Canadian citizens: Canadians traveling with a valid passport will receive a free visa at the border for visits of up to 90 days. Without a valid passport, Canadian travelers need proof of identity, along with a photograph; entry with these documents requires the purchase of a tourist card. Tourist cards are available from any Costa Rican embassy or consulate or from your airline on the day of departure.

EU citizens: A valid passport is required for stays of up to 90 days, except for nationals of France, who may stay for only 30 days. Nationals of Greece and Ireland may also stay for only 30 days, and they are required to have a tourist visa.

Japanese citizens: A valid passport, good for at least six months from the date of entry, is required for stays of up to 90 days

U.S. citizens: Citizens of the U.S. traveling with a valid passport will receive a free visa for visits of up to 90 days. Without a valid passport, U.S. citizens need proof of identity (such as an original birth certificate) along with a photograph for visits of up to 90 days; entry with these documents requires the purchase of a tourist card. Tourist cards are available from any Costa Rican embassy or consulate or from your airline on the day of departure.
Others: Check here. Check with the nearest Costa Rican embassy or consulate for further details.

Phone Code
The international telephone access code is 506. City and area codes do not exist. To place a direct-dialed international call from Costa Rica, dial 001 followed by the relevant country code and number; to reach an international operator, dial 116. To reach local information, dial 113.

Time Zone
Costa Rican time is 6 hours earlier than Greenwich mean time (GMT) or 6 hours earlier than London, 14 hours earlier than Tokyo, and 1 hour earlier than New York. Costa Rica has no daylight saving time, and it is located in the same time zone as Central Standard Time.

Business Hours
Banks are open on weekdays 9 AM–3 PM. Shops are open from 8 or 9 AM to 5 or 6 PM (closed for a lunch break), Monday–Saturday.

Holidays
Business holidays include New Year's Day (1 January), Saint Joseph's Day (19 March), Holy Thursday (late March or early April; date varies), Good Friday (late March or early April; date varies), Juan Santamaria (11 April), Labor Day (1 May), Corpus Christi (early June, variable date), Annexation of Guanacaste (25 July), Our Lady of Los Angeles (2 August), Mother's Day (15 August), Independence Day (15 September), Columbus Day (12 October), Immaculate Conception (8 December), and Christmas Day (25 December).

Note: Most businesses close for Holy Week—from Wednesday noon through Easter Sunday.

Weather
Although Costa Rica lies wholly within the tropics, it possesses at least a dozen climatic zones. In general, the coastal regions are hotter than the central valley (for instance, in San José), where temperatures average 19° C (66° F) in January and 21° C (69° F) in July. The rainy season stretches from May to November, while the dry season runs from December to April.

Money
The Costa Rican colón (C) is divided into 100 centimos. There are coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 100 colones and notes of  50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 colones. The Currency Converter provides current exchange rates.

Money can be changed only at banks and hotel cash desks or at the airport upon arrival. Banks will usually cash traveler's checks, though they may accept only certain brands. Some small towns may not even have banks, so visitors are advised to change money before traveling to these areas and to carry small bills. Visitors from countries outside the United States may want to consider buying U.S. dollars before arriving, as those are the easiest form of foreign currency to change in Costa Rica. Changing money on the street is common but illegal.

Major credit cards are accepted by most larger hotels, car rental companies, and stores. Some of these establishments also accept U.S. dollars as payment.

Tipping
It's not customary to tip in restaurants (a service charge is included in the bill), nor is it customary to tip taxi drivers. Porters in nicer hotels usually expect about C100 per bag, and tour guides normally receive a tip of C300–400 per person per day.

Measurements
Although the metric system is established in most of the country, some of the old Spanish measurements still survive in vernacular usage. Street directions, for example, are often given as 100 varas (the Spanish "yard," equivalent to 83 centimeters/33 inches).

Electricity
Electrical current in Costa Rica is 110/220 volts AC, 60 Hz. Plugs with two flat, parallel pins are standard, though you may also see three rectangular pins. Visitors from abroad who wish to operate personal small electronic items should bring a plug adapter and a transformer.

Driving
Drivers should be prepared for a variety of road conditions. Generally, roads are good (there are two-lane freeways between major towns in the Meseta Central), but those in rural areas can be impassable during the wet season. Residents and bus drivers are usually good sources of information about road conditions.

You must be 21 years of age to Rent a Car and drive in Costa Rica. A driver's license from your home country is valid for three months. Traffic proceeds on the right-hand side of the road. Speed traps are common on the Pan-American highway, and speed limits are enforced rigorously in many areas of the country. Still, many Costa Rican drivers are aggressive and even reckless, and speeding is commonplace. For more information, see Transportation.

Emergencies
Throughout the country, dial 911 to contact police, reach the Red Cross, and report medical emergencies, fires, or traffic accidents.