If you’ve never visited Costa Rica before, this post will tell you exactly what to expect when going through customs and immigration in San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport.
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What to Know About Going Through Customs and Immigration in San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport
Costa Rica has 2 international airports: San Jose International Airport in Alajuela (near San Jose) and Guanacaste Airport (formerly named Liberia International Airport) in Liberia, Guanacaste.
It doesn’t matter which one you’re flying into, the process for immigration and customs in San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport are exactly the same.
This post will tell you what it’s like to go through immigration and customs at both airports so you know what to expect.
Also remember that immigration is for people, customs is for luggage.
Flying Into Costa Rica
Things have gotten very easy when it comes to immigration and customs in Costa Rica. They no longer give out forms for customs and immigration.
After deplaning, you will first go through immigration and then customs.
Going Through Immigration in San Jose International Airport and Guanacaste Airport in Costa Rica
Once you get off the plane, follow the markers to immigration which you will go through first (foreign passports).
Just a side note, there is a bathroom in the immigration area with 4 stalls and immigration has air conditioning. There are also bathrooms in baggage claim and in the main terminal of the airports on either end.
Families go through immigration together. Spouses go together and if you’re traveling with friends, normally they will ask each adult to go separately.
When your turn is called, go up to the desk to go through immigration.
What the Officer Will Ask You
First, hand your passport to the immigration officer. They will scan it and look at your picture.
Then they will ask you for the following:
Your passport. Must be valid, original and not expiring during your time in Costa Rica.
Your lodging information. Usually they want to know your first destination and your first hotel you’re staying at. If you’re staying at an Airbnb, tell them the location and that it’s an Airbnb.
Your return itinerary out of Costa Rica. You must present proof of exit within 180 days if you are in Group 1 (and if you want a 180 day tourist visa). Immigration is getting more strict so have this ready to show. This is your airplane ticket (best proof) out of Costa Rica. You can print it out or show it to them on your phone.
If you do not show a plane ticket out of Costa Rica in 180 days, the officer may give you 90 days or even for the number of days until your flight out. Even though the tourist visa for Group 1 countries is valid for up to 180 days, it is at the discretion of the officer for how many days they want to give you.
You can answer in English. All officers speak basic English and are very used to tourists.
Tourist Visas
***Some officers do not stamp passports anymore…but if you are renting a car, you will need the stamp to show as a tourist visa and for how many days you are valid to be in the country. If the officer doesn’t stamp your passport for some reason, ask them to and make sure they also write how many days your tourist stamp is valid for. Foreigners can only legally drive for however many days their tourist visa is valid for (how many days written in your passport).****
After they’ve asked you all the questions, the officer will stamp your passport. In the stamp, they will write how many days your tourist visa is valid for.
This is equal to how many days you can legally stay in Costa Rica. They’ll hand your passport back to you and you’re clear with immigration.
Tip: I like to check my immigration stamp when I’m waiting for my luggage. One time, my immigration officer forgot to write in how many days my visa was valid for because she was on the phone and I had to go back to immigration in order for her to fill it in. Luckily I checked it while I was in baggage claim.
Now you need to pick up your luggage if you have any checked luggage and clear customs.
Baggage Claim and Customs
After you finish immigration, you will go to baggage claim which are through the double doors. There aren’t that many carousels so you’ll easily be able to find yours.
Pick up all your luggage (they have free carts if you need them) and take them to the luggage scanners which is the customs.
Now you will go through customs. Go to any line and put ALL your luggage, backpacks, bags, purses and carry ons to be scanned.
Everything you are carrying needs to be put in the scanner except for duty free bags if you just purchased anything in the Costa Rican duty free store after immigration.
Go around the other side, pick up your luggage and then you’re free! If you happen to get stopped by the custom officer, pick up your luggage and bring it over to the side where they can examine it.
I have been stopped three times. Once when I brought down two computer towers, another time they confiscated some food (I had leftover dried fruit from the flight) and another time when I brought down some shower heads which they didn’t confiscate.
If you’re moving here or if you live here: I’ve brought down a ton of stuff to Costa Rica including Roombas, dog treats, dog toys, cameras, drones, faucets, shower heads, laptops, car side view mirrors, and all sorts of stuff. Make sure you pack them without tags and wrap them carefully with clothes.
Exit
You’ll exit through a pair of swinging doors (the ones that say, no going back beyond this point) and be out in the airport.
At San Jose International Airport, you will exit to the outside. You will see all the drivers, taxis, tour companies and guides waiting to your right. You may need to walk down the sidewalk a bit to find your person.
At Guanacaste Airport, you will exit into the actual airport terminal. Mostly everyone is waiting outside straight ahead.
How Long Does it Take to Go Through Customs and Immigration in San Jose Airport and Liberia Airport?
How long it takes for you to go through customs and immigration in San Jose Airport and Guanacaste Airport depends on when you are flying into Costa Rica and the time you land.
San Jose International Airport takes much longer than Guanacaste Airport, especially if you are landing during the day on Friday-Monday during high season (December through April. July is also very busy).
Pack your patience because it may take at least an hour or so to get through the lines, could be even more in February and March.
Noon to mid afternoon is the busiest time at the airports as multiple flights land at the same time.
For Guanacaste Airport, it’s always been faster because there aren’t as many flights. However, it can still take 30 minutes to an hour if you are landing during the high tourism months anytime from 11 AM to 2 PM as many flights arrive between those hours.
Pack your patience if you are landing at either airports during Christmas, New Years, Spring Break, Holy Week or North American summer vacation months.
To see what it’s like to go through customs and immigration in San Jose and Guanacaste Airport, you can watch the following Youtube videos. These videos are for our Costa Rica car rental discount so you’ll see where to meet the Adobe Car rental agent.
San Jose International Airport
Money Exchange, Duty Free, Car Rentals, Etc.
You can find money exchanges and duty free at both airports after immigration. Below is the money exchange and duty free at Guanacaste Airport. Still open at 730 PM.
Hint: we do not recommend exchanging money at the airport. They give an extremely poor rate. You can use your credit card and USD until you can go to a bank to exchange money which will give the best rates.
If you really want to get some local currency right away, just exchange a little amount like $20 USD or so first until you can go to the bank. You can also get local currency at supermarkets if you pay in USD – they will give change back in CRC.
Read more about handling money in Costa Rica here.
The money exchange, SIM card stand and duty free are in baggage claim at San Jose International Airport. SIM card stand by baggage claim 5 at SJO Airport.
You will also see car rental companies at baggage claim at both airports. This is where you check in, if you already have a reservation with them.
Learn about car rentals at Guanacaste Airport.
And that’s it! See, isn’t that easy? Nothing to worry about! That is all you need to know about going through customs and immigration in San Jose Airport and Liberia Airport for a stress free arrival.
Read more Costa Rica travel tips below!
What to know about grocery shopping in Costa Rica
15 things to know about Costa Rica before you visit
10 mistakes to avoid in Costa Rica
Common scams and how to avoid them in Costa Rica
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Sammi says
On the customs form, they ask if you have been out of CR for at least 3 days is because of this kind of thing and if you do border crossings, you can cross over and back in a minimum of 3 hours if you don’t purchase any duty free or anything that needs to be taxed since taxes here are so high. I kind of do the same thing except I stock up with stuff from the US whenever I go home, I haven’t made a trip just for one thing but I haven’t needed to. It’s definitely a lot more prevalent because there are many immigrants here but they use that as a way to get around the high cost of certain items (electronics, clothes, house and kitchenware, etc.)
If you go to the public clinics (Ebais), your medications are for free but if you go to the private doctor you will need to pay for them but if it’s an emergency, a private clinic is a lot faster.
Debora Sztain says
We only have carry on luggage. Will they be checking them as well or is it only checked luggage?
Thanks,
Debbie
Sammi says
Yes, you need to put everything through customs: purses, backpacks, carry on, check in, everything.
Steve B. says
Re: Money Changers..
We got very good rates at Wal-Mart, of all places. Just pay with a $100 US bill and you get Colones back as the change, and at very close to the bank rate, plus without any fees! (Well, at least it worked well in San Jose!)
Sammi says
Yes, you can use dollars at the supermarkets in CR and they give you your change back in colones and they will post near the cash register what the rate they use for the day is. This is normal in touristic areas.
Dennis Hamsher says
I would suggest not bringing $100 and $50 dollar bills – they could be rejected as possibly counterfeit – I had $100 bills that I took to the bank to exchange and needed my passport and all serial #,s were recorded with passport info – concern is for drug money laundering?
Sammi says
Yeah, for $100 bills you will need to go to the bank or casino to break them, most supermarkets or other places won’t accept them plus it’s hard to break. If you travel to any foreign country in the world, if you exchange money at the bank you have to have your passport, it’s normal. They just need to keep track of the foreign currency that is going in and out of their country, it’s not just Costa Rica.
Steve B. says
I wonder if the CR officials are looking for people making quick “out of country” runs for stuff that is difficult, (or expensive,) to get in CR.
During our last trip to CR, my wife needed what turned out to be a very expensive oral antibiotic – in Costa Rica. However, back in the US, it was literally 1/10th the CR price. One of the residents we met while in CR said that on several occasions, he had had a similar issue. His solution was to run down to SJO and book a round trip to Ft. Lauderdale on the cheapest flight he could find. Several have a three hour turn around, which gives you enough time to hop a taxi to one of the local 24 hr national chain pharms, pick up the script, (called in from a US doctor,) and catch the flight back to SJO.
Fortunately, our CR doctors were able to get a hold of a local drug company rep that managed to get us a MUCH better deal, so I didn’t have to make the trip.
I kind of wonder how prevalent that is..
Sammi says
Yes 🙂 I accidentally mixed it originally but I corrected it!
Sammi says
Hi Steve, sorry so originally I accidentally mixed up yes and no so it should be yes, you have been out of the country for at least 3 days because since you’ve never been to Costa Rica, obviously you have been out of the country for 3 days.
Dennis Hamsher says
Good article and advice – I would suggest anyone needing the rest room use the one in immigration at Liberia as the one at luggage pickup usually has a line for the ladies and this is typically the last stop before heading to your shuttle ! Heading to CR Saturday for 5 weeks
Sammi says
Yes, I always use the one in immigration since there usually aren’t that many people (everyone wants to get through immigration asap).
Jim Zuber says
OK, that 3 day question still does not make sense. Since it is a Costa Rican form (not used in any other Latin American country), it should read: “Are you returning to Costa Rica having been gone for more than 3 days?”
Since I am not a Costa Rican citizen/ex-pat and merely a visitor, I would answer no, because I’m just arriving on vacation. Does my phrasing of the question make more sense?
Sammi says
Hi Jim! It is YES if this is your first time to Costa Rica since you’ve obviously never been to the country. They are asking if you have been OUTSIDE of Costa Rica for at least 3 days. It doesn’t matter about returning, they just need to know if you have been out of Costa Rica for at least 3 days so if you’re a visitor, then yes unless you were just in Costa Rica less than 72 hours ago for some reason.
Alan says
Great article! I would point out that there at ATMs located in the baggage claim area (at least at SJO) where you can get cash and it’s USUALLY much cheaper to do that instead of using the official “Money Changers” (their rates are often horrible for exchanging your money!)
Sammi says
Nice point! Thanks!
Jerry says
Could you explain the rules in Costa Rica for flying drones. And how do you travel with a drone on the airlines.
Thanks
Sammi says
By law, you need to have a license to fly a drone in Costa Rica but it is not really reinforced. You can’t fly drones in national parks, private reserves, refuges, etc. and if they do catch you flying in those areas or without a drone, it is a huge fine but they don’t really care too much if it’s not for commercial purposes. If you’re flying for commercial purposes, then you need to get a commercial license and get the correct permits.
We brought our drone on a check in before and I made sure to pack it so it didn’t look brand new (or else they will stop and ask if you are selling it).
Klaus says
Keep in mind the batteries for the drone are forbidden in the check in luggage for safety reasons – like all lithium-ion batteries. You must have them reachable in your handluggage. The drone itself can be checked in.