Immigration extends duration of legal stays for foreign tourists

Monday, March 1, 2021. Following a request from the Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura Sancho, the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners authorized a final extension to the amount of time that foreigners on tourist visas who entered the country after December 17, 2019 could legally stay in the country until June 1, 2021.

This will be the final such extension for tourist stays under the administrative public health measures taken by the General Directorate.

To avail themselves of this extension, foreigners must send proof of travel insurance by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that the ICT can validate compliance with the insurance requirements in the extension issued by Immigration.

The insurance can have international coverage or be acquired with one of the insurance providers authorized by the Office of the Superintendent General of Insurance of Costa Rica and duly registered with that authority. In any case, the insurance must cover, at minimum, the lodging and medical expenses that may be caused by COVID-19.

Foreign nationals who entered Costa Rican territory with a non-resident visa under the tourism subcategory after December 17, 2019 and do not validate their insurance within the extension to their legal stay will be deemed to be staying irregularly in the country and will be subject to the sanctions set forth in Costa Rican legislation.