Air Travel
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Due to COVID, rules and procedures continue to change and evolve regarding travel and how one remains legally in Costa Rica. For tourists and those of you preparing for or waiting to have your applications for legal residency submitted (by appointment) or for those of you awaiting approval on submitted applications, the dreaded border runs ar...
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica There is a significant and welcome change to the entry requirements to Costa Rica. Good news for the vaccinated amongst you. The change is effective August 1, 2021. Those of you who can provide proof of complete vaccination with either the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will no longer be required ...
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica In response to some emails requesting clarification to my previous article, the following is a brief synopsis regarding visa expiries, the validity of foreign drivers' licenses, and border runs. 1. If you have been in Costa Rica on a Tourist Visa extended several times throughout 2020 and 2021, that visa expired on June 1, 2021. You need to d...
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica If you go to the MOPT (Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works & Transportation) website (English translation), you will see a very misleading headline: “Drivers can use foreign license for 6 more months.” https://www.mopt.go.cr/wps/portal/Home/inicio/ We wish. Not true for those of you who just had your TOURIST visa extended to Ju...
The Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste received two new routes operated by United Airlines proceeding from the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, USA; it also received four flights from routes previously suspended due to the pandemic. The inaugural flight arriving from Los Angeles arrived at Liberia on Friday at 15:37 hours, while the flight from San Fr...
United Airlines inaugurated this December 17th, 2020, the first of two new routes that will be connecting Costa Rica and the United States before the end of the year. The route inaugurated connects San Jose, Costa Rica to Los Angeles, California, USA, one of the North American cities with the largest concentration of tourists interested in traveling to Costa Rica. “Studies show that the west...
With the objective of reactivating tourism and employment in the country, especially in the rural areas of Costa Rica including Guanacaste, the North Zone, Central and South Pacific and the Caribbean, the Government announced today during a press conference that national and foreign travelers flying in will no longer need a Covid-19 negative test to enter the country. “This decision is taken in...
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica As of Oct. 15: Residents of Florida, Georgia and Texas will be allowed into Costa Rica. As of Nov. 1: All U.S. citizens and residents will be allowed into Costa Rica. Please click here for Laura's personal travel experience from Costa Rica to the USA and back during the COVID-19 Pandemic. For a comprehensive list of all originating coun...
On February 15, 2020, Costa Rica stopped a shipment of over five tons of cocaine – the biggest drug bust in Costa Rican history – headed for the Netherlands. This drug interdiction was a triumph, but shined a bright light on the Costa Rican cocaine trafficking problem. “In Costa Rica, we are facing a tsunami of cocaine, and it’s drowning us”, stated former chief of Costa Rica’s national anti-drug ...
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica On September 3, United Airlines flight 1080 non-stop to Newark was the first commercial passenger flight out of Costa Rica in six months. I was on it to visit family in New Jersey. In reviewing those trips to Newark and back to Costa Rica seven days later on September 10, I hope to answer persistent questions still coming to me from stress...
The Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura, announced this Thursday, September 10 during the daily press conference in relation to the pandemic, that the entry to Costa Rica will be authorized for 7 other USA states as of September 15 and 8th one by October 1st. Residents of the following states will be able to enter Costa Rica after September 15: Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, ...
The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) confirmed that as of September 13 the country will increase gradually, but significantly, the number of authorized flights from the United States. As of that date, United Airlines will fly daily from Houston, Texas to the Juan Santamaría Airport and three times a week to the Daniel Oduber Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste. It is possible that the number of fligh...
Saturday August 22nd Costa Rica entered the reopening phase even though over the the past couple of days it has registered the highest number of new daily confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. On Friday the country registered 1,059 new cases while Saturday the Ministry of Health confirmed 950 new patients. Since the pandemic reached the country back in March, Costa Rica has ...
So we all have heard that there are new requirements to travel to Costa Rica once the airports reopen to select countries August 1st. Tourists that plan to visit Costa Rica during the upcoming weeks will have to follow all sanitary measures in place and comply with certain requirements, such as taking a Covid-19 test 48 hours prior to the flight, filling out a form with the information for epi...
Costa Rica's borders will remain officially closed through August 1st. The Juan Santamaria Airport updated the information they have on airlines' operations: AEROMEXICO: operations suspended until further notice. AIR CANADA: will resume operations in September. AIR FRANCE: will resume operations October 14th. AIR PANAMA: operations suspended until further notice. AIR TRANSAT: operations sus...
The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 152 new cases this Friday, for a total of 2,836 positive cases of Covid-19 of the country, out of which, 1,280 have already recovered, while 36 are hospitalized 6 in the intensive care unit. 26,866 people have tested negative. Pilar Garrido, Minister of Planning, referred to the reopening of economic activities in the country: -Counties and d...
WILL COSTA RICAN TOURISM EVER RETURN? On June 12th, the Costa Rican tourism industry wrote an open letter to President Carlos Alvarado urging him to set a date to reopen airports in Costa Rica. It was signed by 900 movers and shakers of the tourism sector. It also asked for financial support for the tourist industry and better communication between Alvarado’s administration and regional tourism...
AERIS Holdings, administrator of the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica released the following updated information regarding the operation of the different airlines in the country under the current pandemic Covid-19: AEROMEXICO: operations suspended until further notice. AIR CANADA: will resume operations in July. AIR FRANCE: operations suspended until further notice. AIR PA...
The Ministry of Public Security announced that current border restrictions prohibiting foreigners from entering Costa Rica have been extended through June 15, only Costa Ricans will be able to enter the country. As we have informed in previous articles, tourists who entered the country after December 17 have been granted an extension of stay until July 17, driving privileges have also been exte...
PRESS RELEASE The U.S. Embassy in San Jose and the U.S. State Department have coordinated with United Airlines to offer additional commercial repatriation flights from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica to Houston, Texas (IAH) on Monday May 4, Friday May 8, Monday May 11, and Friday May 15. The flights will depart SJO at 12:00 pm and arrive at IAH at 4:46 pm. This flight is o...
UPDATED 3/27/20 Source: US Embassy San Jose "Costa Rica has now announced 263 cases of COVID-19 in the country. As messaged previously, we urge all U.S. citizens who wish to depart Costa Rica to do so now. U.S. citizens who remain in Costa Rica should be prepared to remain in Costa Rica for an indefinite period. For the latest list on the very limited flights into/out of San Jose and Liberia...
AERIS Holdings, administrator of the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica, informed of how Covid-19 affects the air operations and provides the following information for passengers: AEROMEXICO: operations suspended from March 19 through April 12. AIR CANADA: last flight will be April 3 after this its operations will be suspended until new notice. AIR FRANCE: will operate normal...
SKYWAY Costa Rica celebrates its second season of service by adding new destinations and a new plane. Skyway took delivery on a new plane December 1. This plane is a LET 410 aircraft, SKYWAY is the only domestic airline in Costa Rica flying two-engine aircraft. New destinations being served this year include: Tambor, Palmar Sur, Manuel Antonio, Bocas del Toro, Panama. These new routes join exis...
German airline CONDOR will be offering a direct flight connecting Frankfurt, Germany to San Jose, Costa Rica, starting October 2020, reinforcing Costa Rica as a destination and eliminating the stop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The route will operate Thursdays and Sundays in a Boeing 767-300 with capacity for 255 passengers, (18 in Business class, 35 in Premium and 202 in Coach). The pl...
American Airlines inaugurated this Thursday its new daily flight that will connect the JFK International Airport in New York and the Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose. The first flight landed at 8:30 p.m. in Costa Rica with 160 people aboard. “This new route is an example of our commitment to Costa Rica”, commented Rafael Sánchez, Regional head of Operations for American Airlines. “Very ...
Sun Country Airlines announced it will be adding the route the Costa Rica-Dallas route to its options starting the summer of 2020. Sun Country will connect Dallas, -Fort Worth (DFW) to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) during the months of June, July and August 2020, with a flight departing at 8:00 a.m. from the Dallas Fort Worth airport ad arriving at the Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia, Guanacaste a...
SKYWAY Costa Rica annouced its new flights to Bocas del Toro, Panama. "A short 45-minute flight from San Jose Costa Rica, Panama’s popular destination offers white sand beaches, clear water and a fun party atmosphere. It is a great add-on to a vacation to Costa Rica or a stand-alone getaway", states the press release. Flights are available Thursday through Monday each week. Located on the north...
Civil Aviation in Costa Rica confirmed that airline Air Europe has presented its formal request to operate in the country. According to information released, the permit to operate the San Jose – Madrid route could be ready by April 2020 if the airline complies with all requirements, the company would compete with Iberia which is currently operating this route. Air Europe is putting its eyes...
The Daniel Oduber Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste is the best terminal in Latin America and the Caribbean in quality of services to travelers according to the Airport Service Quality Awards. The annual Airport Service Quality Awards recognize and reward the best airports in the world according to an ASQ Departure Survey and the ASQ Arrivals Survey. “These awards represent the highest possible ac...
The Technical Council of Civil Aviation (CETAC) and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) will invest over $10 million USD in important works to improve the international airport of the province of Limon and the airfields of Guápiles and Tortuguero. “This is a country effort to promote economic reactivation, tourism, production, commerce and connectivity, staying in line with the mis...
Starting November, JetBlue will offer a new route to connecting New York, USA to San José, Costa Rica , the announcement was made by the Costa Rican Tourism Board and Aeris, company in charge of the administration of the Juan Santamaría Airport. The direct flight #1793 will leave from John F. Kennedy Aiport in New York on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 6:25 p.m. and will arrive in San José a...
American Airlines announced it will have two new flights from the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to the Juan Santamaría Airport in Alajuela (SJO) and the Daniel Oduber Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The route JFK-SJO will begin operations November 21, the flight will be daily, leaving JFK at 3:59 p.m. and arriving in SJO at 9:42 p.m. and leaving SJO at 11:03 to arrive at New York...
Starting December 18 and through April 25, 2020, an Air Transat Airbus A321LR will connect Vancouver, Canada to San José and Liberia in Costa Rica. Tickets went on sale starting June 6 and will be offered twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, leaving Vancouver at 6:30 a.m. and arriving to Liberia, Guanacaste at 5:25 p.m. making an 80 minute stop at the Juan Santamaría Airport in San José. The...
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that Costa Rica does not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been assigned a Category 2 rating based on a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority. A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means the country either lack...
American Airlines will add, starting December 18, another daily flight from Dallas, Texas to two Costa R Rican destinations, the Juan Santamaria Airport and the Daniel Oduber Airport. Both flights will be scheduled during the evening (red-eye) and involve the use of a B737-800 plane with capacity for 172 passengers. “These new services between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Jose and Liberia, Gua...
Air Canada airlines announced it will increase its flights to Costa Rica by extending the 2019 season into September and October. The season, which is beginning this month, was initially to be put on hold for these two months and resumed in November and December. However, the company decided to fly from April to December without interruptions. During these two additional months, Air Canada will fl...
The Juan Santamaria Airport will have a terminal exclusively for private international flights which will operate under the name GAT SJO General Aviation Terminal and that will be managed by Universal Aviation Costa Rica and other local partners. Costa Rica’s main international airport received over 800 private flights in 2018 and this number is expected to increase to at least 1000 this year. ...
The governments of the United States and Costa Rica presented the Aerial Training Specialized Program directed to personnel of the Aerial Surveillance Service in Costa Rica; the program has the objective of strengthening the security and tools for the Ministry of Public Security. The program is part of multiple cooperation agreements between both countries. The presentation took place in Aerial...
KLM has announced it ill expand its offer in Costa Rica, adding a flight to Liberia, Guanacaste, starting October 2019. Just after two years of having inaugurated its first direct flight to Costa Rica, KLM is ready to include four flights a week originating from Amsterdam, stopping in San Jose, and continuing to Guanacaste. The route is already available and the service will begin October 29...
The airlines that connect Europe with Costa Rica – seven of them through direct flights- expressed their satisfaction to the Costa Rican Tourism Board regarding the results obtained in the past months as a result of their operations in the country; they also voiced their surprise with the acceptance that the destination has had in the markets served. “Back in 2006, Costa Rica only had one indi...