Language
Overview
Official language is Spanish. English and Creole are also spoken.
Public Holidays
01/01/2022 New Year
04/17/2022 Easter Sunday
05/01/2022 Labor Day
07/25/2022 Commemoration of the Guanacaste Union
08/02/2022 Madonna of the Angels, Day of the Patroness of Costa Rica
08/15/2022 Assumption Day
08/15/2022 Mother’s Day
09/15/2022 Independence Day
12/25/2022 Christmas
Source: Top-mba-universities.com
Almost all shops are closed during Holy Week and between Christmas and New Year.
Duty free shopping
Overview
The following items can be brought into Costa Rica duty-free: 500 g of processed tobacco (persons 18 years and older); 5 l alcoholic beverages (wine, schnapps, spirits, etc.) (persons aged 18 and over); 2 kg of sweets.
Import regulations
A certificate in English or Spanish is required for the import of prescription drugs. More information is available from Countryaah.com.
Prohibited Imports
Meat and sausage products, dairy products, fruit and vegetables (exception: tinned goods) may not be imported in luggage.
Prohibited Exports
Cultural goods may not be exported. These include antiques that are more than 100 years old (furniture, stamps, engraved inscriptions, etc.); ancient musical instruments; archaeological discoveries and finds; assets of historical importance; parts of artistic and historical monuments; archives; Collections and rare specimens of zoology, botany, mineralogy, anatomy and objects of paleontological interest; ethnological material; wildlife species.
Contact addresses
Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica
Consulate General in Lausanne.
Marktgasse 51
Bern
Switzerland
+41 (31) 372 78 87.
http://www.rree.go.cr
http://www.rree.go.cr
Office hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m., public: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica
Honorary Consulate General in Salzburg.
Floßgasse 7/1/3-4
Vienna
Austria
+43 (1) 263 38 24.
http://www.rree.go.cr
http://www.rree.go.cr
Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00.
Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica
Honorary Consulate General in Hamburg. Honorary consulates in Frankfurt/M., Hanover, Lahr and Leipzig.
Reinhardtstrasse 47A
Berlin
Germany
+49 (30) 26 39 89 90.
http://www.botschaft-costarica.de
http://www.botschaft-costarica.de
Mon-Thu 09.30-13.00, 14.00-17.30, Fri 09.30-13.00, 14.00-16.30.
Business
Business etiquette
Local business people are conservative. Courtesy and punctuality are expected. Many business people speak English, but knowledge of Spanish is an advantage. November and December are ideal for business visits. The last week of September (end of the tax year) should be avoided. Business hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700.
Business contacts
Cámara de Comercio e Industria Costarricense Alemana (German-Costa Rican Chamber of Industry and Commerce) Condominio Miracruz, No. 1, San José, Costa Rica Tel. +506 (0)2 290 76 21. Website: costarica.ahk.de Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland Kasernenstrasse 11, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)44 240 33 00. Website: www.latcam.ch Cámara de Comercio de Costa Rica (Chamber of Commerce) Av. 14, Tournón, San José, Costa Rica Tel. +506 (0)40 52 44 00. Website: camara-comercio.com Cámara de Industrias de Costa Rica (Chamber of Industry) Los Yoses, San José Province, San Pedro, Costa Rica Tel +506 (0)2 202 56 00 Website: cicr.com Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (Foreign Trade Promotion Society) Plaza Tempo, Lobby B, San José,
Communication
Phone
According to Abbreviationfinder.org, the country code for Costa Rica is 00506. The public payphones can be used with phone cards or, on rare occasions, with coins.
Mobile phone
GSM 1800 and 850, 3G and 4G. The main network operators include Kölbi and Claro. It may be worth purchasing a local prepaid SIM card or a telephone set.
Internet
Internet cafes can be found in most towns and tourist areas. Numerous hotels, restaurants and cafés offer their guests free WiFi.
Post office
Post to Europe takes 6-10 days.
