--- title: United Kingdom visa for citizens of Costa Rica description: "Citizens of Costa Rica don't need a visa for the United Kingdom but must get an electronic travel authorization (eTA) online before travelling. Fee: £20. Documents checklist and application steps." canonical: https://nowah.xyz/visa/united-kingdom/costa-rica lastModified: 2026-09-04 --- # United Kingdom visa for citizens of Costa Rica Citizens of Costa Rica don't need a visa for the United Kingdom but must get an electronic travel authorization (eTA) online before travelling. *Verified · last checked 2026-09-04. Policies change. Confirm with the embassy or official visa portal before you travel.* Official application site: https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply ## Key facts - **Entry route:** eTA · Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) - **How to apply:** Electronic travel authorization (online) - **Entries:** Multiple entry - **Government fee:** £20 ## How to apply 1. **Apply online or through the UK ETA app** — Use the GOV.UK online application or the UK ETA mobile application. 2. **Provide passport and applicant information** — Use the passport you will travel with, provide an email address and payment method, and provide the applicant's facial image. Online applicants provide a passport photo; app applicants scan the passport, with a photo used if scanning fails. 3. **Await the decision** — A decision is usually sent by email within a day, but can take up to 3 working days. 4. **Wait for confirmation before travel** — Wait until the email confirms that an ETA has been granted. 5. **Travel with the linked passport and seek entry permission** — The ETA is linked to the passport used in the application; the holder must obtain permission to enter as a Visitor on arrival. ## Documents checklist - **National passport** (Identity): Must establish identity and nationality and be the passport used for travel. - **Photo of passport** (Identity): Required for online applications; the app scans the passport and uses a passport photo if scanning fails. - **Facial image of applicant** (Identity): Required through the ETA application process. - **Email address** (Supporting): Must be usable by the Home Office to contact the applicant. - **Credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay** (Financial): Payment method for the ETA fee. ## Good to know - An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. - For tourism, an ETA permits travel to the UK for up to 6 months, subject to permission to enter. - An ETA lasts for 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner; validityDays remains null because the rule is not expressed as a fixed integer. - A valid ETA permits multiple journeys to the UK. - The holder must obtain permission to enter on arrival; an ETA refusal is not itself a refusal of permission to enter, but a visa is required if the person wishes to travel after refusal. - The holder cannot stay in the UK for longer than 6 months. - Paid or unpaid work for a UK company or self-employment is not permitted, except for a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession. - Frequent or successive visits cannot be used to live in the UK. - The ETA is valid only when the holder travels using the passport specified in the ETA application. ## Common refusal reasons - **Exclusion or deportation order: the applicant is personally directed to be excluded, subject to an exclusion order, or subject to a deportation order or decision to make one.** - **Criminality: the applicant has a UK or overseas conviction with a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or has any UK or overseas conviction unless more than 12 months have passed since the conviction date.** - **Non-conducive presence: the applicant's presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good because of conduct, character, associations or other reasons, including convictions outside the criminality grounds.** - **Previous immigration breach under ETA 2.4 when the applicant was aged 18 or older: overstaying, unless permission was subsequently granted with knowledge of the overstaying; voluntary departure without state expense after an overstay of 90 days or less beginning before 6 April 2017, 30 days or less beginning on or after 6 April 2017, or an overstay covered by the Exceptions for overstayers section; breaching a condition, illegal entry or deception also applies unless the relevant later permission or entry clearance was granted with knowledge of the breach, entry or deception.** - **False representations or failure to disclose relevant facts in the current or a previous ETA application, including false documents or false information whether or not relevant to the application or known to the applicant.** - **Failure to pay litigation costs awarded to the Home Office.** - **Previous ETA cancellation under ETA 5.8, unless entry clearance or permission to enter or stay was subsequently granted with knowledge of the cancellation.** - **Previous refusal under Appendix V: Visitor, unless a valid ETA, entry clearance or permission was held and was not cancelled as a result of that refusal, or was subsequently granted with knowledge of that refusal.** - **Failure to meet ETA validity requirements: the application is invalid and must be rejected without consideration.** ## FAQs ### Do citizens of Costa Rica need a visa for the United Kingdom? Citizens of Costa Rica don't need a visa for the United Kingdom but must get an electronic travel authorization (eTA) online before travelling. Visa type: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). ### How much does the United Kingdom visa cost for citizens of Costa Rica? Government fee: £20. ### What documents do citizens of Costa Rica need for the United Kingdom? National passport; Photo of passport; Facial image of applicant; Email address; Credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. ### Where do I apply? On the official site: https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply ## Sources - [Immigration Rules Appendix ETA National List](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-eta-national-list) - [Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK: Apply for an ETA](https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply) - [Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK: Overview](https://www.gov.uk/eta) - [What you can and cannot do with an ETA](https://www.gov.uk/eta/what-you-can-cannot-do) - [Immigration Rules Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-electronic-travel-authorisation) - [Using the UK ETA app](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-uk-eta-app) ## More - [United Kingdom visa for every passport](/visa/united-kingdom) - [Every destination for Costa Rica passport holders](/visa/passport/costa-rica)