If you’re a first-time traveler to Costa Rica, you might be wondering “what’s going to happen when I land?” International travelers know the basic routine regarding immigration and customs. However, if this is your first Costa Rican trip and you’re getting traveler’s anxiety–I still do–here’s the rundown.
During Your Flight to Costa Rica
First of all, sit back and enjoy your flight! The views are spectacular, and an amazing adventure awaits! If you’ve had to make a layover in your own country, the good news is you don’t need to pick up your luggage (unless you’re on more than one airline) until you get to Costa Rica.
At some point during the flight, flight attendants will pass out small immigration forms to passengers that are not Costa Rican citizens. You’ll get one form per family, or one for yourself if traveling on your own. This form is no longer used. After coming to and from Costa Rica since 1984, this was a surprise when it happened! Everything is now done with your passport, so if it’s been a while since you’ve been to Costa Rica, you’ll never have to worry about that piece of paper again.
Upon landing at SJO, I always remember the days when the entire plane would break out in applause as soon as the wheels hit Costa Rican soil, but that’s stopped for the most part. I miss it!
Getting Through Immigration/ Customs in Costa Rica
After your plane lands, you’ll proceed directly to immigration/customs. Depending on the time of the day, or where you sat on the plane, you may or may not be terrified when you see the line leading to immigration, but it goes fast! And yes, there are bathrooms before you get to the customs area as well as in the baggage claim.
While you’re waiting, you should be able to take advantage of SJO’s free wifi. If you need to buy a Costa Rican SIM card you can buy a Claro SIM at the baggage claim area, but for Kolbi SIMs, you’ll have to wait until you leave the airport since they, unfortunately, removed the Kolbi kiosk.
Have your passport ready and the name and address of your hotel or lodging. As you near the booths, an attendant will instruct you which line to move into. When called, move on up to the officer.
The Immigration Officer
The immigration officer will ask routine questions such as why you’re in Costa Rica, how long you plan to stay, where you are staying and sometimes they’ll even ask you your occupation. These are all routine questions, and politeness goes a long way. You don’t need to speak Spanish, but greeting the officer with “buenos dias” or “buenas tardes” is a great start and takes very little effort.
Law also requires that you have a return ticket, or forwarding ticket to another destination by the time your trip is up. As of this writing, I have never been asked to furnish proof of my return ticket, but it’s always handy to have either a paper copy of your return airline itinerary or have it ready on your phone.
Your passport will then be stamped and the issuing officer will hand-write the number of days your visa is good for. This has now changed from a maximum of 90 days to 180 days, which most people receive. However, please understand that the length of your visa is at the sole discretion of the agent.
New laws say if you stay in Costa Rica longer than your visa permits, you will be charged $100 per month that you’re over. Failure to pay this fine can lead to denied entry to Costa Rica for three times the amount of your overstay, so just don’t do it.
After your passport has been stamped, head to the left and on to the baggage claim area. This is where the real fun starts!
Picking Up Your Luggage
Depending on how long you waited at immigration, your bags have probably already arrived and are waiting for you lined up on the floor. This is normal and more often than not, it’s the case. I understand that this is stressful! By the time you’ve made your way through immigration, the luggage carousel lights may have been dimmed and you won’t know which one your luggage came in. You can ask or check through all of them. Look for folks that were on your flight. The good news is, the luggage area is small.
Attendants are all over, offering carts if needed. Tell them where your flight originated and they’ll point out the proper carousel.
In the baggage claim area, you’ll find bathrooms, currency exchange kiosks, car rentals, taxis and information booths. If you’ve got your bags and are excited to start your journey, proceed toward the exit. You’ve got one more step to complete. Remember that form you filled out on the plane? Get that out and ready. Your bags need to be scanned one last time before you drive off into the Costa Rican sunset. Put all your bags, including personal items, backpacks and pocketbooks, on the belt. Now you’re officially in Costa Rica. Welcome!
Ground Transportation at SJO
If you need to hire a cab, you may do so inside the airport before you get to the exit. These taxis are the official orange airport taxis. They are available 24/7 and can take you anywhere in the country. This option is more expensive than others, but it’s also safe and guaranteed. You’ll pay inside and won’t need to negotiate a price.
If you’re expecting a hotel transfer, your connection will be waiting for you with a sign either inside the baggage claim after you finish with immigration, or, more than likely outside. If you have friends or loved ones picking you up, they will be outside behind a roped off area. They’re not permitted to enter that part of the airport.
Costa Rica also has Uber and it runs now in a good portion of the country. Technically, Uber is not legal in Costa Rica, but it runs everywhere. Have the app downloaded, know how to use it and plan on how you’ll have phone service before you get to Costa Rica.
Outside the Airport
When you come out of the airport upon arrival, you’re “downstairs”. Departures are “upstairs”, just so you have a point of reference. You’re also coming outside across the street from the parking garage. As of this writing, they now have an area roped off for family & friends to wait for you as the sidewalk was becoming too congested.
WARNING FOR NEWBIES: When you finally emerge from the airport, you may be inundated by drivers wanting to help you get to your destination. Be prepared for this–there will be people holding signs and offers coming to you from both left and right. This is totally the norm for the airport. For the first-time traveler, it’s very unnerving and overwhelming. But, if you’re prepared there’s no reason to freak out. Know who you’re looking for. A simple “no, gracias” to drivers is fine. Keep on moving until you find your party, whether friends or hotel shuttle.
If you attempt to get a cab outside, here’s the likely scenario. The normal, everyday red cabs that you see all over Costa Rica are not supposed to stop at the airport arrival section (downstairs). They ARE allowed to bring you back to the airport when you leave Costa Rica (upstairs). In the confusion outside, you’re not going to know who is who. There are a lot of people outside the airport trying to make some money by driving you to your destination in their own vehicles. They are neither cabs nor Ubers. Figure out what you’re going to do before you get to Costa Rica. 99.9% of these people are trying to make an extra buck, but it’s that .1% that you don’t know about. Better safe than sorry.
Your absolute best bet is to have your plan of action for airport transportation in place before you even start your trip. To be safe, try to plan on a good 45 minutes to an hour for the entire customs/immigration and baggage process when considering your transportation. Night arrivals are a bit less. I’ve gotten through customs in twenty minutes when I’ve flown in on an evening flight. It’ll save you a lot of worries and then you can get busy enjoying this trip of a lifetime!
Congratulations! You’re now in Costa Rica!