Do you need a visa to study in Costa Rica?

For the shorter term programs, including Summer in Costa Rica, Spanish for Health Care Professionals, Intern in Costa Rica, and January in Costa Rica, you WILL NOT need to obtain a visa. You can enter Costa Rica with a U.S. passport for up to 90 days with no issues at all. Please make sure you have a valid passport for your travels and check to ensure it will not expire any time soon. 

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 Coordinator to discuss your 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.