Costa Rica air entry tax 2026: 15 US dollars on a ticket bought abroad

Flying into San Jose on a ticket bought outside Costa Rica carries a tax of 15 US dollars in 2026. The Costa Rican Tourism Board, the government body that administers it, lists "a $15.00 tax for entering Costa Rica by air, with a ticket acquired abroad" and attributes it to Law number 8694 of 11 December 2008.

Two more ticket taxes

The same board administers "a 5% tax on tickets sold in Costa Rica, for any kind of international travel" under a 1955 law, and a 5 percent tax on tickets with Costa Rica as the country of origin under the 2008 law. Both reach you through the airline rather than at an airport counter.

What a trip costs

Two people flying in from abroad carry 30 US dollars of entry tax inside their fares. A 600 dollar international ticket bought in Costa Rica carries a further 30 dollars under the 5 percent rule, again inside the fare rather than as a separate line at the airport.

What is still unclear

Travel sites widely quote a 29 US dollar departure tax at San Jose, but no Costa Rican government page we could reach in 2026 states that figure, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Sources: https://www.ict.go.cr/en/our-work/revenue-department.html

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