Costa Rica
Starting from 2025, Nationals of Costa Rica will be eligible for ETIAS Visa Waiver in order to travel to the thirty-four countries that will constitute the newly established ETIAS Area.
ETIAS for Citizens of Costa Rica in short
Costa Rica Nationals allowed to apply for ETIAS starting from early 2025
Candidates must be in possession a valid passport of the Republic of Costa Rica
ETIAS application active electronically only
ETIAS can be used for trips whose purpose is either business, tourism, transit and medical treatment across a total of 34 European Countries
Combined permanence in ETIAS Zone must never be longer than 90 days within 6 months.
ETIAS Area and Costa Rica
Starting from 2025, Nationals of Costa Rica will be eligible for ETIAS Visa Waiver in order to travel to the thirty-four countries that will constitute the newly established ETIAS Area. An ETIAS will be required for short term visits, to any of the program member country, whose basis is for leisure, business, transit or medical care alternatively and with a stay never exceeding 90 days out of every 6 months.
As far as travel purposes are concerned it must be emphasized that also family and friends visit journey are allowed since they are considered to fit in the leisure and tourism category.
Moreover, although ETIAS is not fit for long term study programs, the Visa Waiver can be used by Costa Rica passport holders for short training programs if the total and combined stay in the ETIAS Countries Area will not surpass the aforementioned limit of duration.
Travelers with planned stay longer than 90 days within 6 months or whose purpose of the trip is not included in the short list above will still be required to apply for a Consular Visa. For more details about ETIAS eligibility parameters and exception click here.
ETIAS for Costa Ricans – Application Process
Like for other ETIAS Eligible Countries candidates, Citizens of Costa Rica willing to purse an ETIAS request are required to fill out an e-form to submit their Visa Waiver application. The digital form is broadly divided in four sections:
- personal information
- contact details
- travel schedule
- eligibility questions
Each information required is to be reported correctly and truthfully since any mistake or omission could lead to a rejection of the Visa Waiver application or to problems upon arrival in the Schengen Area.
ETIAS security clearance and issuance
When the application has been sent forward, through payment of the due taxes, all the information will be cross checked by EU Institutions and security databases.
The checking protocol is thorough but at the same time very fast and efficient and will allow most of the applicants to receive the outcome of their application on their e-mail address in not more than 3 days.
Once issued, ETIAS Visa Waiver for Costa Rica passport holders is valid for 3 years and allows for multiple entries in the EU/Schengen Area.
In case of application made with a passport with less of 3 years of remaining validity the ETIAS will cease to be effective on the same date as the passport.
To use one’s ETIAS
Upon embarking on a journey, the passport used for the ETIAS application must have a remaining validity long enough to cover for the whole duration of the trip planned to the Schengen Area and also have a exceeding validity of three months from the travel return date.
Upon arrival at the EU border Visa Waiver visitors might always be asked for further documents to prove the reason for their trip and to attest they do not plan to overstay in the ETIAS Area.
Such documents might include:
- Return ticket to the country of origin
- Onwards ticket to a non-ETIAS country
- Proof of sufficient funds
A health insurance is not mandatory for legitimate ETIAS short-term visitors while it is currently necessary for those who hold a Schengen Visa.
Additional details
Since ETIAS is digitally linked to the passport of the voyager it is not officially necessary, but still recommended, to print out a hard copy or the obtained waiver.
Each ETIAS issued to Costa Rican travelers allows for multiple entries in the Schengen Area provided that each single journey is always complying with the general limitation concerning purpose and duration of the trip as summarized above.
No ETIAS is required to visitors that hold a valid Schengen Visa or a Permit of Stay issued by any of the ETIAS Nations (Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania excluded until further notice) while on the other hand a Schengen Visa will be required to all those visitors whose situation does not find a match in the eligibility criteria.
A valid ETIAS Visa Waiver is accepted for entry in the 34 member countries from air, land and sea borders and regardless of place of origin of the journey as long as the Visa Waiver Holder is a Costa Rica National with a valid ordinary passport meeting all the standards of genuine short-term visitor.