# Visa requirements for Costa Rican citizens

Visa requirements for Costa Rican citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Costa Rica.
As of January 2025, Costa Rican citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 151 countries and territories, ranking the Costa Rican passport 29th overall and first among Central American countries, in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.

## Visa requirements

Visa requirements for holders of normal passports traveling for tourist purposes:
| Country | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
| Afghanistan | Visa required | | |
| Albania | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Algeria | Visa required | | |
| Andorra | Visa not required | | |
| Angola | Visa required | | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | eVisa | | |
| Argentina | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Armenia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 120 days | |
| Australia | Visa required | | May apply online (Online Visitor e600 visa). |
| Austria | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Azerbaijan | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Bahamas | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Bahrain | eVisa / visa on arrival | | |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | | |
| Barbados | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Belarus | Visa required | | Visas are issued on arrival at the Minsk International Airport if the support documents were submitted not later than 3 business days before expected date of arrival. |
| Belgium | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Belize | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Benin | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days / 8 days | Must have an international vaccination certificate. |
| Bhutan | Visa required | | |
| Bolivia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period |
| Botswana | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Brazil | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Brunei | Visa not required | 14 days | |
| Bulgaria | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Burkina Faso | Visa required | | |
| Burundi | Visa on arrival | 1 month | |
| Cambodia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | Visa is also obtainable online. |
| Cameroon | Visa required | | |
| Canada | Visa required | | Costa Rican citizens who have held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can enter Canada solely with an eTA when arriving by air. |
| Cape Verde | Visa on arrival | | Not available at all entry points. |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | | |
| Chad | Visa required | | |
| Chile | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| China | Visa required | | |
| Colombia | Visa not required | 180 days | 90 days - extendable up to 180-days stay within a one-year period |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | | |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Visa required | | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Visa required | | |
| Croatia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Cuba | Tourist Card required | 30 days | Extendable up to 60 days with fee |
| Cyprus | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Czech Republic | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Denmark | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Djibouti | eVisa | 31 days | |
| Dominica | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| Dominican Republic | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Ecuador | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Egypt | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Nationals of Costa Rica with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days. They can apply to extend their stay. |
| El Salvador | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Equatorial Guinea | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Eritrea | Visa required | | |
| Estonia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Eswatini | Visa required | | |
| Ethiopia | eVisa | up to 90 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport |
| Fiji | Visa required | | |
| Finland | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| France and territories | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Gabon | eVisa | | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. |
| Gambia | Visa not required | | An entry clearance must be obtained from the Gambian Immigration prior to travel. |
| Georgia | Visa not required | 1 year | |
| Germany | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Ghana | Visa required | | |
| Greece | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Grenada | Visa not required | | |
| Guatemala | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Guinea | Visa required | | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Guyana | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Haiti | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Honduras | Visa not required | 90 days | Starting October 25th, 2023, Costa Rican citizens who wish to enter Honduras must present a criminal record certificate. |
| Hungary | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Iceland | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| India | e-Visa | 60 days | e-Visa holders must arrive via 31 designated airports or 5 designated seaports. An Indian e-Tourist Visa may only be obtained twice within 1 calendar year. Foreigners of Pakistani origin or who hold a Pakistani Passport are not eligible for an e-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) were born in, or were permanent residents in Pakistan, are also not eligible for an e-Visa. |
| Indonesia | Visa required | | |
| Iran | eVisa/Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Iraq | Visa required | | |
| Ireland | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Israel | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Italy | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Jamaica | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Japan | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Jordan | Visa on arrival | | Conditions apply. Not available at all entry points. |
| Kazakhstan | eVisa | | |
| Kenya | Electronic Travel Authorisation | 3 months | |
| Kiribati | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| North Korea | Visa required | | |
| South Korea | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Kuwait | Visa required | | |
| Kyrgyzstan | eVisa | 30 days or 60 days | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Manas International Airport or Osh Airport or through land crossings with China (at Irkeshtam and Torugart), Kazakhstan (at Ak-jol, Ak-Tilek, Chaldybar, Chon-Kapka), Tajikistan (at Bor-Dobo, Kulundu, Kyzyl-Bel) and Uzbekistan (at Dostuk). |
| Laos | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | 17 of the 31 border crossings are only open to visa holders. e-Visa may be used to enter Laos through Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, 3 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and in Boten (road and railroad). Visa on arrival is available at Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, the 4 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and 6 border crossings. Visa on arrival is extendable for an additional 60 days at the Department of Immigration in Vientiane. |
| Latvia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Lebanon | Free visa on arrival | 1 month | 1 month extendable for 2 additional months Granted free of charge at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry if there is no Israeli visa or seal, holding a telephone number, an address in Lebanon, and a non refundable return of circle trip ticket. |
| Lesotho | eVisa | | |
| Liberia | Visa required | | |
| Libya | Visa required | | |
| Liechtenstein | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Lithuania | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Luxembourg | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Madagascar | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Malawi | Visa on arrival | | |
| Malaysia | Visa not required | 1 month | |
| Maldives | Free visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Mali | Visa required | | |
| Malta | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Marshall Islands | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Mauritania | Visa on arrival | | Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport. |
| Mauritius | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Mexico | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Micronesia | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Moldova | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Monaco | Visa not required | | |
| Mongolia | Visa required | | |
| Montenegro | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Morocco | Visa required | | |
| Mozambique | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Conditions apply |
| Myanmar | eVisa | 28 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand — Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung or India — Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu. eVisa is available for tourism only. |
| Namibia | Visa required | | |
| Nauru | Visa required | | |
| Nepal | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Netherlands | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| New Zealand | Visa required | | May transit without visa if transit is through Auckland Airport and for no longer than 24 hours, subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure. Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure. |
| Nicaragua | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Niger | Visa required | | |
| Nigeria | Visa required | | |
| North Macedonia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within 180 days |
| Norway | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Oman | Visa not required | 14 days | |
| Pakistan | Electronic Travel Authorization | | Electronic Travel Authorization to obtain a visa on arrival for tourism purposes. Electronic Travel Authorization to obtain a visa on arrival for business purposes. Online Visa eligible. |
| Palau | Free visa on arrival | 30 days | Extendable twice only with fee |
| Panama | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa required | | |
| Paraguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Peru | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Philippines | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Poland | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Portugal | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Qatar | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Romania | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Russia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Rwanda | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Saint Lucia | Visa not required | 6 weeks | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa not required | 1 month | |
| Samoa | Visa not required | 60 days | |
| San Marino | Visa not required | | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | eVisa | | |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required | | |
| Senegal | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Serbia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Seychelles | Free Visitor's Permit on arrival | 3 months | |
| Sierra Leone | Visa required | | |
| Singapore | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Slovakia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Slovenia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Solomon Islands | Visitor's permit on arrival | 3 months | |
| Somalia | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Available at Bosaso Airport, Galcaio Airport and Mogadishu Airport. |
| South Africa | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| South Sudan | eVisa | | Obtainable online. Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel. |
| Spain | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Sri Lanka | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Sudan | Visa required | | |
| Suriname | E-tourist card | 90 days | Multiple entry eVisa is also available. |
| Sweden | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Switzerland | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area |
| Syria | Visa required | | |
| Tajikistan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Tanzania | eVisa / Visa on arrival | | |
| Thailand | eVisa / visa on arrival | 15 days | |
| Timor-Leste | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Not available at all entry points. |
| Togo | Visa on arrival | 7 days | |
| Tonga | Visa required | | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Tunisia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Turkey | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | | |
| Tuvalu | Visa on arrival | 1 month | |
| Uganda | eVisa / Visa on arrival | | Determined at the port of entry. May apply online. |
| Ukraine | Visa required | | e-Visa is currently suspended due to Russian invasion of Ukraine. |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| United Kingdom | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| United States | Visa required | | |
| Uruguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Uzbekistan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Vanuatu | Visa required | | |
| Vatican City | Visa not required | | |
| Venezuela | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Vietnam | eVisa | 90 days | Phú Quốc without a visa for up to 30 days. |
| Yemen | Visa required | | |
| Zambia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Zimbabwe | eVisa / Visa on arrival | | |

## Dependent, disputed, or restricted territories
### Unrecognized or partially recognized countries

| Territory | Conditions of access | Notes |
| Abkhazia | Visa required | |
| Kosovo | Visa not required | 90 days |
| Northern Cyprus | Visa not required | up to 90 days |
| Palestine | Visa not required | Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed. |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | | Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory. |
| Somaliland | Visa on arrival | 30 days for 30 USD, payable on arrival. |
| South Ossetia | Visa not required | |
| Taiwan | Visa required | Exempt for stays of up to 90 days for holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) with local pre-clearance. |
| Transnistria | Visa not required | Registration required after 24 hours. |

### Dependent and autonomous territories

| Territory | Territory | Conditions of access | Notes |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Visa not required | 30 days |
| Macau | Macau | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
| Denmark ||||
| Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | Visa not required | |
| Greenland | Greenland | Visa not required | |
| France ||||
| Clipperton Island | Clipperton Island | Special permit required | |
| French Guiana | French Guiana | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| French Polynesia | French Polynesia | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Guadeloupe | Guadeloupe | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Martinique | Martinique | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Saint Barthélemy | Saint Barthélemy | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Saint Martin | Saint Martin | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Mayotte | Mayotte | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| New Caledonia | New Caledonia | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Réunion | Réunion | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Wallis and Futuna | Wallis and Futuna | Visa not required | Visa free for 3 months within any 6-month period for each territory. |
| Netherlands ||||
| Aruba | Aruba | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| Bonaire | Bonaire | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| Sint Eustatius | Sint Eustatius | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| Saba | Saba | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| Curaçao | Curaçao | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| Sint Maarten | Sint Maarten | Visa not required | up to 90 days for each territory |
| New Zealand ||||
| Cook Islands | Cook Islands | Visa not required | 31 days |
| Niue | Niue | Visa not required | 30 days |
| Tokelau | Tokelau | Permit required | |
| Norway ||||
| Jan Mayen | Jan Mayen | Permit required | Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours. |
| Svalbard | Svalbard | Visa not required | Unlimited period under Svalbard Treaty but it's practically impossible to board a flight/ferry to Svalbard without entering Norway. Hence double entry Schengen visa would be required to go and come back from Svalbard to mainland Norway. |
| United Kingdom ||||
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Visa not required | |
| Anguilla | Anguilla | Visa not required | 3 months |
| Bermuda | Bermuda | Visa not required | up to 6 months, decided on arrival |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | British Indian Ocean Territory | Special permit required | |
| British Virgin Islands | British Virgin Islands | Visa not required | up to 6 months |
| Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands | Visa not required | 6 months |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Visa required | |
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar | Visa not required | |
| Montserrat | Montserrat | Visa not required | 6 months |
| Pitcairn Islands | Pitcairn Islands | Visa not required | 14 days visa free and landing fee 35 USD or tax of 5 USD if not going ashore. |
| Saint Helena | Saint Helena | Visa not required | |
| Ascension Island | Ascension Island | eVisa | 3 months within any year period. |
| Tristan da Cunha | Tristan da Cunha | Permission required | Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands. |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Permit required | Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling). |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands | Visa not required | 90 days |
| United States ||||
| American Samoa | American Samoa | Entry permit required | |
| Guam | Guam | Visa required | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Mariana Islands | Visa required | |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico | Visa required | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands | Visa required | |
| Antarctica and adjacent islands ||||
| Special permits required for Bouvet Island, British Antarctic Territory, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Argentine Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Chilean Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency. ||||

#### Other territories

* Australia. Ashmore and Cartier Islands - Special authorisation required.
* Belarus. Brest and Grodno - Visa-free for 10 days
* China. Hainan - Visa on arrival for 15 days. Available at Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Visa not required for 21 days for traveling as part of a tourist group (2 or more people)
* China. Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibet Travel Permit required (10 USD).
* Colombia. San Andrés and Leticia - Visitors arriving at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport and Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport must buy tourist cards on arrival.
* Ecuador. Galápagos - Online pre-registration is required. Transit Control Card must also be obtained at the airport prior to departure.
* Eritrea outside Asmara – To travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa).
* Fiji. Lau Province - Special permission required.
* Greece Mount Athos - Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.
* India. Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for whole states of Nagaland and Sikkim and parts of states Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year.
* Iran. Kish Island - Visa not required.
* Kazakhstan. Closed cities - Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty.
* North Korea outside Pyongyang - Special permit required. People are not allowed to leave the capital city, tourists can only leave the capital with a governmental tourist guide (no independent moving).
* Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak - Visa not required. These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies.
* Maldives outside Malé - Permission required. Tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.
* Russia. Several closed cities and regions in Russia - Special authorization required.
* Saudi Arabia Mecca and Medina - Special access required. Non-Muslims and those following the Ahmadiyya religious movement are strictly prohibited from entry.
* Sudan. Darfur - Separate travel permit is required.
* Sudan outside Khartoum - All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit.
* Tajikistan. Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province - OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez.
* Turkmenistan. Closed cities - A special permit, issued prior to arrival by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is required if visiting the following places: Atamurat, Cheleken, Dashoguz, Serakhs and Serhetabat.
* United States. Closed city of Mercury, Nevada, United States - Special authorization is required for entry into Mercury.
* United States. United States Minor Outlying Islands - Special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.
* Venezuela. Margarita Island - Visa not required. All visitors are fingerprinted.
* Vietnam. Phú Quốc - Visa not required for 30 days.
* Yemen outside Sana'a or Aden - Special permission needed for travel outside Sana'a or Aden.
* UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus - Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas.
* Korean Demilitarized Zone - Restricted area.
* UNDOF Zone and Ghajar - Restricted area.

## Non-visa restrictions

Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.

### Blank passport pages

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

### Vaccination

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

### Passport validity length

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).
Some countries, such as Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom, require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives and South Africa.

#### Maximum passport age

Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry. A number of holders of British passports, which until September 2018 could be issued with a validity period of up to 10 years and nine months if the previous passport was not expired, were unable to travel to the EU subsequent to Brexit due to this restriction.

### Criminal record

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

### Persona non grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.

### Israeli stamps

Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

### Biometrics

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, Argentina, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Japan, Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), Malaysia upon entry and departure, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation), intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.