1- What are the entry requirements?

Citizens holding valid passports from the following country's are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa:

Argentina	Germany	Luxembourg	South Korea
Austria	Greece	Norway	Spain
Belgium	Holland and dependencies	Panama	Sweden
Brasil	Hungary	Paraguay	Switzerland
Canada	Israel	Poland	Trinidad & Tobago
Denmark	Italy	Portugal	United Kingdom
Finland	Japan	Puerto Rico	United States
France and dependences	Liechtenstein	Romania	Uruguay

Citizens holding valid passports from the following country's are allowed to stay in Costa Rica for 30 days without a visa, though once in the country, they can solicit a "Prórroga de Turismo" (extention of the visa) from the Immigration office (Migración), which allows them to stay a total of 90 days:

Antigua & Barbuda	Dominica	Mexico	Singapore
Australia	El Salvador	New Zealand	Slovakia
Bahamas	Grenada	Oman	South Africa
Bahrain	Guatemala	Philippines	Suriname
Barbados	Guyana	Qatar	Taiwan
Belize	Honduras	Russia	Turkey
Bolivia	Iceland	San Cristobal/Nevis	United Arab Emirates
Bulgaria	Ireland	San Marino	Vatican
Chile	Jamaica	St. Lucia	Venezuela
Colombia	Kenya	St Vincent
Czech Republic	Kuwait	Saudi Arabia

Citizens of all country's not listed above must obtain a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before travelling to Costa Rica.

2- What are the customs regulations?

No customs duties are charged on personal luggage, which includes an array of items for personal and professional use, as long as they do not appear in quantities that suggest commercial intent. Costa Rican law requires that baggage be examined and that travelers submit customs declarations listing all articles acquired abroad, including fruit, vegetables, meat, meat products, biological products such as vaccinations, serums, etc. In the case of families, one declaration can be filled out by the family head.

3- When is the best time to travel?

The travel industry designates several business seasons during the year: High Season (related to the dry season, from December until April), Peak season (Christmas, New Year and Easter), and the Green Season (also called the Low Season -related to the rainy season, from May until November).

If you live in the Northern Climates, you will probably consider winter the only time to visit. However, persons from others areas of North America and Europe find the rest of the year equally pleasant. They also find it quite a bit more affordable. Other vacationers just prefer the country when there are fewer tourists -during the Green Season.

4- What should I bring?

A pocket-size English/Spanish dictionary, a small first aid kit, binoculars - camera and film, walking shoes, sunscreen, traveler's checks - cash or/and credit cards, swim suits, casual clothes for nightlife and fine dining, insect repellent, copies of your favorite Costa Rica travel guide, sandals - sunglasses & hat, necessary medications, rain jacket, passport/birth certificate & driver's license.

5- What is the time zone in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is the same as U.S. central standard time, but does not observe daylight savings time

6- What are the business hours?

Most banks are open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and do not close for lunch. Credit cards are widely accepted, with Visa, MasterCard, Dinners and American Express being the most popular. Government offices are open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Most commercial business open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Stores and other businesses at commercial centers from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Most restaurants open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. Hotels and some restaurants are open 24 hours

7- Is there a good communication system?

Direct-dial telephone service, facsimile, telex, radio and cable television are all available. Bilingual operator assistance for international calls is: 116, local information: 113, long distance information: 124. Internet cafes are available in most towns and hotels

8- What taxes should I pay?

Travelers must be at the airport two hours before departure. There is a departure tax of US$17.00. There is a 13% sales tax at hotels, restaurants and most service industries, and an additional 3% tourist tax at hotels.

9- Driving a good idea?

Many people love driving and visiting the country at their own pace. Car Rentals are available from the major rental companies. To rent one you must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver's license and a major credit card. Gasoline is available at stations throughout Costa Rica, most are open 24 hours. Auto insurance is a MUST, which is included in your contract with the car rental because most insurance companies explicitly exclude foreign countries from their coverage. If you have a question, contact your carrier. When the rented car is given to you, the contract will explain both parts responsibilities.

If you are involved in a traffic accident: Do not loose your temper, do not leave the place of the accident, do not move the car, cooperate with the legal authorities, do not sign any agreements nor accept any liability, and contact your rental car company immediately.

10- Is bus transportation available?

Costa Rica has a bus system that offers inexpensive, timely and convenient transportation in the Central Valley. It is the primary means of transportation to natives. On the countryside, sometimes buses do not run frequently, in some places they operate only once a day. Another possibility is arranging transfers with tourism transportation agencies which would give you a first class service at reasonable rates.

11- What are the medical concerns and suggested vaccines?

Health care in Costa Rica is very good and sanitary standards are high. First class hospitals are found throughout San José and some of the other largely populated areas. Since long ago, diseases such as malaria, paludismo, and yellow fever were eradicated in Costa Rica. There are no plagues like in other countries, and no special vaccine recommendations for travelers more than the influenza and the tetanus vaccines. Hospitals and the Red Cross will provide any medical treatment in case of emergency

12- How much should I tip?

A 10% tip in a restaurant is appropriate but most restaurants will add it to your bill so read your bill before paying a tip. Taxi drivers generally do not receive a tip. If you are satisfied with the service you receive, private drivers, tourist guides, maids and bell boys would be glad to receive a tip. The amount would be totally up to you.

13- Do I need to have any special precautions?

Please consider the following precautions during your trip, that are the same wherever you travel around the world: Do not leave your luggage unattended at the airport or with a stranger, do not carry any stranger´s luggage through customs or immigration, and always carry your money within an inside pocket or a body pouch, or money belt. Daily spending money could be carried in your bag or front pocket. Credit cards and travelers´checks are good tools when you travel. Carry a separate package with the following information: a copy of the identifying pages of your passport, the number of your credit cards, traveler checks, bank accounts, airplane tickets, and emergency phone numbers.

Valuable items should be left in a safe box. Avoid crowds as well as dark and lonely places, and deal with well-known tourism agencies instead of unknown persons. In other words, take the same precautions you would have when visiting any other country, but do not let that decrease your enjoyment of this experience.

14- What would be the best way to plan a perfect trip?

Find an advisor that knows the country. We are a full service tour operator and ground transportation company specialized in daily tours and located in San José, Costa Rica. We handle detailed itineraries for an optimum trip (hotel reservations, car rentals, local flights, etc), for individual travelers as well as groups. We are owned by a Costa Rican family and we offer over ten years of experience in providing vacations for lasting wonderful memories.

15- Do you have final suggestions?

Plan your trip well in advance so you have more options to choose from. Since your eating and drinking habits are often radically different during a trip, be sure to drink lots of fluids, especially the day before arriving. Try not to go overboard your first night giving your body a chance to acclimate. The water is safe to drink in all areas of the country; nevertheless we suggest you to buy bottled water for drinking.

When buying fresh fruits and vegetables, wash them with water before eating. Hotels, Car Rental and tours can be reserved with less than 24 hours to your arrival but guarantee of space will be effective only at the time that you have sended the full payment and received our confirmation. In High season we recommend to make your reservations before december 8th.