does Costa rica require a passport for entry or re entry permit ok?

[SPSguy 18]

Dear All, hope you can help out here.

My wife is a permanent resident greencard holder. She will be traveling to Costa Rica but she does not have a passport from her native country. I would like to know if Costa Rica will allow entry using a U.S. re entry permit.

Thanks for any help.

[LoveMyTico 999]

How is she traveling without a passport? She needs that to enter the Country and to travel internationally.

[SPSguy 18]

How is she traveling without a passport? She needs that to enter the Country and to travel internationally.

In many countries the re entry permit is used as a travel document and can be used in place of a passport.

[LoveMyTico 999]

My husband is Costa Rican. He says she needs a passport. And why not just go get a passport at your local consulate? Its very easy. why not take all the doubt away?

Edited March 4, 2015 by LoveMyTico

[SPSguy 18]

Getting a passport for her would require traveling to her native country. It is not an option at this time.

Anyways, here's what transpired since my post.

I have called the Costa Rica Embassy in Washington, DC and they are run by a bunch of people that have no clue between a visa and greencard with unlimited entrance to USA. Even the Embassy staff "felt" that a passport is required to enter costa rica. However after some self due diligence and resarching the site that all airlines use to determine documents needed for travel internationally....IATA and subsequently www.visados.com...here are the facts.

http://visados.com/en/visa-for-Costa-Rica

A PASSPORT IS REQUIRED EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING:

1. Travellers with a National ID Card that is valid on arrival and that is issued by Costa Rica to its citizens.

2. Travellers with a 'Laissez Passer' issued by the United Nations.

3. Residents of the United States of America provided they have:
3.1. An American Re-entry Permit (Form no. I-327).
3.2. An American 'Refugee Travel Document' (Form no I-571) issued to eligible foreign refugees.

4. Travellers with proof of entry permission issued by the Department of Immigration to refugees and people without nationality or citizenship.

5. Travellers with 'Kinderausweis', a German identity document issued to children aged 15 years old and younger.

I hope this information can help someone in a similar situation in the future. I had a hard time finding this information and I don't think it would have been possible to find out without doing my own homework.

I took the extra step by calling the airline company. And had I not found the above information it would have been a mess during checkin time. However, with the information above I was able to guide the airline customer service to add a special note in their computer so that the check in attendant will know that no passport is needed.

There you go folks. Always pays to do your own research.

My husband is Costa Rican. He says she needs a passport. And why not just go get a passport at your local consulate? Its very easy. why not take all the doubt away?

Edited March 6, 2015 by SPSguy

[jxn 86]

Costa Ricans can get their passports in consulates in the U.S. They are printed in Costa Rica, but then sent to the appropriate Costa Rican diplomatic missions to be given to the corresponding citizens. So you can do it without leaving the U.S.

[novedsac 355]

Costa Ricans can get their passports in consulates in the U.S. They are printed in Costa Rica, but then sent to the appropriate Costa Rican diplomatic missions to be given to the corresponding citizens. So you can do it without leaving the U.S.

The OPs wife is not Costa Rican.

[LoveMyTico 999]

Ok, you did all that research and you act like they will do whatever you say . I know for a fact that you can goto the Costa Rican consulate in the US and obtain a new passport. I've done it. Its no big deal. For the life of me, I can't understand why she would take the chance and go to the airport and expect to travel without a problem. When my husband got his visa, the day he was leaving Costa Rica, the security pulled him aside and harrassessed him about his paperwork. They called the US to verify everything before they let him through security. And he has a valid passport with the visa stamped in it. I'm sorry, but I would never take the chance and try to travel without a passport. She might get in Costa Rica, but I would bet money they won't let her leave.....unless she applies for a new passport there.. just because you read something on a website doesn't mean the government follows that. Good luck. I hope she decides to go get her passport before she departs. And if she's not Costa Rican, she can goto the consulate for her country and get a passport. Same thing.

Edited March 6, 2015 by LoveMyTico

[SPSguy 18]

Ok, you did all that research and you act like they will do whatever you say . I know for a fact that you can goto the Costa Rican consulate in the US and obtain a new passport. I've done it. Its no big deal. For the life of me, I can't understand why she would take the chance and go to the airport and expect to travel without a problem. When my husband got his visa, the day he was leaving Costa Rica, the security pulled him aside and harrassessed him about his paperwork. They called the US to verify everything before they let him through security. And he has a valid passport with the visa stamped in it. I'm sorry, but I would never take the chance and try to travel without a passport. She might get in Costa Rica, but I would bet money they won't let her leave.....unless she applies for a new passport there.. just because you read something on a website doesn't mean the government follows that. Good luck. I hope she decides to go get her passport before she departs. And if she's not Costa Rican, she can goto the consulate for her country and get a passport. Same thing.

Just a little background info. The IATA and visados.com are not just any ordinary website. These are the sources that power every airline in the world for travel documents. The airline was also able to verify the information and have made the notation for fast and easy check in.

Anyways, thank you for your help. I'm confident enough with the information at hand that there won't be any issue. I'm sorry your husband has had to go through some inconveniences and its understandable have caused some unfriendly memory.

I will update everyone how the trip went after we return in about two weeks.

[jxn 86]

Out of curiosity, where is OPs wife from that she can't get a passport without physically going to her home country?

[SPSguy 18]

Out of curiosity, where is OPs wife from that she can't get a passport without physically going to her home country?

Quick update.

She's from Cambodia. Current passport can be extended up to 3 times via the embassy in Washington, DC. After three times must obtain one from Cambodia. Which seems kind of odd.

In any case, she was able to enter Costa Rica just fine. Got her visa stamped on the re entry permit without issue. Now let's wait and see if they will let her leave Costa Rica when time to return.

My guess is it's going to be just fine.

[SPSguy 18]

Quick update.

She's from Cambodia. Current passport can be extended up to 3 times via the embassy in Washington, DC. After three times must obtain one from Cambodia. Which seems kind of odd.

In any case, she was able to enter Costa Rica just fine. Got her visa stamped on the re entry permit without issue. Now let's wait and see if they will let her leave Costa Rica when time to return.

My guess is it's going to be just fine.

For those still curiose why Cambodia does not easily issue new passports at the Washington DC embassy here's their answer.

www.embassyofcambodia.org/faq.html

Q7. How do I get a new Cambodian passport or renew an old one?

A7. The embassy can only extend passports. A new one can only be obtained in Cambodia at the Ministry of Interior in Phnom Penh.

Unfortunately, Passports can be extended only 3 times.

[jxn 86]

That's a shame. When I misunderstood and thought OP's wife was from Costa Rica, I explained that Costa Rica issues the passports in San José, Costa Rica and then just sends them to the embassy abroad where the citizen applied for a new passport. I don't see why Cambodia can't do the same.

Very glad to hear all went well, OP! I'm genuinely surprised a U.S. green card is valid as a primary identity document in another country. You learn something new every day!

[LoveMyTico 999]

Curious why the OP posted the question when he already knew the answer. smh

[SPSguy 18]

Curious why the OP posted the question when he already knew the answer. smh

No need to shake your head.. it's called a process of learning. AT the time of posting I had no answer. After some due diligence I learned a thing or two. Then more due diligence, and more things learned. One thing led to the next and led to the final answer.

BTW, We just returned from Costa Rica. Everything went painlessly well. My wife was able to re-enter the US easily and hassle free.

So there you have it folks, YES it is 100% possible to use a re entry permit as travel document to enter Costa Rica and re enter the United States.

I am rather surprised that being that you are from Costa Rica you should have known all this. Please, if you don't know the answer to a serious question as this, don't give the wrong answers. If I had listened to your response as conclusive, we would have lost opportunities. I'm not putting blames on your honest attempt to help, but a response without careful due diligence can be more damaging than a no response.

Edited March 27, 2015 by SPSguy