Costa Rican visa for British citizens

A visa is NOT required for British passport holders visiting Costa Rica for a short-term stay: 180 days.

Visa requirements:

Visa type Purposes Visa requirements Allowed stay
Tourist visa For British citizens to enter Costa Rica for a short-term tourism purpose. Not required 180 days
Evisa Costa Rica e-visa for British citizens Not Available
Visa on arrival Costa Rica visa on arrival for British citizens Not Available

Costa Rica tourist visa requirements:

  • Holding British passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in Costa Rica.
  • Proof of onward travel (departure) from Costa Rica.

If you are looking for Costa Rica visa information, such as available types of visas, or how to apply from United Kingdom, we recommend you visit or contact the embassy or consulate of Costa Rica nearest your place of residence.

  • London: The Embassy of Costa Rica in London, United Kingdom (Working hours: Close now)

Costa Rica visa applications & requirements (For reference purposes only, please visit the nearest Costa Rica diplomatic mission offices to United Kingdom for guidance)

Tourism Statistics Chart

The line chart shows the number of visitors from United Kingdom traveling to Costa Rica from 2008 to 2018.

Year Number of visitors (United Kingdom) estimated Change (%)
2008 78,054 N/A
2009 78,054 0.00%
2010 78,054 0.00%
2011 77,311 -0.95%
2012 75,824 -1.92%
2013 73,594 -2.94%
2014 73,594 0.00%
2015 78,054 6.06%
2016 77,311 -0.95%
2017 77,311 0.00%
2018 74,338 -3.85%

References: UNWTO.org, World Bank and multiple sources. (This data is for informational purposes only. Please see our disclaimer page for more information.)

Costa Rica & United Kingdom comparison

Costa Rica's area is approximately 51,060 km2 (19,714 sq mi), while the area of United Kingdom is approximately 241,930 km2 (93,409 sq mi). This means United Kingdom is 4.74 times bigger than Costa Rica.

As of March 2024, Costa Rica's population is ~5.3 million people - 64,043,613 fewer people than the population of United Kingdom.

We have highlighted Costa Rica & United Kingdom’s relative positions on world's map for your reference.

Costa Rica United Kingdom Difference
Population (est 2024) 5,281,581 69,325,194 64.0 million fewer people live in Costa Rica than United Kingdom
Number of diplomatic missions abroad (est) 98 222 Costa Rica has 124 fewer diplomatic representations abroad compared with United Kingdom.
Travel freedom (2024) 111 139 Costa Rica passport holders visit 28 fewer countries and territories without a visa.
Number of foreign missions hosted 52 348 Costa Rican hosts 296 fewer foreign missions than United Kingdom.

Frequently asked questions, answered

How many visitors from United Kingdom travel to Costa Rica in one year?

The number of visitors from United Kingdom visiting Costa Rica in 2018 was approximately 74,338.

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Useful Information

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This page was last updated on: March 2024