Costa Rica on GuideMeet

Rules for overlanding in Costa Rica

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 21 September 2026.

🌐 Italiano · Français · Español

Which driving licence do I need in Costa Rica?

• All vehicles — An Italian licence is accepted. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

• What insurance do I need to drive in Costa Rica? — Third-party liability cover is compulsory.
• What do I need to bring my own vehicle into Costa Rica? — A Carnet de Passage en Douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
• Landslides in the rains — During the rainy season there is a risk of slips and landslides both along the roads linking the central valley to the Pacific coast and along the road to the Caribbean coast, which is sometimes closed to traffic at certain points. Given the precarious state of the road system, the ministry recommends caution; for updates on road conditions, follow the local news media or the official road-status page.
• Where you park — Do not park in isolated places, and leave no valuables or documents in the vehicle. Check the car is really locked: thieves use electronic devices that block the remote locking.
• No lifts to strangers — Do not give lifts to people you do not know.
• Asking directions — Ask at petrol stations or in shops for directions and information about places, rather than strangers met in the street.
• Taxis — Use only authorised taxis, the red ones, or the orange ones serving the international airport. Unofficial taxis have been involved in violence against passengers driven out of town, sometimes with fatal results. The Uber app is widely used in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

What catches travellers out

• The punctured-tyre trick — Document theft has risen a lot and the methods are elaborate: thieves puncture a tourist's tyres, then offer roadside help and rob them. Pay particular attention in cheap local eateries (sodas), bars, shopping centres and above all on public buses; on a bus, keep your backpack and belongings with you or beside you rather than in the overhead rack or unattended. Luggage and documents have also been stolen as passengers arrive at the San José and Liberia international airports, as well as at the departure and arrival stations of scheduled buses.
• Passport and entry — Leave the original in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy, which the authorities accept given how many originals are stolen. The passport needs at least 90 days' validity, and documents that are torn, stained, damaged or missing pages are often refused. No visa is needed for tourism up to 180 days, but you must hold a return ticket.
• Card cloning — Cases of Italians hit by card cloning and bank fraud have risen sharply. Change currency only in banks, authorised agencies or hotels, where the rate may be poor.
• Drugs — Illegally holding, transporting, offering, buying or selling narcotics carries 8 to 20 years in prison; the sentence may be reduced only if a small quantity can be proved to be for strictly personal use. Drug trafficking in the country keeps rising, with more arrests of locals and foreigners.
• Customs — Personal effects with no commercial character (including cameras, video cameras, laptops and sports gear) may be brought in with the traveller, along with 3 litres of wine and/or spirits and 500 g of cigarettes or cigars. Importing foodstuffs is prohibited.
• Emergencies and precautions — In an emergency or if you notice suspicious behaviour, call 911. Do not share your itinerary on social media or with strangers, and avoid walks, jogging or sightseeing without a guide, above all in isolated areas and at night. If you are robbed at gunpoint, do not resist and report it as soon as possible first to the OIJ, not only to the Fuerza Pública.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 21 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Costa Rica before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 21 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.