Do you need a visa to study in Costa Rica?

For the Semester in Costa Rica 12-week program, you WILL NOT need to obtain a visa. Please make sure you have a valid passport for your travels and ensure it will not expire any time soon.

For the Semester in Costa Rica 17-week program, you have a couple options: You can either obtain a long-term student visa, or you can TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF COSTA RICA FOR A WEEKEND.

While students staying past 90 days (all 17-week students) can technically apply for the student visa, the process is lengthy, expensive, and not guaranteed. As a result, we arrange for all semester students to travel to Panama for a weekend excursion! Leaving the country for a weekend allows you to renew your visitor status for an additional 90-days in Costa Rica. Plus, you get to visit a different country in Latin America!

    

IMPORTANT: CISabroad will only advise students on visa procedures for travel requirements for your CISabroad program. CISabroad is not responsible for advising students on visa issues if they plan to travel internationally before or after the program dates.

These instructions are intended for US passport holders. International students must also be aware of additional documentation and/or processing time needed for their visas. Please contact your Program Enrollment Coordinator to discuss your visa.

If you choose to pursue a visa, please note that all consulates have varying visa processing times and/or requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their assigned consulate’s visa processing period and to send in their complete visa application well in advance to allow adequate time for processing. Each consulate lists the visa processing period on their website. Required documents for your visa are always subject to change at the discretion of the consulate. You can use this link to find the location of all Costa Rican consulates across the world.