Keep two sets of questions separate when preparing for Costa Rica: permission for you to enter, and clearance for what you carry. DGME handles immigration admission. Customs and specialist authorities review goods and regulated items. Airline boarding checks are another step.
Check immigration requirements for your nationality
DGME’s official visa page directs travelers to its General Visa Guidelines and explains that nationality, visa exceptions and entry requirements matter. Check the current instructions for your passport and circumstances rather than assuming every visitor receives 180 days.
Prepare your passport, any required visa or applicable exemption evidence, travel plans and accommodation details. Confirm the exact passport-validity, onward-travel and means-of-support requirements with DGME before departure. Keep your itinerary accessible, but do not describe a return flight as the only possible proof without checking the applicable rule.
Do you need to fill in a Costa Rica customs form?
Usually not. Since mid-2019, Costa Rica’s customs service (the Dirección General de Aduanas, part of the Ministry of Finance, Hacienda) only requires the traveler’s customs declaration when you actually have something to declare. The Director General of Customs explained at the time that the change was made so travelers with nothing but their luggage would not have to queue to hand in a form.
You still must declare, on arrival by air, sea or land border:
- Goods other than your personal luggage, such as items for sale, equipment or household goods.
- Cash or securities above the legal threshold.
- Anything that could affect human, animal or plant health, such as food, plants, seeds or animal products.
A traveler who is required to declare and does not is exposed to tax and customs penalties. If you are unsure whether something counts, ask the customs officer before you pass the control rather than after. The official source for customs rules is the Ministerio de Hacienda website, which covers the customs service.
What you cannot bring into Costa Rica
Some items are restricted or prohibited outright, and a document does not override a prohibition. Our guide to what is not allowed through Costa Rica customs covers prohibited items, food restrictions including the pork-products ban for passenger baggage, and the authorities that issue permits.
For customs, organize records by item
- Purchases or equipment: keep invoices, descriptions and ownership records where relevant.
- Medication: prepare labels, prescriptions and any required authorization for the actual substance.
- Pets: obtain the health and transport documents required for the animal and travel method.
- Regulated goods: check prior permits before packing.
- Cash or securities: check Hacienda’s declaration requirements and keep supporting records.
Our customs restrictions guide links to SENASA, SFE, Health and Hacienda guidance. It includes the specific pork-products passenger-baggage prohibition. A document does not override a prohibition.
Keep records easy to retrieve
Store readable copies securely and carry originals where required. Save booking references and important contacts for access without a working mobile connection. Keep sensitive passport and medical records private rather than posting them in travel groups.
At the airport
Follow the officers’ instructions and answer questions accurately. Check your authorized stay after admission and seek clarification promptly if the record is unclear. Do not plan a connection around an unverified promise that processing takes only a few minutes.
For ground transport, see the SJO and Liberia airport guides. Flight arrival time is not the same as the time you are ready to leave the terminal.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a customs declaration form for Costa Rica?
Yes, but most travelers no longer fill it in. It is required when you bring goods other than your luggage, cash or securities that must be declared, or items that could affect human, animal or plant health.
What documents do I need to enter Costa Rica?
A valid passport, any visa your nationality requires, and evidence of your onward travel and means of support as DGME asks. Check DGME’s visa guidelines for your passport before you travel.
What is the Costa Rica customs website?
Customs is part of the Ministry of Finance, so the official information is on hacienda.go.cr. Immigration rules are on migracion.go.cr.
Reviewed September 7, 2026. DGME’s visa landing page was checked; the linked November 2025 PDF could not be retrieved during this review, so nationality-specific amounts and validity periods are not reproduced here. Images are illustrative examples, not photographs of a particular person, family, airport or home.