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Costa Rica

General Information

Capital City:
San Jose
Population:
4.56 million
Area:
31,815 square miles
Language:
Spanish, English is widely spoken
Electricity:
120V AC 60Hz
Direct Dial:
506
Driving:
Driving is on the right. National or International licence required
Currency:
Costa Rican Colon (CRC 1 = 100 Centimos)

Business Hours

Bank:
0900-1700/1800 Mon-Fri
Office:
0800-1600 Mon-Fri
Shops:
0800-1800/1900 Mon-Sat
Public Holidays:
<b>2012</b> 01 Jan: New Year's Day 06 Apr: Easter 11 Apr: Juan Santamar�a's Day 01 May: Labour Day 25 Jul: Guanacaste Annexation 02 Aug: Virgin of Los Angeles, Feast of Patroness of Costa Rica* 15 Aug: Mothers' Day and Assumption 15 Sep: Independence Day 25 Dec: Christmas Day Note: * Not legally binding. Most businesses close for the whole of Holy Week and between Christmas and New Year.

Business and social hints

General:
Business is conducted in Spanish, many executives speak English. The minimum drinking age is 18 years
Tipping:
Service charges are added to bills by hotels & restaurants, however additional 5-10% tips are expected
Clothing:
Light clothes with warmer wraps if visiting highland areas. Rainwear essential for coastal areas and volcanoes
Emergency Services:
Police, Fire & Ambulance: 911
Hotel Classification:
Hotels are classified from 1 star to 5 star

Climate

High temperatures throughout the year, particularly on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, where rain falls throughout the year but experiences a very wet and humid rainy season between May-Nov. In contrast, the air is crisper and nights cooler in mountain areas

San Jose

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum Temperature °C 24 24 26 26 27 26 25 26 26 25 25 24
Minimum Temperature °C 14 14 15 17 17 17 17 16 16 16 16 14
Average Humidity (mornings) % 83 82 81 80 85 91 89 89 91 92 87 85
Average Humidity (afternoons) % 63 57 55 60 70 74 74 73 76 78 71 67
Average Rainfall 15 5 20 46 229 241 211 241 305 300 145 41

Customs

Import Allowances:
For persons of 18 years of age or older a) 500gr of tobacco or 50 cigars or 500g tobacco b) 3 lit of alcoholic beverages c) A reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use
Contraband:
Weapons

Health

None.

Compulsary Vaccinations
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from areas with risk of yellow fever transmission. No certificate is required from travellers below the age of 9 months and over the age of 60, pregnant or lactating women, persons with immunosuppression or a history of adverse reactions associated with yellow fever vacine.
Recommended Immunisations
Tetanus; Hepatitis A. <b>In addition:</b> Typhoid, Rabies & Diphtheria are also recommended to those travelling to Costa Rica frequently or intending to spend extended time here.
Risks
- <b>Malaria</b> - Risk is present at all times in the province of Limon. There is low to no risk in all other areas. <b>GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS:</b> Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to Costa Rica. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Immigration and Passport

Passports and passport replacing documents must be valid on arrival. Exempt: a) Nationals of Costa Rica may enter with expired passports.

The following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of Costa Rica. 2) Alien residents of Costa Rica holding a Residence Permit "Cedula de Residencia". 2) For stays up to 30 days by: a) Nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau Islands, Philippines, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Vanuatu & Venezuela. b) Nationals of the USA holding passports issued in Northern Mariana Islands. 3) For stays up to 90 days by: a) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Citizen", "British Territories Overseas Citizen" or "British National (Overseas)". b) Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep of), Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay & Vatican City. c) Nationals of the USA (Except those holding passports issued in Northern Mariana Islands)

Entry requirements may change from time to time and should be checked with the Embassy and Consulate of Costa Rica

Useful Contacts

Embassy

Embassy and Consulate of Costa Rica 14 Lancaster Gate London, W2 3LH tel: +44 20 7706 8844 fax: +44 20 7706 8655 e-mail: costaricanembassy@btconnect.com costarica@btconnect.com hours: 1000-1300 (Mon-Fri) visas

Airports

  • Liberia
  • San Jose Juan Santamaria International

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