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A UAE residence permit does not waive the Costa Rica visa. Your passport decides. The Costa Rican directive we read puts UAE and Qatari citizens and many Western passports in the no-visa group, and passports such as India, Egypt and Nepal in the consular visa group. A multiple-entry US or Canadian visa, or a Schengen C or D visa, can waive it. We check the rule and file the visa if you need one.
What the Costa Rican directive says
Costa Rica's immigration directorate (DGME) sorts nationalities into four groups. We read the directive published in La Gaceta on , then a news report of a newer one.
- Group 1: no visa, up to 180 days. The UAE is on this list, along with Qatar, the US, Canada and most of Europe.
- Group 2: no visa, up to 30 days, extendable to 90. The Philippines is here.
- Group 3: consular visa, up to 30 days, extendable to 90. The older list included India, Egypt, Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Thailand.
- Group 4: restricted visa, decided by a commission. The older list included Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
The Costa Rican paper El Financiero reported a new directive in La Gaceta no. 216, effective , with a redrawn set of groups. We could not open the directive itself, because the DGME site blocked our checks. So treat the country lists above as the older position and ask us to confirm yours.
UAE residence is not an exemption
The directive lists who may skip a consular or restricted visa. It is a short list:
- A US or Canadian visa or residence that allows multiple entries, valid at least 1 day when you enter. US transit visas C1, C2 and C3 are not accepted.
- Residence in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or an EU country, either multiple entry or valid 90 days.
- A multiple-entry Schengen C visa, or a multiple-entry D visa, valid at least 1 day.
The document must show the ICAO security features, be in Spanish or English or translated, and cannot be a pending application. UAE residence is not named. So an Indian in Dubai with a UK visa that is not residence has no waiver, but an Indian with a multiple-entry US visa does.
Fees
| Route | Fee | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Passport in group 1 or 2 | No visa fee | 180 or 30 days |
| Exempt through a US, Canada or Schengen visa | No visa fee | Up to 30 days, extendable to 90 |
| Consular visa | Consular fee, amount not read | Up to 30 days, extendable to 90 |
Sources: Costa Rica DGME directive in La Gaceta, , checked . We did not find a consular fee on a page we could read, so we quote none. Your adviser confirms the amount before you pay.
No Dubai agency price range is shown: we found no published price from at least two agencies.
Consular visa rules
A consular visa is single entry. After approval you have 3 months to get it stamped in the passport and 60 days to use it once stamped. Passports in groups 3 and 4 need 180 days of validity. Foreign documents have to be apostilled or legalised, and the consul may ask for more papers from your country of residence.
What the border officer asks for
At arrival Costa Rica asks for a machine-readable passport, the visa if one is required, proof of funds of at least USD 100 for each month of stay, a return or onward ticket, and no entry bar. Required passport validity is 1 day for group 1, 90 days for group 2 and 180 days for groups 3 and 4.
Connecting through Costa Rica
An airport transit visa is a separate rule. That directive says group 4 nationals and nationals of Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco and a longer list need one to change aircraft in Costa Rica. It is requested from a consulate with a flight booking, proof of funds, a criminal record certificate and the onward visa if one is required.
Where to file from the UAE
Costa Rica has an embassy in Abu Dhabi, as Gulf News reported. Its website showed only a maintenance page when we looked, so we could not confirm what visa work it does or how to book. We find the current filing route, prepare the form and papers, and tell you what to bring.
UAE citizens are a separate case. The UAE and Costa Rica signed a protocol on adding ordinary passports to their mutual visa exemption.
How it works with us
Send us your passport page and any US, Canada, Schengen or UK visa on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. An adviser tells you whether you can fly as you are or need a consular visa, then gives one total price. Nothing is filed until you agree. The team prepares the file and checks every document, then sends it and follows it up. We are a private visa service. Costa Rica decides every visa.
When a visa is refused, the fee stays with Costa Rica. Your adviser tells you in writing before you pay which part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- Costa Rica DGME visa directive, La Gaceta, : groups, exemptions, transit visa (copy of the Gaceta text)
- UAE ministry of foreign affairs, UAE and Costa Rica protocol: visa exemption for ordinary passports
- El Financiero, new directive report: groups and exemptions in the newer directive
Related routes: US visa from Dubai for the exemption visa, Schengen visa from Dubai, and the full list in visas from Dubai.
