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Does anyone know if there’s been a new law passed about coming to CR with a round trip ticket from the US that shows you are staying longer than 90 days and whether now you need to show at the airport in the US proof you will leave CR at the 90 day mark?
A family last weekend that I know were forced to buy tickets to Panama at the airport before being allowed to fly to Costa Rica. That was because their tickets showed that they were going to be in CR for 4 months.
When they arrived to CR, customs didn’t ask for any proof of travel at the 90 day deadline.
So was this a money grab by the airline? Or is it now a requirement?
Thanks
For quite some time, Costa Rican law has required that persons entering Costa Rica on a tourist visa have a ticket for their departure. That’s so that if a tourist needs to be deported, Costa Rica doesn’t have to pay for the transportation.
Costa Rican law makes it mandatory on the airlines to enforce this “return ticket” requirement. There is a fine of $10,000US for every failure by the airlines to enforce the requirement. That’s why the airlines are so interested.
I don’t know whether the required return trip must be scheduled within ninety days of arrival.
The matter of enforcement is another issue altogether.
I read ‘somewhere’ on another forum, that another family had to purchase new tickets for the same reason that they planned their departure for longer than the 90 days permitted. We were also some of those refused boarding privileges because we purchased tickets originating/terminating in Costa Rica before we had obtained legal residency status so had to purchase another ticket out of Costa Rica.
I see. Great thanks for the tip. I did not know that.
The point of whether or not this law is enforced or not, is a good one!
Isn’t that always the way!
I had a very hard time getting through customs here last month. I am in the process of residency, but don’t have the required “number” yet. It wasn’t an issue in August, but this time the customs agent here asked to see my return ticket. Spirit Airlines made me buy the return ticket before I checked in last May, so I bought a fully refundable ticket. However refundable isn’t what it seems to mean. I only got credit for a future trip with Spirit, not my money back. I would recommend not flying Spirit at all, and buying a bus ticket here before you leave (to Panama or Nicaragua) to have with you when you come back through customs. Perhaps I should have answered the question on the purpose of my trip differently. That may have flagged the questioning. Answer that the trip is a vacation!
On this subject, can anyone give specifics regarding the 2nd, 3rd and 4th extension of the 90 day visa. We are hearing lots of different (and differing) reports regarding folks experience with this issue. We are thinking of having a family member come down for a longer period of time…somewhat less than a year, but understand that the requirements have changed. Thoughts??
I think the only reliable way, is for them to leave the country, possibly just going out for lunch.
The new requirements are supposed to be released soon….But when leaving every 90 days, it’s supposed to be for at least 72 hours, correct? So they couldn’t just leave for “lunch…”
This is constantly being ‘argued about’ in many forums. If it was me, I would stay out, but others [i]insist[/i] it is only required to bring in items ‘duty free.’
Is it worth taking a chance … the choice is the individuals?The most recent consensus opinion in another very active forum is that in order to qualify for a new 90-day visa, one need only leave the country briefly and may immediately re-enter.
The 72-hour requirement has to do with qualifying for a new $500 exemption from Costa Rican Customs’ import duty. The two matters are independent of each other.
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