• Certain citizenships may not require entry visa for Costa Rica. In these cases and depending on the country of nationality, students may have from 30 to 90 days of residence in Costa Rica without an entry visa.
• Other nationalities may require Consular visa, which can be obtained by approaching the nearest Costa Rican Consulate.
• Some citizenships have restricted entry to Costa Rica. In these cases, UPEACE will assist students by making the entry visa request to the Costa Rican Immigration authorities.

New students with restricted entry visas must make sure that the Department of Academic Administration has received all the relevant information and materials for the entry visa request by the application deadline: 28 February.

Check list of information and materials for entry visa request

1. Visa application form
   1. Fax number
   2. Name of father
   3. Name of mother, including her maiden name (last name before marriage)
2. Copy of relevant passport pages containing all the personal information, expiration date, date of issuance, etc.

Costa Rican Immigration takes around six weeks to process entry visas for restricted nationalities. Once the entry visa is granted, Immigration sends a fax to the Department of Academic Administration notifying that the entry visa has been granted. The Department of Academic Administration will scan the notification letter and send it to the student. The student will have a 30-day period to send his/her passport to the nearest Costa Rican Consulate. Once the visa has been granted on the passport by a Costa Rican Consulate, the student will have 30 days to travel to Costa Rica. If the trip is not completed within those 30 days, the visa will expire and the student will need to request an extension of the visa through the Department of Academic Administration. We recommend that the student approach transit visa Consulates at least three months before their date of travel to avoid last minute complications.

Visiting relatives, spouses or partners: if the student plans on receiving the temporary visit of family members, the Department of Academic Administration will assist them with the entry visa request for Costa Rica. The process is the same as the one described above, if the relative, spouse or partner has restricted nationality status. All documents must be sent to DAA at least 10 weeks before the travel takes place.

All nationalities will be assisted by the Department of Academic Administration with the process of applying for a Temporary Student Permit. This permit will allow them to stay in Costa Rica for the time required to complete a UPEACE MA programme (10 to 12 months). Spouses and children may also be assisted upon request. Students must make sure that the Department of Academic Administration has received all the all the relevant information and materials for the entry visa request by the first day of orientation.

Check list of information and materials for Temporary Student Permit

1. Six passport size colour pictures, printed in photographic paper (should be sent in the application package)
2. Name of father (should be included in the application form)
3. Name of mother, including maiden name (should be included in the application form)
4. Full copy of the passport (copies will be made by DAA upon arrival of the student to UPEACE)
5. Criminal record certified by the nearest Costa Rican Consulate. The criminal record should not have more than 30 days of issuance when presented to the Costa Rican Immigration authorities. (should be brought by the student)
6. Students travelling with wife or husband (relatives and/or partners) and children:
   1. Certificate of marriage, authenticated by a Costa Rican Consulate (should be brought by the student)
   2. Children's birth certificate, authenticated by a Costa Rican Consulate (should be brought by the student)

The Temporary Student Permit is not equivalent to a working permit. This means that students will not be allowed to work for remuneration while studying in Costa Rica. Students must commit to leaving Costa Rica once they have finished their studies at UPEACE.