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Money & duty free for Costa Rica

Currency information: 

Costa Rican Colón (CRC; symbol ₡) = 100 céntimos. Notes are in denominations of ₡10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of ₡100, 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5. US Dollars are also widely accepted.

Credit cards: 

Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted; American Express slightly less so. Many banks will only process MasterCard for cash credits. Cash may be the only form of payment in smaller towns and rural areas. ATMs usually accept foreign cards.

ATM: 

ATMs usually accept foreign cards.

Travellers cheques: 

Although travellers can avoid additional exchange rate charges by taking traveller's cheques in US Dollars, fewer and fewer businesses in Costa Rica are willing to accept them, and it is better to use the ATMs.

Banking hours: 

Mon-Fri 0800/0900-1500/1800.

Currency restriction: 

The import and export of local and foreign currency is limited to US$10,000. Amounts above this must be declared upon arrival.

Currency exchange: 

Available at banks and bureaux de change. Some hotels may also change money.

Costa Rica duty free

The following goods may be imported into Costa Rica without incurring customs duty:

• 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500g tobacco.
• 3L of alcoholic beverages (people aged over 18 only).
• A reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.

Banned imports: 

Food items are generally not allowed to be brought into Costa Rica, but in particular fruit, vegetables, dairy, seeds and plants. Firearms are not permitted.

Banned exports: 

It is forbidden under the CITES treaty (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to remove orchids from Costa Rica. Removing animals, dead or alive, is also forbidden, and be very careful when buying carvings or antiques in Costa Rica. Most probably you’ll get freshly hand-crafted art, but removing Aztec, Incan or Mayan cultural artefacts from the country is thoroughly illegal, and happens far too often.

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