Costa Rica unilaterally introduces visa regime with Kazakhstan

According to Aybek Smadiyarov, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the unilateral decision of Costa Rica to introduce a visa regime with Kazakhstan was probably driven by an intention to stop a huge inflow of illegal migrants from Kazakhstan.

On May 29, 2023, many in Kazakhstan learned that Costa Rica introduced a visa regime for Kazakhstanis on a unilateral basis. Given that this Latin American country didn’t inform Kazakhstan in advance, those who planned to go to that country learned about the new requirements shortly before the departure.

As the MFA’s official spokesperson noted, it’s up to every country whether or not it implements a visa regime. The only factor countries should consider is their own national interests.

«Countries in Latin America are often used by Kazakhstanis as a backdoor to the U.S. This is illegal migration and everyone should take this risk into account. This is why the government of Costa Rica noticed this inflow of our people, who can enter Costa Rica via third-party countries. We haven’t received any official notification regarding the end of the non-visa regime from our counterparts in Costa Rica,» Smadiyarov noted.

Kazakhstan’s MFA recommends travelers from Kazakhstan check the relevant information in advance.

Costa Rica is a small country in the Central American region bordered by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. About a quarter of the country’s territory is covered by tropical forests with very diverse flora and fauna.

Kazakhstan and Costa Rica have had diplomatic relations since 1996. A 30-day non-visa regime between the two countries was in place over the period from 2016 to May 2023.