"It is the
customer's responsibility to ensure they have the correct documents
needed for travel."
Spirit Airlines
"Delta's conditions of carriage permit
Delta to refuse to transport passengers when...
passenger lacks necessary
documentation for international travel."
Delta.com
Onward/Outbound International Tickets
Tourists
traveling to Costa Rica must have a roundtrip ticket or
an onward/outbound ticket before being allowed to board
their flight. Immigration refers to this as a
“Tiquete de
continuidad de viaje o retorno al país de prcedencia” (continuing or return ticket) verifying that
travelers will be exiting the country before the date
stamped on their passport as they enter country. Most are
permitted to stay for 90 days.
Costa Rica’s new
immigration law, Ley de Migración y
Extranjería Nº 8764, requires travelers to
have a pre-purchased, verifiable, onward ticket
if they are:
• flying into Costa
Rica on a one-way ticket,
• flying into Costa
Rica and flying out of another country, or
• booked on a return
flight dated after their visa expires.
Airlines check
for onward/outbound tickets before allowing
passengers to board their flights. A
pre-purchased bus or airline ticket satisfies
this requirement. Tourists also need to
present proof of onward travel to Immigration
before entering the country.
"Proof of return or onward travel includes a
return air ticket, a bus ticket, a cruise line
ticket...something that shows you intend to leave
the country. Be ready to show your proof of
return or onward travel to the customer service
representative or you may need to purchase a ticket
at the airport before you leave for Costa Rica."
Frontier Airlines
"My
husband and I were directed to your information by the
Costa Rican consulate. We are both in need of an
onward ticket from Costa Rica (San Jose) to (David)
Panama.... 01/13/2012.
A Safe Passage
has
been purchasing onward tickets for travelers for over a
decade, and we make purchasing a ticket as easy as
1-2-3. To process your order, we need:
(1) a scanned copy of
your passport,
(2) your travel
destination and date of travel, and
(3) payment via PayPal with a credit or debit card.
When
we receive what we need to complete the transaction, we
will purchase, process and e-mail you a copy of your
onward bus ticket along with our cover letter confirming
your itinerary. This will give you the verifiable proof
you need to board your flight and enter the country.
"We recommend your services to our...international
students looking to exit Costa Rica via bus." Costa
Rica TEFL
"Many
websites and blogs suggested that a
forwarding ticket isn't needed nor checked
for very often. This may have been true in
the past, but when I flew from Frankfurt in
early January 2010, I was stopped and
checked three different times for a
forwarding ticket. Luckily I had a bus
ticket to Nicaragua thanks to
A Safe Passage." Lindsey"
While documents
were not always checked in the past, the law is
now being strictly enforced, and travelers who
are not in compliance will not be permitted to
board their flight or enter the country
.…a
woman and her two children weren't allowed
to board a flight to San Jose because they
weren’t aware that they needed onward
tickets.
…a
German traveler flying to Costa Rica and out
of Panama was required to spend an
additional 310 Euros for a ticket out of
Costa Rica -- a ticket she couldn’t use.
…an
American traveler was not allowed to enter
the country because he did think he needed proof of
onward travel.
Regrettably, these situations occur far
too often, in part because Costa Rica
does not have an official, online site
that clearly states the country's entry
requirements. In the absence of an
official source, airlines, embassies,
and unofficial sources provide
conflicting, inaccurate information.
The law is clear: When entering
Costa Rica, tourists need proof of onward
travel. However, they do not
need to purchase a round-trip airline
ticket or a flight out of the country to
satisfy the onward ticket requirement.
Costa Rica accepts an onward/outbound
bus ticket as proof of exiting the
country.
Pre-purchasing your onward/outward bound
bus ticket
online through A Safe
Passagewill give
you the documented, verifiable proof you
need to board your flight and enter the
country.
(...Book...)
Purchasing a Last Minute
Onward Bus Ticket
"(the other company i used never delieverd the
tickets...as promised).... i really appreciate your fast
service, everyone else said they couldn't do it for days
or not at all.... We need more people like you who can
get things done for a good price. I do really appreciate
it" Lucas M. 1/08/12"
If you
are in need of an onward ticket within 24 hours,
Contact
Us. Do not give up your vacation or purchase an
expensive, one-way airline ticket out of Costa Rica
because you cannot verify that you plan to leave the
country within 90 days.
Call (970.439.5446 in the US, or 011.2440.2414
in Costa Rica) or
e-mail us
with the subject heading: “Urgently
Need Onward Bus Ticket.” We may be able
to provide you with an onward bus ticket in a
matter of hours. Again, to process your
order, we need:
(1) a scanned copy of
your passport,
(2) your
international travel
destination and date of travel, and
(3) payment via PayPal with a credit or debit card.
Turnaround time varies.
It will take a few hours
to purchase, process, and send your ticket after we
receive what we need to complete the transaction. Check with your airline
to see 1) how much time you have before your board, 2)
if you can book a later flight, and 3) if they will
allow you to show your onward ticket at your next
destination.
Contact Us.
"Thank
you for your service. I'll spread the word
to friends and family about purchasing
through your website." Matt J.
