Costa Rican passport holders do not need a visa to visit Turkey. You can enter visa-free — but the allowance is up to 30 days, not the 90 days most travellers assume. Here is how it works.
Turkey is a long flight from San José, so Costa Ricans tend to make the trip count — Istanbul, Cappadocia, the Aegean coast and Pamukkale in one run rather than a quick city break. Before booking, the first question is always the same: do Costa Ricans need a visa for Turkey? The short answer is no — Costa Rican passport holders are visa exempt for short tourist stays, although the exemption is shorter than most people expect.
This guide explains, in plain language, how long you can stay, what your passport must look like, what border officers may ask for and what to do if you want to stay longer. It is written for ordinary (tourist) passport holders travelling for tourism or short business.
Because visa policy is set by the Turkish government and can change at short notice, treat everything below as guidance and confirm the current requirements on the official portal before you book or travel.
⚠ Visa rules can change — always confirm current requirements on the official Republic of Türkiye e-Visa site (evisa.gov.tr) before travel. Fees and conditions below are approximate guidance, not a guarantee.
No. Costa Rican passport holders are visa exempt for Turkey. You may enter and stay for up to 30 days for tourism or short business, without applying for anything in advance — no e-Visa, no consulate appointment, no fee. You simply arrive with a valid passport and present it at passport control. Note the number carefully: it is 30 days, not the 90 that many other nationalities receive.
The exemption allows a stay of up to 30 days. This is the detail that catches Costa Rican travellers out, because the figure quoted almost everywhere for Turkey is 90 days — and it does not apply to you. Thirty days is the whole allowance for a visa-free tourist trip, so build your itinerary to finish comfortably inside it, and treat the date of your entry stamp as day one. If you travel to Turkey repeatedly and are unsure how consecutive visits are treated, confirm your position on the official portal before booking rather than assuming a return trip automatically comes with a fresh 30 days.
No. Because Costa Rica is visa exempt, there is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. The official Republic of Türkiye portal at evisa.gov.tr has a checker that confirms your nationality's status and the terms attached to it — use it as your source of truth before you fly. Its value for Costa Ricans is confirmation, not application. Avoid third-party "visa" websites that charge inflated service fees — the government site is the only official source.
There is no fee. Visa exemption means there is no visa to buy, so any site quoting you a price for a Turkish "tourist visa" as a Costa Rican is selling something you do not need and could not use. That is the most common way Costa Rican travellers lose money before a Turkey trip. Budget instead for what is real — flights, hotels, transfers and the museum pass. If a fee or a new requirement ever appears, it will appear on the official portal first, so check there before paying anyone.
Thirty days is tight for a trip made from the other side of the world, so this matters more for Costa Ricans than for most. If your plans run past 30 days, the exemption is not enough and you will need a different permission — usually a residence permit applied for inside Turkey, or an appropriate visa from a Turkish consulate before you leave. Rules for longer stays are stricter, so start early.
You will generally need: a passport in good condition, valid comfortably beyond your trip — six months beyond arrival is the usual safe margin travellers work to; a return or onward ticket dated within your 30 days; proof of accommodation; and sufficient funds for your stay. Airline check-in staff can be stricter than the border itself, so keep your hotel booking and itinerary handy on your phone rather than buried in an inbox.
On arrival in Turkey, join the queue for passport control and present your Costa Rican passport — there is no visa to show and no counter to visit first. Officers may ask about your hotel, length of stay and return flight. With your documents in order, clearance is usually quick. Your entry stamp starts the 30-day count, so note the date.
The only official place to apply is the Republic of Türkiye e-Visa portal. Avoid third-party sites that charge inflated fees.
Go to evisa.gov.tr →No. Costa Rican passport holders are visa exempt and can enter Turkey for tourism or short business without a visa, staying up to 30 days. There is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you fly — just travel with a valid passport. Confirm the current position on evisa.gov.tr.
Up to 30 days — not the 90 days you will see quoted for many other nationalities. That is the figure the Turkish authorities publish for Costa Rican ordinary passport holders, and your whole visa-free trip has to fit inside it. To stay longer you need a residence permit or a visa instead of the exemption.
Nothing. Costa Rica is visa exempt for Turkey, so there is no visa fee to pay. Any website charging a Costa Rican for a Turkish tourist visa or e-Visa is selling a document you do not need — confirm your status free of charge on evisa.gov.tr.
No. The e-Visa is for nationalities that need a visa. As a Costa Rican citizen you are exempt, so there is no e-Visa to buy and no application to file. Check your nationality on evisa.gov.tr if you want it in writing.
No — that is the common mistake. The Costa Rican exemption is up to 30 days, not 90. Staying beyond 30 days on the exemption is an overstay, so plan the trip around the shorter allowance.
There is no visa condition to satisfy, but airlines and border officers generally expect a passport valid well beyond your trip. Six months beyond your arrival date is the usual safe margin.
Only evisa.gov.tr, the Republic of Türkiye government portal, is official. Many third-party sites look similar and charge fees — as a Costa Rican you should never be paying any of them.
Once your visa is sorted, the fun part begins. Browse our most popular Turkey itineraries — Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast — or tell us what you have in mind.
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