2. Do you know?
Entry requirements
U.S. citizens need a valid passport.
Duty-free allowance for U.S. citizens
For U.S. citizens traveling to Costa Rica the duty-free allowance is three liters of wine or spirits, one half kilogram of processed tobacco and perfume only for personal use.
Customs regulations
The following items are considered to be luggage that may be brought into the country exempt from Customs duties:
Language
The offical language is Spanish, although the tourist will find that English is widely spoken particularly in places such as hotels, travel agencies, banks, rental car companies, restaurants, etc.
Time
In Costa Rica daylight savings time is not used, but in order to have an idea of the approximate time of this country, it can be related to the U.S. Eastern Standard Time:
Electricity
Is the same as in the U.S. 110 volts., 60 cycles.
Credit cards
All major credit cards are accepted in almost all hotels (especially the ones located in San Jose), stores, restaurants and car rental agencies. Outside San Jose and in some places the tourist should be prepared to pay in local currency; especially if the store, hotel, etc. is planning to include a service charge fee for the use of the credit card.
Bank Hours
Weekdays: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
The banks that are closed on Saturdays, are open until 6:00 pm on Fridays. Those that operate on a regular basis, even on Friday, will be open on Saturdays until noon.
Shopping Hours
Weekdays & Saturdays: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sundays: almost all stores are closed, especially those located in downtown San Jose or any major city. Most of the souvenir shops will be open on Sundays and during some of the Holidays.
Tourist Information
The Costa Rican National Tourist Bureau has offices at the International Airport, northern and southern border crossings (Penas Blancas & Paso Canoas) and in San Jose at the Plaza de la Cultura.