania has two. E-Visa access adds 36 more destinations, which broadens the practical range of a Costa Rican traveler well beyond the visa-free list and keeps most itineraries simple.
Costa Ricans can travel without a visa to France and the Schengen area, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Brazil. The United Kingdom requires an eTA, and Australia an e-Visa. The United States, Canada and China still require a visa, and 33 countries do in total. A second citizenship such as Malta Citizenship by Merit could add up to 17 destinations.
Visa-Free Access by Region
Costa Rica passport holders can enter 95 destinations visa-free or with a simple eTA. Destinations with a green outline have residency or citizenship programs you can explore.
Europe 43
Asia 15
Africa 6
North America 18
Oceania 2
How Costa Rica Compares
| Passport | Rank | Mobility | Visa-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | #12 | 168 | 101 |
| Mexico | #13 | 167 | 102 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | #13 | 167 | 106 |
| Brunei | #14 | 165 | 111 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | #14 | 165 | 106 |
 Costa Rica | #15 | 164 | 95 |
| Peru | #15 | 164 | 95 |
| Ukraine | #15 | 164 | 95 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | #16 | 163 | 103 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | #16 | 163 | 103 |
| Vatican | #16 | 163 | 101 |
The top-ranked Denmark passport (#1) opens 183 destinations, 19 more destinations than the Costa Rica passport.
Upgrade Your Mobility
Citizenship by investment programs whose passports open the most destinations that Costa Rica passport holders cannot enter today without an embassy visa.
Recent Changes
- Thailandfrom Visa on arrival to e-VisaSource
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries can Costa Rica passport holders visit without a visa?
Costa Rica passport holders can visit 95 destinations visa-free (including destinations that only ask for an eTA), plus 33 with a visa on arrival and 36 with an e-Visa. That gives a mobility score of 164 out of 197 destinations, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26.
What is the Costa Rica passport ranking?
The Costa Rica passport ranks #15 in the Abroad Mobility passport ranking, a position shared with 2 other passports, with a mobility score of 164. The ranking covers 198 passports on 77 positions: passports with the same score share a position and the next score takes the next number. It counts destinations open visa-free, with an eTA, with a visa on arrival or with an e-Visa. The top-ranked passport is Denmark with 183 destinations.
Do Costa Rica passport holders need a visa for the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada?
Schengen area (checked against France): visa-free, up to 90 days. United Kingdom: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. United States: visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. Canada: visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. Always confirm the current rules with the official government source before you travel.
Which countries offer visa on arrival to Costa Rica passport holders?
33 destinations issue a visa on arrival to Costa Rica passport holders: Egypt, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Iran and 23 more. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Which countries require a visa for Costa Rica passport holders?
Costa Rica passport holders need a visa arranged in advance for 33 destinations, including United States, Canada, China, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola and 25 more.
How can a Costa Rica passport holder get a stronger second passport?
Citizenship by investment programs grant a second passport in return for an approved investment. For Costa Rica passport holders, the programs in our database that add the most destinations are Malta Citizenship by Merit (+17 destinations, from USD $1,430,000, about 24 months), Turkey CIP (+14 destinations, from USD $12,000, about 6 months) and Dominica CIP (+11 destinations, from USD $225,000, about 6 months). Abroad Mobility can help you compare eligibility, timelines and the full process.
Check Another Passport
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