Visa Cost

The Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee is the mandatory, non-refundable payment required by the U.S. Department of State for all nonimmigrant visa applications, including the B-2 tourist visa.

For Costa Rica residents, the current MRV fee for a B-2 visa is $185 USD. This fee must be paid before scheduling your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in San José.

The Visa Issuance Fee, also called the Reciprocity Fee, is an additional payment that some visa applicants must make after their application is approved. This fee is based on the principle of reciprocity—meaning the U.S. charges the same amount to citizens of another country that that country charges to U.S. citizens for similar visas.

Costa Rican citizens are exempt from paying any reciprocity fee for a B-2 tourist visa.
This means the only government fee you’ll pay for your B-2 visa is the $185 USD MRV fee before your interview.