ExploCountry guide · Central America
Costa Rica travel guide: visa, best time, weather and plugs
Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for Costa Rica. Capital: San José.
Do you need a visa for Costa Rica?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 95 passports can enter Costa Rica without a visa.
All 198 passports for Costa Rica · Visa checker · Passport validity checker for Costa Rica
Costa Rica at a glance
- Capital
- San José
- Region
- Central America, North America
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (₡, CRC)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Calling code
- +506
- Drives on the
- right
- Power
- Type A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz
Best time to visit Costa Rica
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Dec–Apr. Dry season.
General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.
Other places in season: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec All months
Weather in San José
Month by month last year
- Daily high and low (°C), monthly average
- Rain (mm in the month)
Next public holidays in Costa Rica
Nationwide holidays only, from Nager.Date. Check dates locally before you book: they can move.
Power plugs and voltage in Costa Rica
- Type Atwo flat pins
- Type Btwo flat pins and a round earth pin
Mains power is 120 V at 60 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.
Do I need an adapter for Costa Rica? Adapter guide for Costa Rica
Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.
More before you go
- Passport validity. Many countries want 3 to 6 months of validity left. Check your dates for Costa Rica or read the six-month rule explained.
- What to eat. Dishes to try in Costa Rica, with how locals have them. Money, language and the driving side for every country: currency, languages, which side of the road.
- Other places you can go. Where can I go? lists the places your passport reaches that are also in season, and the passport ranking shows how yours compares.
Nearby countries
Questions
Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 95 passports can enter Costa Rica without a visa and 103 passports need a visa in advance. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for Costa Rica.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
Dec–Apr. Dry season.
What plug type and voltage does Costa Rica use?
Costa Rica uses plug types A, B at 120 V and 60 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Costa Rica?
Traffic keeps to the right in Costa Rica.
What currency does Costa Rica use?
Costa Rican colón (₡, CRC).
What is the calling code for Costa Rica?
+506.
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
San José.
How up to date is this information?
Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.
Keep exploring
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- Country guidesCountry guidesBest months, weather, holidays and plugs for every country.
- Free toolSchengen 90/180 calculatorAdd your stays and see the days you have left.
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Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.