Conducir permitido en Costa Rica durante la duración de la visa de turista

Costa Rica made it official according to an amendment to Article 91 of Law 9078, Law on Traffic on Public Land Roads and Road Safety, of October 4, 2012 that was published in La Gaceta of Costa Rica on May 7, 2024. The amendment allows for tourists with a valid driver’s license to legally operate a vehicle for the duration of time approved by the Director of Immigration. In other words, the number of days provisioned within a tourist’s passport when entering Costa Rica is also the number of days the tourist may legally drive a vehicle in Costa Rica.

Prior to this amendment to Law on Traffic on Public Land Roads and Road Safety, tourists were allowed to stay in Costa Rica for more than 90 days, but the allow did not allow vehicles to be legally operated more than 90 days. This created a problem for most tourists operating a vehicle. If a tourist operates a vehicle beyond the legal time limit, then they are operating illegally and are subject to traffic violations including the impoundment of their vehicle. They are also operating without insurance coverage, which can be a significant problem if the person or vehicle is involved in a wreck.

The applicable section from La Gaceta, the Official Newspaper of Costa Rica:

Article 91 of Law 9078, Law on Traffic on Public Land Roads and Road Safety, of October 4, 2012, is reformed. The text is as follows:
Article 91- Homologation of licenses issued abroad
The homologation of foreign driving licenses will be governed by the following provisions:
a) Accredited drivers with a foreign driver's license, who are in the country as tourists or in transit, are authorized to drive the same type of vehicle authorized by said license and for the same period granted by the Directorate. General of Immigration and Immigration, for this immigration condition.
During this period, drivers, accredited with a driver's license equivalent to the national license type B-1 or higher, may drive on non-primary roads internal combustion moped and motorcycle type vehicles, whose engine displacement does not exceed 125 cubic centimeters; If they have electric or hybrid motors, the maximum power may not exceed 11 kilowatts. Under the same terms, the driving of tricycle and quadcycle type motorcycles, whose engine displacement does not exceed 500 cubic centimeters, is authorized.
The same regulations will apply to these drivers as to accredited drivers with a national driver's license.
b) Accredited drivers with a driver's license abroad, who have an approved immigration status in the country or have submitted an application to have a legal immigration status, foreign diplomatic and consular officials and officials of international organizations accredited in the country while they remain in their duties, they may drive as long as they obtain the Costa Rican driver's license, without requiring a minimum uninterrupted period of stay in the country, upon compliance with the following requirements:
ii. Comply with the provisions of this law for the class and type of license that is intended to be approved, except for the obligation to attend the basic driver's education course and take the practical driving test.
iii. Prove that you have legal immigration status in the country or that you are
is in process, under the protection of current immigration legislation.
c) For the process of homologation of licenses of foreign people in order to work as professional drivers of paid transportation of people or heavy loads, in addition to observing the provisions of section b), subsections i), ii) and iii) of this article, the following must be attended to:
Yo. Drivers with licenses equivalent to type B-4 and class C, contemplated in this law, may have their experience approved according to the license that is intended to be validated.
ii. In addition to the requirements demanded by articles 85 and 86 of this law, those who apply for a type B-4 or class C license, for the first time, may have their previous experience approved based on the equivalent foreign license they hold.
For drivers with licenses equivalent to type B-4 and C, contemplated in this law, the experience may be approved according to the license that is intended to be validated and they must complete the respective course specially designed, supervised and endorsed by the competent entity and/or duly accredited for the type of vehicle you intend to drive.
Likewise, foreigners whose immigration status protected by national legislation is considered regular are authorized to drive, due to a request for change of immigration category or extension, the final resolution of which is pending resolution by the Directorate. General of Immigration and Immigration.
Goes into effect as of its publication.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Approved on the second day of April of the year two thousand twenty-four.
CONTACT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
María Marta Carballo Arce
First secretary
Manuel Esteban Morales Díaz
Second secretary
Rodrigo Arias Sánchez
President
Given in the Presidency of the Republic, San José, on the twenty-second day of the month of April of the year two thousand twenty-four.
RUN AND PUBLISH.