Costa Rica entry requirements for Malaysian citizens

How long you can stay

Up to 30 days per visit.

What you need

• Valid machine-readable passport valid at least 90 days on entry
• Return or onward ticket
• Proof of funds: at least US$100 per month or part-month of stay
• Customs traveller declaration (Declaración de Viajero) on arrival

Good to know

The 2025 directive (AJ-484-11-2025) lists MALASIA in the SECOND GROUP: 'INGRESO SIN VISA. PERMANENCIA MÁXIMA: HASTA LOS TREINTA DÍAS NATURALES (prorrogables hasta un total de noventa días naturales, conforme a la legislación aplicable). VIGENCIA MÍNIMA DE PASAPORTE: 90 DÍAS NATURALES.' So Malaysians need no visa, get up to 30 days (set by the officer), extendable with the immigration authority (DGME) to a total of 90 days, and need 90 days of passport validity. Note: the March 2023 directive had Malaysia in the first group — older pages showing 90/180 days for Malaysians are outdated. Entry requirements for every foreigner (Directrices, PRIMERO §4, citing art. 42 Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764 and art. 30 Reglamento de Control Migratorio 36769-G): a valid, machine-readable/biometric passport in good condition; a visa where required; proof of funds of at least US$100 per month or part-month of authorised stay; a return or onward ticket (or a navigation plan naming the destination port); and no bar to entry. Tourist (No Residente, subcategoría Turismo) status allows leisure, business or professional activities only if they involve no pay or profit in Costa Rica. Also on arrival: a customs traveller declaration (Declaración de Viajero) is required of every arriving traveller (art. 368 Reglamento a la Ley General de Aduanas, Decreto 44051-H). Per the UK FCDO page (cross-check), a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you are coming from a country listed as a yellow-fever transmission risk, an air departure tax of US$29 may apply (usually included in the ticket), and overstayers can be fined US$100 per month and refused future entry; travel.gc.ca (updated 31 Aug 2026) adds that people deported for overstaying may be barred from re-entering for 5 to 10 years.

Source Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, 'Directrices Generales de Visas de Ingreso y Permanencia para No Residentes' AJ-484-11-2025, Alcance N° 148 a La Gaceta N° 216 (17 Nov 2025) — official Imprenta Nacional gazette edition (copy hosted on icoder.go.cr; the migracion.go.cr copy is Cloudflare-blocked)Checked against the source on 2026-10-09