Migratory recommendations for traveling through Central America
Note: These migratory recommendations are those indicated by the Immigration authorities of each country, the company only discloses them through this means so that you can prepare your trip without inconveniences, if you require more detail or have doubts, we recommend you to enter the corresponding web site and make your consultations.
PANAMÁ
- The traveler must have a passport with a minimum validity of three months.
- Ticket or return ticket to the country of origin or continuation of the trip.
- Economic solvency of up to $1,000 USD, or its equivalent in credit card, bank reference, letter of employment or traveler's checks. The amount requested will depend on what the immigration agent in Panama determines at the moment of evaluating the information given by the user in the interview.
- In some cases the payment voucher of the hotel where you will be staying will be requested. If you are going to stay in a hotel, you must be clear about the name, exact address and contact information.
- If you are staying at a family or friend's house, the authorities will request a copy of the residence document of the person where you will be staying in Panama, the exact address and contact information.
- The immigration officer will interview the traveler, requesting a landline telephone number and the exact address where he/she will be staying in Panama. It is very important to take into consideration that, when sharing the information of a friend or relative, he/she must be under a regular immigration status and not present problems with the law.
- The traveler requires an authorized tourist visa, as the case may be.
- Consular visa, depending on the nationality of the countries of the Middle East and Africa.
- Visa consulted, Cameroon, Cuba, Haiti, Philippines, Ghana, Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, People's China, North Korea, Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.
- If your country allows entry with a stamped visa, you must apply for the visa at the Panamanian consulate and arrive in Panama with the visa already stamped in your passport.
- If you are going to enter Panama and continue your trip to the north of Central America, you must have the yellow fever vaccination card, preferably bring it ready before entering Panama.
- Consular Visas
- The Consulate General of Costa Rica located in Panama offers appointments for consular VISA applications. The interested party should follow the usual process by accessing https://citasconsularescr.grupoice.com/
Immigration Office of Panama
Web: https://www.migracion.gob.pa/
COSTA RICA
- The traveler must have a ticket to leave the country.
- Economic solvency of $100.00 USD for each month of stay.
- To present yellow fever card, people coming from: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, French Guyana and African countries.
- The traveler requires consular Visa: Depending on the nationality, countries of the Middle East, Africa, Angola, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Colombia, Egypt, Arab Emirates, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Moldova, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Tunisia, Ukraine and Dominican Republic.
- Visa consulted: Venezuela (as of February 21, 2022), North Korea, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
- Travelers from countries requiring consular and consulted visas must have a passport in good condition and 6 months of validity in order to travel.
- In the web page of the General Directorate of Migration and Alien Affairs of the Government of Costa Rica, you can consult the visa guidelines for entry to Costa Rica, below, we share the address: https://migracion.go.cr/
- Travelers with category one passports who do not require a visa to enter the country may travel with up to one day of validity in their passport and may stay up to 90 days in the country: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Holland, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Korea, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay and Trinidad and Tobago.
- Travelers with category two passports who do not need a visa to enter, may travel with up to 3 months of validity in their passport and may stay 30 days in the country, extendable to 90 days: Belize, Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Philippines, Guatemala, Honduras.
- Visitors must pay a departure tax of $8 USD.
- All Hondurans traveling to Costa Rica will be required to present a police record in order to enter the country, check the following web address: https://servicios.poder-judicial.go.cr/
Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería de Costa Rica
NICARAGUA
- All travelers must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity to access a stay of up to 90 days, with the exception of those belonging to the CA4* group (Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala), who may travel with a passport valid for up to one day.
- Travelers requiring consular visas are from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Tunisia, Oman, Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia, Dominica, Morocco, Egypt, Thailand, Ivory Coast, Philippines, Senegal, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), these nationalities can pay the consular visa at the border, or apply for a CA4* visa for the rest of Central America.
- Travelers requiring a consulted visa are those from Venezuela, Cuba, China, People's Republic, Vietnam, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti, Cameroon, Nigeria, Vietnam, Congo, India, Iraq, Syria, Indonesia, African and Middle Eastern countries.
- Travelers must complete the customs declaration form (regional traveler's declaration), which can be provided at the terminal on the day of travel or at the border.
- Travelers coming from Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, French Guiana and African countries must present a yellow fever card.
- Tax payment applies to all nationalities:
- Entry tax $14 USD
- Exit tax $4 USD
Persons belonging to the CA4*
- 1 USD entry tax
- 1 USD departure tax
- If you are traveling to Panama and plan to return to Nicaragua, it is highly recommended that you get the yellow fever vaccine before leaving Nicaragua.
- If you are entering Nicaragua through the borders of Peñas Blancas and El Guasaule, you will not be asked to fill out pre-check.
The authorities reserve the right of admission, there may be cases of exception and may request the pre-check to people who need to enter Nicaragua.
General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners of Nicaragua
HONDURAS
- The traveler must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity. Those who are part of the CA4* may enter with an identity card.
Travelers coming from Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, French Guiana and all African countries must present a yellow fever vaccination card; to be valid, it must be in place at least 10 days in advance.- Consular visa for travelers coming from Jamaica, Haiti, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, India, Indonesia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Morocco, Albania, Georgia, Romania, Philippines, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, may apply for multiple CA4* visa for entry.
- All foreigners entering through the El Guasaule border must complete the pre-check in advance at: https://solicitudes.mint.gob.ni/tramites/registron.
- Visa consulted require travelers coming from Cuba, Dominica, North Korea, China, People's Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Middle East and African countries such as Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Cameroon, Vietnam, Tunisia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Oman, Syria
- Tax payment applies to all nationalities:
- Entry tax $3 USD
- Departure tax $3 USD t
CA4* persons
- 2 USD entry tax
- 2 USD departure tax
- According to the Honduran National Migration Institute, as of March 4, 2024, a pre-check for any nationality will no longer be requested as an immigration requirement.
- All Costa Ricans traveling to Honduras will be required to present a police record in order to enter: https://policianacional.gob.hn/antepolic
National Institute of Migration of Honduras
Web: https://inm.gob.hn/
EL SALVADOR
- The traveler must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity, people who are part of the CA4* may enter with an identity card.
- Consular visa is required for travelers coming from Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Serbia, Montenegro, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Thailand, Georgia, Philippines and Jamaica.
Travelers from Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua may apply for multiple CA4* visas.
- The consulted visa is required for travelers coming from Middle Eastern and African countries: Haiti, North Korea, Republic of China (Taiwan), Indonesia, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Georgia.
- There are no taxes to enter or leave El Salvador.
General Directorate of Migration and Aliens of El Salvador
Web: https://www.migracion.gob.sv/
GUATEMALA
- The traveler must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity. Those who are part of the CA4* may enter with an identity card.
- Consular Visa is required for travelers coming from Bolivia, Jamaica, Georgia, Serbia, Montenegro, Philippines, Thailand, Egypt, Tunisia, India and Senegal.
- The consulted visa is required for travelers coming from the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, People's China, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Syria and countries of the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Venezuela
- There are no taxes to enter or leave Guatemala.
- For more information, visit the following web page: https://www.minex.gob.gt/Visor_Pagina.aspx?PaginaID=21
Guatemalan Institute of Migration
Web: https://igm.gob.gt/
MÉXICO
- To enter Mexico the traveler must have a passport with at least 6 months of validity.
- Mexican Visa or U.S. Visa.
- Economic solvency according to the length of stay in the country.
- If the person is going to stay in Mexican territory for more than 7 days, he/she must pay a tax of $638 Mexican pesos, which is equivalent to $33 USD approximately (every year there is an increase in this tax).
- Present a copy of the ticket to leave the country with an established date, present a copy of the hotel reservation or invitation letter with the exact address of the persons inviting you for your stay, telephone number and photocopy of the electric bill that coincides with the address of the person who extended the invitation to the traveler, letter from the employer or employer, or proof of vacations.
- Visas are not required for countries with permanent residency in: Canada, United States, Japan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as member countries of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia and Peru).
- No visa is required to enter Mexico for travelers who present a valid and valid visa from: Canada, United States, Japan, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Travelers requiring visas are those from Bolivia, Dominica, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Serbia, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Morocco, Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia, Albania, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan, Tunisia, Egypt, North Korea, People's China, Congo, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Oman, Ivory Coast, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Middle East and African countries.
These are the immigration requirements for entry into Mexico for foreign visitors that may be requested by immigration officials upon entry into the country:
- Valid and current passport or identity card.
- Personal information requested by the immigration authorities.
- Justification of the trip, this information must be in accordance with the visa issued, in case it is necessary.
- If you are traveling as a tourist, you will be asked to prove economic solvency, as well as a hotel reservation (preferably paid); you may be required to prove your place of residence and place of origin.
- Address and period of stay in Mexican territory. It is important to present the round trip ticket to the country of origin and demonstrate that the hotel reservation is consistent with the dates of stay in the country.
- Information related to the activities that will be carried out in Mexican territory, as well as those carried out in the place of origin.
- Economic solvency for the period of stay in Mexico. It is highly recommended to have an international credit card.
The migration officer at your entry to Mexico will stamp a migration form that you should keep, since this document must be submitted to the migration office upon your departure from the country.
National Institute of Migration
Web:https://www.inm.gob.mx/gobmx/word/index.php/chiapas/