How to do a Return Border Crossing Trip as a Costa Rica - based expat (via Paso Canoas)

This post specifically targets persons who do not have the official status as a legal 'permanent resident' or 'citizen' of Costa Rica (and the neighboring country), but who wishes to cheaply and legally extend their time in Costa Rica for longer than 3 consecutive months.

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Upon entering into Costa Rica, visitors from many countries are granted an automatic tourist visa that is usually valid for 3 months. Consequently, if you wish to remain in Costa Rica legally beyond the provision of a tourist visa, you will need to leave and then re-enter the country to receive a new tourist visa. The cheapest way of accomplishing this is by crossing the border out of and then back into Costa Rica by land. In fact, depending on the proximity of where you live to the Costa Rica border, it was usually possible to complete the entire process within a single day if you start your journey early enough in the morning. From late 2019, Panama began to demand that overnight in Panama. This trend has continued even after the pandemic-related closure of the border. In fact, it is unlikely that Panama immigration officers will be flexible on this matter more than before because this request seems to be an attempt to earn tourism revenue. For this reason, they are likely to demand hotel reservations at a Panama hotel. Needless to say, one ought to be careful in handling this matter as I have heard of a case in which people had to spent a lot of time and money to retrieve their passports after it had been confiscated when travelers were on the wrong side of the border (like overnighting in Costa Rica while one's passport suggests otherwise). Needless to say, the border runs are becoming more costly and tedious. In case you have wondered, it is apparently not possible to leave and then re-enter Costa Rica without entering Panama.

To successfully make a round trip border crossing from Costa Rica to Panama in the South (or Nicaragua in the North) requires preparation and the following ordered steps upon arrival at each country's immigration checkpoint.

Before embarking on a round trip border crossing, prepare by having all of the following:

• A passport. Your passport should be valid for 6 months after the date on which you plant to re-enter Costa Rica. For instance, if you wish to re-enter on 1st January, your passport must be valid for a period that extends beyond 30th June.
• Proof of onward travel from 1) Panama and 2) Costa Rica. Each country's immigration department may seek to ensure that you plan on leaving their country before the expiration of that respective country's tourist visa. The duration of visas for citizens with passports from 'first world' countries is usually 6 months in Panama and 3 months in Costa Rica. Usually, acceptable forms of proof are tickets from buses or airlines on which your full name appears as it does on your passport. Depending on the immigration officer, you may (or may not) be asked for this on one, both or neither of the immigration checkpoints. However, it is best to prepare with at least a departure ticket from Costa Rica. You need not gather the proof of onward travel from Panama before your trip. As discussed below in step 2, you can get this proof when you are at the border, if asked for it.
• A proof of sufficient funds. Examples include the following
• USD 500 in cash
• a bank statement with a balance of at least USD 500. 
• I have heard that a credit card will also suffice but do not understand the logic since credit cards may have insufficient funds available for use. Having said this however, it may be useful to show a credit limit over USD 500 and a very recent statement showing that you have not yet used credit beyond the point of still having at least USD 500 available.
• USD 8.00 (online via a Banco de Costa Rica portal) or USD 10.00 in cash a Costa Rica's departure tax ('impuesto de salida') office next door to the immigration building. You can pay the equivalent in colones. The online portal requires your passport number, name and email address.
• A pen to complete the immigration form at the Panama and  Costa Rica immigration department(s)
• Covid-19 vaccination certification to enter into Panama. If you do not meet the requirements, you will need to take a test for roughly USD 40. Costa Rica no longer requires this.
• USD 1.00 to pay a paper stamp duty to enter into Panama

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Your readiness for biometric registration (on the Panama side). Upon arrival, the immigration officer will take your finger prints and photographs without hats or glasses.

Your readiness to answer questions at the immigration department of either country. These questions may involve the following. 

your source of income.

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How to do a Return Border Crossing Trip as a Costa Rica - based expat (via Paso Canoas)

There are 5 main steps for making a successful round trip border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama (or Nicaragua): 1) officially leave Costa Rica; 2) officially enter into Panama (or Nicaragua); 3) spend the amount of time required by Panama (or Nicaragua) before you can leave Panama (or Nicaragua); 4) officially leave Panama (or Nicaragua) and then; 5) officially return into Costa Rica. The following applies specifically to Paso Canoas (but, outside of details specific to finding buildings in Paso Canoas, may apply to other border crossing points).

Step 1 Leave Costa Rica officially. 

Although it is sometimes possible for you to walk across the border into the neighboring country without registering this in your passport, do not take this approach if you need a new tourist visa to remain in Costa Rica legally for more than 3 months.

• 1a. Pay departure tax of USD 8.00 on the Costa Rica side. This sum includes all other duties. Pay departure tax where you can find the sign that reads 'Impuesto de Salida'. As pictured below, in Paso Canoas, the office is housed in a small yellow and red building. You will find it on the right hand side of the main road when you approach the border from Costa Rica side. 
  
• 1b. Get your passport stamped for officially leaving Costa Rica in the blue and white building opposite the departure tax office. Before reaching the window, cut through to the front of the line for 2 copies of the same form: one to leave and the other to return.   

  

  Join the line for the window that says 'Salidas' (which means departure or exit)

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Step 2 - Enter Panama officially.

• 2a. Go to the Panama immigration building. The Paso Canoas office of the Panama immigration department opens from ........... until 2300 hrs (or 11 pm) from Monday to ........ 

  

  The Panama immigration office is highlighted in the image above. As at late 2017, it is the only modern looking building with a rounded roof that is right in the middle of the highway (ie as opposed to being on one side of the road as in the case of the Costa Rica immigration office).

• 2b. Pay the USD 1.00 stamp duty in cash. Just infront of the place where you join the line for 'arrivals' ('entrada'), someone will be positioned to sell these stamps to you.]
• 2c. Prepare for biometric registration (finger printing and photographs without a hat or glasses). The biometric records will occur during the next step.
• 2d. Get your passport stamped for having officially entered into Panama.
• If asked for proof of onward travel from Panama when you do not have one. show your proof of onward travel from Costa Rica at a date within 6 months of the current date. This will satisfy some immigration officers because, by virtue of needing to meet a travel commitment out of Costa Rica, you will have to leave Panama before that time (which is also before your automatic 6-month tourist visa expires). Failing this, you will need to buy a proof of outward travel from Panama from a bus company with transnational routes (like Tracopa). A ticket that clearly shows an origin (or 'origen') in Panama and destination ('destino') in Costa Rica] with a travel date that falls within 6 months will suffice. They use the British system of writing dates, ie dd,mm,yy. Your passport number and your same name in the passport should appear on the ticket.
• An option is to book an AA airline ticket reservation on hold. Since you need not pay for the ticket for a period, usually 24 hours, it is best time the booking if you are to ascertain that your booking is still truly valid and therefore authentic and legal upon arrival at the immigration department. 
• As pictured below, one of your cheapest options (as at late 2017) is an open ticket ('un bilete abierto') from 'David, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica'. Go to the Tracopa ticketing office. It is on the same side of the main road as the Costa Rica immigration office between the immigration checkpoint offices of the 2 countries. (As at late 2017, it was between Banco Nacional of Costa Rica and the Costa Rican immigration office). Unfortunately, as at late 2017, it did not have a sign on the outside. You will therefore need to ask for directions. 

• 

This ticket clearly shows proof of outward travel from Panama to Costa Rica before your automatic 6-month tourist visa in Panama expires. Although the ticket is open, meaning its bus stations and dates can be changed for 1 year, it states validity until 3 months after the current date, in keeping with the 3-month tourist visa.

Step 3 - Remain in Panama for the required amount of time

When asked for the soonest time they may remain in Panama before officially leaving Panama, people are often told 3 hours by the Panama immigration office. (Apparently this is due to how the Panama immigration department's computer data base works). 

During this time, you may stay close to the Panama immigration building by going to the nearby malls (like Mall Jerusalem and City Mall), liquor stores (like Zona Libre), hardware stores and many other commercial sites. Most of these are within walking distance with prices that are considerably lower than in Costa Rica.

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Step 4 - Leave Panama officially

After the required time period in Panama has passed, return to the Panama immigration building. The Panama immigration department opening hours are ........... until 2300 hrs (or 11 pm).

4a. Get your passport stamped. Return to the same area through which you entered. However, this time, go into the line for 'departures' or 'salida'.

Step 5 - Re-enter into Costa Rica officially

• 5a. Have handy your proof of onward travel from Costa Rica just in case you are asked for it along with your passport. Also be prepared to answer questions (as discussed above in the list of things to prepare beforehand).
• 5b. Return to the Costa Rica immigration office. As highlighted below, join the 'Entradas' (ie 'arrivals') line.
  
• 5c. Get your passport stamped. If you wish to do another return border crossing as discussed in this post, do not explain this as you are a legally 'tourist'. Ensure that you are granted a tourist visa for the maximum number of days, ie 90 days.
• 5d. If you are traveling on via TraCoPa (an international busline that travels between Costa Rica and Panama), you will need to get your luggage checked by a customs officer. This step does not generally apply if you are traveling to nearby Costa Rica towns and cities (like Ciudad Neily or Golfito) via a local busline (like TransGolfo). By the way, the TransGolfo bus station is on the same side as the Costa Rica departure tax office on the mainroad between the 2 immigration checkpoint offices.
• 5e. Have your stamped passport handy in preparation for border police inspections at immigration checkpoints further inland. For instance, upon boarding the vehicle that takes you away from Paso Canoas, do NOT place it deep within the hold of the bus since any vehicle may be required to stop at the border police check point. Note that, not only are the police likely to check every individual, but they are also known to patiently wait as long as it takes you to find a passport, even if your luggage is the farthest in the bottom of a bus.

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Happy travels!

CONTENT RELATED TO DOING A RETURN BORDER CROSSING TRIP AS A COSTA RICA-BASED EXPAT (VIA THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER TOWN OF PASO CANOAS)

• Tracopa, the company and their bus schedule from San Isidro to Ciudad Neily
• The TransGolfo bus schedule to nearby Costa Rica towns and cities (like Ciudad Neily and Golfito)
• AA airline ticket reservation

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