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Driving in Costa Rica as a Foreigner: Your License, the Rules, and When You Have to Switch

November 2, 2026·4 min read

Sooner or later every newcomer to the Nicoya Peninsula asks the same practical question at the rental counter or the first police checkpoint: can I just keep driving on the license I already have? The honest answer is yes — right up until a specific moment, after which the answer quietly becomes no. Knowing where that line sits saves a lot of worry, and a possible fine.

While you're a visitor: your own license is fine

For years the rule of thumb was that a tourist could drive on a foreign license for three months. That cap was removed in 2024 under a reform to Article 91 of the traffic law (Ley 10591). The rule now is simpler and, for most people, more generous: you may drive on your valid home-country license for exactly as long as your passport entry stamp allows.

Since September 2023 the maximum tourist stay has been 180 days, so in principle you can now drive for up to six months on a foreign license. The catch is that 180 days is a maximum, not a guarantee — the immigration officer at the airport decides how long to grant you, and plenty of visitors still get 90 days or less. Whatever number is written in your passport is also your driving window. Carry the license and your passport showing that entry stamp; the stamp is what proves the license is still valid here. An expired or unreadable license doesn't qualify, and neither does an International Driving Permit on its own — it's a translation of your real license, not a substitute for it.

For a lot of people buying time on the peninsula — testing a rental, scouting land, spending a long season — that's the whole story. You may never need a Costa Rican license at all.

The moment it changes: residency

The line gets crossed when you become a legal resident. Once you hold a DIMEX (the residency ID card) — or, in practice, once you have clear evidence of a pending residency application — you're expected to drive on a Costa Rican license, and you can no longer rely indefinitely on the foreign one. The good news is that switching over got markedly easier. Since *August 2024, any holder of a valid DIMEX can begin the exchange (homologación) immediately, and no driving test is required* to convert an existing foreign license. You're validating a license you already earned, not starting from zero.

What the exchange actually involves

The process runs through COSEVI (the Consejo de Seguridad Vial). You'll typically need:

  • your valid foreign driver's license;
  • your DIMEX, or official proof of a pending residency application, plus your passport;
  • a medical certificate (dictamen médico) — a short exam for vision, blood type and basic fitness;
  • a certified Spanish translation of your foreign license, done by a translator accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and
  • a Certification of Entries and Exits from the immigration department, which COSEVI now asks foreign applicants to provide.

The sequence trips people up more than the paperwork does. You book the COSEVI appointment online, and the system tends to release new slots only in the last five business days of each month — so if the calendar looks empty, wait for that window rather than assuming there's nothing available. After the COSEVI appointment is confirmed, you wait about three business days, then book a second appointment at Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), where you pay the fee and the physical license is produced.

What it costs

The numbers are modest. As of 2025 the initial license fee runs roughly US$60–100 (about ₡30,000–50,000 at an exchange rate near ₡500 to the dollar), a renewal later costs around US$20–40 (₡10,000–20,000), and the medical certificate is about US$35 (₡17,500). Add the translation and, if you use one, a gestor or lawyer to handle the appointments on your behalf — common for anyone whose Spanish isn't up to a government counter, and usually a few hundred dollars more.

A few honest caveats

This is a practical sketch, not legal advice. Costa Rican procedure changes often — the 2024 reforms above are themselves recent — and a lot comes down to the officer or clerk in front of you on the day. Appointment availability, document lists and fees shift; the figures here are 2025 estimates and should be read as ranges, not quotes. Before you commit to a plan, confirm the current requirements directly with COSEVI, and if your residency status is anything other than straightforward, it's worth a short consultation with someone who does this for a living. But the shape of it is reassuring: as a visitor your own license carries you as far as your stamp does, and as a resident the switch is now a paperwork errand, not an exam.

Sources: the 2024 reform of Article 91 (Ley 10591) ending the three-month cap, and the September 2023 increase in the maximum tourist stay to 180 days (Tico Times); COSEVI exchange requirements and the August 2024 DIMEX rule change (Expat Focus, Angloinfo). Figures are 2025 estimates and vary by case — confirm current rules with COSEVI before acting.

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