CHAPTER IX. 

                              BUSINESS TRAVEL 

 

 

A. BUSINESS CUSTOMS 

 

Costa Rican business executives place great importance on 

personal contacts with foreign suppliers.  Appointments should 

take place in the hosts' facilities instead of a hotel room. 

Unlike the protocol in some neighboring countries, formal 

business attire is appropiate (and expected) for most business 

and commerical encounters. 

 

Typical working hours are from 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and from 

02:00 PM to 06:00 PM.  The Costa Rican Government has a 

continuous working schedule from 07:30 AM to 04:00 PM.  Most 

banks open from 09:00 AM to 03:00 PM. 

 

 

B. TRAVEL ADVISORY AND VISAS 

 

Petty crime is frequent.  Thefts, especially in urban areas, and 

car break-ins are common.  Thefts take place on the street and 

from cars.  U.S. passports are a particular target.  The loss or 

theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the 

local police and the U.S. Embassy.  Some remote trails in 

national parks have been closed because of the low number of 

visitors and reported robberies of hikers in the area.  Tourists 

should check with forest rangers for current park conditions. 

 

A passport is not/not required to enter Costa Rica either for 

business or tourism, however the U.S. Consulate in Costa Rica 

highly recommends the use of a valid passport to enter the 

country.  At the discretion of Costa Rican authorities, travelers 

are sometimes admitted with the original copy of a certified U.S. 

birth certificate and photo I.D. for tourist or business stays of 

up to 90 days.   When a passport is not used travelers are issued 

a tourist card upon arrival at the airport.  U.S. citizens must 

have an onward or return ticket to obtain a tourist card.  Upon 

departure every tourist is required to pay an airport tax (in 

1995/$17.00). 

 

To obtain additional and updated information on entry and exit 

requirements, travelers can contact the Consular Section of the 

Embassy of Costa Rica at 1825 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Suite 211, 

Washington, D.C. 20009; Tel: (202) 328-6628 or the nearest Costa 

Rican consulate in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, New 

York or Houston. 

 

U.S. AND COSTA RICAN (C.R.) HOLIDAYS (CY '96) 





 

Jan.  1   - U.S./C.R. New Year's Day 

Jan. 15   - U.S. Martin Luther King's Birthday 

Feb. 19   - U.S. President's Birthday 

Mar. 19   - C.R. St. Joseph's & St. Paul 

Apr.  4   - C.R. Holy Thursday 

Apr.  5   - C.R. Good Friday 

Apr. 11   - C.R. Juan Santamaria 

May.  1   - C.R. Labor Day 

May. 27   - U.S. Memorial Day 

Jun. 10   - C.R. Corpus Christi 

Jun. 29   - C.R. St. Peter and St. Paul 

Jul.  4   - U.S. Independence Day 

Jul. 25   - C.R. Annexation of Guanacaste 

Aug.  2   - C.R. Our Lady of Los Angeles 

Aug. 15   - C.R. Assumption Day 

Sep.  2   - U.S. Labor Day 

Sep. 15   - C.R. Independence Day 

Oct. 10   - U.S. Columbus Day 

Oct. 12   - C.R. Columbus Day 

Nov. 11   - U.S. Veteran's Day 

Nov. 21   - U.S. Thanksgiving Day 

Dec.  8   - C.R. Immaculate Conception 

Dec. 25   - U.S./C.R. Christmas Day 

 

It is recommended that business trips to Costa Rica not be 

scheduled immediately before, or immediately after local or U.S. 

holidays. 

 

 

D. BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE 

 

TRANSPORTATION: 

Costa Rica's infrastructure is among the best developed in the 

region.  There are more than 7,000 kilometers (4,400 miles) of 

principal highways and roads and some 16,000 kilometers (9,600 

miles) of rural roads.  However maintenance of these roads is far 

from optimal.  Cars and drivers both suffer on Costa Rican roads 

and highways which annually handle rains of over 120 inches. 

Costa Rica has more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) of railway 

track, but little of it is currently in use.  There are also more 

than 100 small private landing fields serving 272 registered 

aircraft. 

 

All over-land cargo, except bananas from the Pacific ports, are 

transported via truck.  San Jose's principal airport, Juan 

Santamaria International Airport, is served by 19 international 

passenger airlines and six cargo airlines.  To serve the 

Guanacaste tourist area, the Liberia International Airport was 

inaugurated in December 1991 but is not fully in service yet. 

Once completely operational (tentatively scheduled for October 

1995), it will boost the growing tourism market in Guanacaste and 

the Gulf of Papagayo tourist area. 

 

Regional airports offer regularly scheduled domestic flights to 

Limon, Golfito, Quepos and Tamarindo.  There is good taxi and 

public bus service in the capital (San Jose).  Rent-a-car 

services are also available.  Taxis (official taxis are red) are 

the recommended means of travel for the business executive. 

 





 

LANGUAGE: 

Although Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country, most business 

executives speak English. 

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS: 

Costa Rica enjoys an advanced telecommunications network, 

although some 67,000 Costa Ricans are waiting for a telephone 

line.  Telephone service, in general, is reliable.  The country 

also enjoys both public cellular services and data transmission 

services. 

 

AT&T, Sprint and MCI are available from Costa Rica. 

 

HOUSING: 

Living conditions are very good, although not inexpensive.   The 

perennial spring climate, scenic beauty, housing, food, and 

ancillary services make it a comfortable (but not/not necessarily 

easy) place to live. 

 

Costa Rica offers foreign business travelers a wide variety of 

suitable, modern hotels and excellent bed and breakfast 

facilities located in San Jose, and in neighboring cities. 

Prices are affordable and business services of all type (e.g. 

fax, conference rooms, projectors, etc.) are available in most 

larger hotels. 

 

 

HEALTH: 

In general medical services (excluding some overcrowded and ill- 

equipped hospitals) are very good.  All Costa Rican workers and 

their dependents are covered by a public healh care system 

administered by the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (Caja 

Costarricense de Seguro Social-CCSS).   Many doctors in both the 

national health system and private clinics have been trained 

abroad and fluent in English.  Specialists are available in 

almost all branches of medicine.  Although seriously overcrowded, 

Hospital Mexico and the San Juan de Dios Hospital are the 

best-equipped in Central America.  Private clinics accept major 

credit cards. 

 

As in any tropical climate country, insects thrive.  Although the 

mosquitoes in San Jose do not carry malaria the dengue mosquito 

has been found in Costa Rica.  Numerous eradication programs are 

presently in operation throughout Costa Rica. 

 

 

FOOD: 

Modern shopping centers and supermarkets, along with the 

traditional open air markets, provide a complete variety of goods 

and services.  Vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, fruit, and 

pasteurized dairy products are especially tasty and fresh. 

Numerous restaurants specialize in local, Oriental, American, and 

Continental cuisine.