Return flight

[LYNN BOURBEAU]

Hi Jason,

Why do we need a return flight to be able to go Costa Rica? I’m assuming once a resident of Costa Rica, that won’t apply?

Thanks for any info on this.

[PATRICK CLARKE]

I’ve been wondering the same.

[JASON HOLLAND]

The return flight shows that as a visitor on a tourist visa, you plan to leave the country when the visa expires in 90 days. So you’re return flight should be within 90 days of your arrival. Basically this is to discourage “perpetual tourists” who would stay long term without residency.

Once you are a legal resident of the country, you’ll have a “green card” known as the cedula and you won’t have to show a return flight.

[PATRICK CLARKE]

Is legal residency better obtained there or in our own country, and if there, do you know the best person there to deal with for help in obtaining residency?
Sorry for going off topic…
Thanks Jason.

[JASON HOLLAND]

There’s no better way, really – it’s personal preference.

But at least starting the process from home is a good idea so you can make sure you have all the required documents, which can be hard to get from your home country to Costa Rica. You can work with a lawyer in CR to make sure you have all the documents in order and then come down to submit them. The process can take months…or years, in some cases…so you could travel back home until it’s finished or stay in the country while you wait. If you have an application for residency submitted you get a special document that exempts you from leaving the country every 90 days and you don’t need to have a return ticket out of Costa Rica.

The best resource for help with this process if you’re applying from home is the Costa Rican consulate or embassy in your home country, although a Costa Rican lawyer can also be a big help.

[PATRICK CLARKE]

That’s great thx again.

[JON S.]

can the return flight be to another country such as Panama or only back to US? What’s the easiest/cheapest way to do this? thanks, Jon

[JASON HOLLAND]

Hi Jon,

Technically, the flight can show any “onward travel” out of Costa Rica. So it could be to Panama or another country, as long as it’s within 90 days.

If you plan to stay for longer than 90 days, say on a scouting trip, there are a couple of ways to handle this issue.

1. By a refundable ticket and change the date once you arrive. This can be pricey.

2. By a one way ticket to Costa Rica. And then right before you fly buy a ticket out of Costa Rica and then cancel it when you get there. Airlines are required to give a full refund, even on “nonrefundable” tickets, if you cancel within 24 hours.

But keep in mind you can NEVER stay in the country more than 90 days. You don’t have to fly out. You can cross the land border in Nicaragua or Panama and re-enter to get another 90 day tourist visa. But when you re-enter you have to show a ticket out of Costa Rica within 90 days. It’s best to have a plane ticket out although at the border with Nicaragua the officials will often accept a bus ticket out of Costa Rica as proof of onward travel. For this reason many expats who want to stay longer than 90 days make quick trips to Nica to renew their visas. You can buy these bus tickets at an office at the border. In Panama they are stricter and usually require a plane ticket to your home country. Panama also wants to see proof of $500 or more in your bank account to be allowed to enter – an ATM receipt is okay.

I know it all sounds very confusing. It is and the situation is always changing. That’s why it’s best to seek residency so you don’t have to go through all this hassle.

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