Costa Rica/Honduras: Reciprocal Visa-Free Entry Reinstated
October 26, 2023
Countries / Territories
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At a Glance
- Costa Rica and Honduras have reciprocally reinstated the visa-free entry policy for each other’s nationals effective immediately.
- This follows the reintroduction of the visa requirement in both countries for each other’s nationals earlier in October.
- Instead of a visa, nationals of both countries can now present either a police or criminal clearance certificate (as required) when seeking entry to the other country.
The situation
Costa Rica and Honduras have reciprocally reinstated the visa-free entry policy for each other’s nationals effective immediately.
A closer look
- Visa-free entry. Costa Rican nationals can once again enter Honduras without a visa for tourism and business for up to 90 calendar days, extendable for up to 30 additional days; and Honduran nationals can once again enter Costa Rica without a visa for tourism and business for up to 30 calendar days, renewable up to a total of 90 days.
- Police/criminal clearance certificate required. Instead of a visa, nationals of Honduras must now present a police clearance certificate issued by the National Police of Honduras (which lists occurrences when someone was detained by the police, or when the police conducted an investigation related to a crime); and nationals of Costa Rica must present a criminal clearance certificate issued by the Judicial Registry (which lists occurrences when someone was legally convicted of a crime). Limited exemptions apply such as for transportation and diplomatic personnel and those transiting through airports. The certificates do not need to be apostilled/legalized.
Impact
Foreign nationals from Costa Rica and Honduras traveling to each other’s country for tourism or business will again find a streamlined process for entering as they no longer need to obtain a visa from a consulate. Obtaining a police clearance certificate in Costa Rica or Honduras is typically faster.
Background
The visa requirement for Honduran nationals was implemented on October 6, 2023, followed four days later by a reciprocal measure implemented in Honduras for Costa Rican nationals.
The reciprocal visa exemption revocations were highly contentious, and significantly burdened transportation and commerce between the two countries. Representatives of both governments met in Costa Rica on October 24, 2023, and signed an agreement to reinstate visa-free travel for visitors.
Looking ahead
As countries in Central America continue to grapple with increased irregular migration and rising crime in certain areas, the immigration landscape remains fluid and other immigration changes may be forthcoming.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
