Job Discussion Forums

[krobmaine]

I am planning to come to CR on a tourist visa and do the 90-day border runs. While I would like to do some teaching, my primary interest is to immerse myself in local culture and become fluent in Spanish (relevant to a doctoral project I'd like to do when I return a year later.) I want to purchase a year-long, open-ended return ticket. A travel agent I went to discouraged me from getting a ticket that has a changeable return date a year after my arrival because she said it could be a "red flag," whatever that means. She gave me a document that reads:

[OleLarssen]

When I came here in January I had a open return ticket, but the theoretical date of departure was in the end of July. Either way, my ticket was way over 60 days and I had zero problems getting in with it, and I can't imagine customs will care what your ticket is as long as you have a return ticket. Never heard of anyone getting in trouble because of that, either. Sounds like your travel agency might like some ticket change fees from you, to be honest.

[doreenp]

i have never had a problem entering CR, no matter what the return date on my ticket was.

The only problem i experienced was at the airport in Canada. I had a one way ticket to CR. They wouldn�t let me on the plane until i purchased an exit ticket from CR. They claimed (this was American Airlines) that they would be fined by the CR government (1,000.00) if they accepted a traveler that did not have an outbound ticket. Who knows if this is true or not, or just another ploy to make money. I purchased a cheap ticket to Panama for 30 days later and cancelled it as soon as i arrived in CR.

Another question would be........ has anyone ever shown an outbound ticket via bus ? I am going back to Canada in August and will again have a return ticket to CR. i will take with me a Tica Bus ticket for Granada (8 bucks!) and hope it works.... Has anyone ever used this ?

cheers
d

[OleLarssen]

Outbond bus ticket works on the Costa Rica side of the southern land border with Panama.

I, too, was told by my travel agency to get a return ticket, or else I wouldn't be let into the country. No idea if that's fact or not, though.

[whosear]

I have traveled 5 times to Costa Rica since last June. I have never been asked to show my ticket. Now, I don�t know what information that they have in their computers, such as if the airline information is linked to the Costa Rican system. However, I have never been asked to show my outbound ticket.

When I was a student at UCR, I purchased a year ticket with $25.00 change date. It was acceptable to renew the tourist visa (we were advised by the school administration that this was one option). I have heard stories from travlers here recently that they had been challenged when they went to Nicaragua for 3 days to renew the visa. They were told that�s not what the regulations are for. However, they were let into Costa Rica.

The Lonely Planet guidebook has info that sometimes one is challenged if they, �look too hipp�e-like�.

I�ll post more if I find out more. It is common here that what is written policy is not uniformly followed, although that is changing.