Japan to Costa Rica visa requirements

No visa required. Japanese passport holders are in Costa Rica's Group 1 and may enter visa-free for tourism for up to 180 days. Japanese ordinary passport holders do not need a visa to visit Costa Rica for tourism. Costa Rica classifies Japan in Group 1, its most favorable category, which permits visa-free entry for stays of up to 180 days (non-extendable). The traveler simply arrives at a Costa Rican port of entry and receives a stamp from the immigration officer, who determines the exact length of stay granted (which may be less than the maximum). The passport must be valid for at least one day on arrival, and proof of onward or return travel within the permitted period is required. Costa Rica is in Central America and is NOT part of the Schengen area, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply. A November 2025 update to Costa Rica's four-group visa policy confirmed and retained Japan's Group 1 status while tightening rules only for restricted Groups 3 and 4. No eVisa, ETA, or visa-on-arrival process applies to Japanese tourists. Note that airlines commonly require evidence of onward travel before boarding, and visitors arriving from yell-fever-endemic countries must show proof of vaccination.