Give us a call! 1.888.490.4581 (US & Canada) | 506.2637.8484 (Costa Rica)
Condominiums
HRG offers luxury vacation rental condos that range in sizes, from quaint one bedroom condos to 3,500 square foot 3 bed 3.5 bath penthouses with semi private swimming pools. - Book Online
Homes & Villas
HRG has some of the finest villa / home rentals in the resort, with sizes up to six bedrooms this is an ideal way for groups and families to enjoy a private vacation experience. - Book Online|
Please read this during the early stages of planning your trip to Costa Rica. It can save you a great deal of time and inconvenience if you are an educated visitor.
1. Passport Expiration – Important stuff here! ANY VISITOR MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT TO ENTER COSTA RICA-NO EXCEPTIONS! Further, you could also be denied entry if your passport expires within six months of your entry into the country. Please note that this policy has now been published on the Costa Rica Tourism Board web site. As of the last review date (see bottom of this page), this is being enforced and there have been a number of reports of tourists being refused entry. Make sure all passports have at least six months remaining (from date of arrival) before expiration and being in good condition. 2. Visa Regulations Costa Rica US citizens, and those from most other countries (see below), may visit Costa Rica for 90 days. If you wish to stay longer, you must leave the country for 72 hours. This refreshes your visa for an additional 90 days. Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa: Germany, Andorra, Argentina, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark*, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, United States*, Estonia, Finland, France*, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Norway*, New Zealand*, Netherlands*, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Principality Of Monaco, San Marino, Puerto Rico, Serbia, South Africa, United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland **, Czech Republic, Republic Of South Korea, Hellenic Republic (Greece), Romania, Vatican City, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Republic Of China (Taiwan), Trinidad And Tobago and Uruguay. * Their dependencies receive the same treatment ** Include England, Wales and Scotland Citizens holding valid passports from the following countries are exempt from all visa requirements for stays of only 30 days in Costa Rica. Though once inside the country, they can apply for an extension from the Immigration office for an authorized period of stay of 90 days: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Russian Federation, Philippines, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Northern Marianas, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Maldives, Mauritius, Federated States Of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Kingdom Of Tonga, Samoa, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome And Principe, Seychelles, Suriname, Tuvalu, Turkey, Vanuatu and Venezuela. Citizens of all countries not listed above are required a visa from a Costa Rican embassy or consulate before traveling. 3. Traveling alone with minors If traveling with a minor without BOTH parents, it is a good idea to get a notarized letter from the non-traveling parent authorizing travel to and from Costa Rica with the dates of travel listed. While this policy is loosely enforced by US Airlines and and Costa Rican immigration officials you do NOT want to have your travel plans interrupted and possibly terminated. There is a chance you may be denied departure from US or refused entry to Costa Rica if you do not have this document. Drivers licenses and birth certificates are no longer valid for entry. To see specific visa rules regarding your country, see above. There is also a process you must follow to leave Costa Rica. 4. The Airport Process Once you land in San Jose, you will be directed to immigration where you will present your documentation (passport). Depending on the number of flights arriving at the same time, this process can range from 10 minutes to an hour. You will next go to baggage claim where you will likely have to wait for another 10-15 minutes for everything to arrive. You then take your luggage (carts are provided) and walk to customs. The red/stop, green/go system will tell you if you are going to be inspected or questioned. Do NOT bring any drugs, firearms or illegal substances with you as Costa Rica has a very strict policy against transporting these illegal items into the country. The Costa Rican legal system is MUCH different than the US or other countries. Upon clearing customs you will then proceed down another corridor where you will exit the airport. 5. Arriving by Land or boat If arriving by land, you will have to first clear the border of the country you are leaving which will be either Nicaragua or Panama. You will present your documents on the Costa Rican side. If you are driving, the vehicles documents must also be presented. Your car may also be sprayed with a chemical that kills any foreign bugs or plant seeds riding with you. Your baggage may be inspected. It is seldom fast, and it is ALWAYS hot. Just be polite and friendly. Like most things in Costa Rica, it is a “necessary” process, and you will get through it. 6. Leaving Costa Rica- Exit requirements Regardless of your mode of transportation when exiting the country you will have to pay a departure tax. In the San Jose airport, there is an area just to the right as you enter the departures area with a long counter with multiple tellers. This should be the first thing you do when arriving at the airport. As of the date of this publication the tax is $26.00 and can be paid in colones, US dollars or with a VISA credit card. No other credit card is accepted! This is a great way to get rid of those spare Costa Rican colones as you leave. You will then proceed to your airline check in counter. Midway through this line, your bags will be examined (read that as opened) and inspected for items not permitted on the flight. Be aware, Costa Rica is a stickler for this and ANYTHING that even remotely could be used as a weapon may be disallowed. After the airline check-in process, you will go to through the security area. Carry on bags go through the usual scanner process and once through, you may be examined again and ALL your carry-on baggage will be opened and inspected. This time, ANYTHING is fair game for confiscation: nail clippers (tiny ones), hair spray, lotions with high alcohol content, nail polish remover, etc. After this process, you can proceed to your gate area. On the way, you will pass a large number of restaurants and shops. The tax-free stores CAN offer some nice values though, especially in liquors, perfumes and a few electronic gadgets. Shortly, you will be on your way back ‘home’ and daydreaming about the good time you had with us! |
