Fresh Fruit 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Fresh Fruit is restricted for travelers entering Costa Rica; declare above the personal allowance.
Can I bring Fresh Fruit into Costa Rica?
Fresh Fruit is restricted for travelers entering Costa Rica; declare above the personal allowance.
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Fresh Fruit requires declaration at customs (and in some cases an import permit) when carried by travelers into Costa Rica. Dirección General de Aduanas applies a personal-allowance threshold per item category; quantities above attract duty + the destination's VAT/GST rate (13%) plus, for select categories, an additional excise tax. Pacific Alliance / Mercosur / CAFTA-DR / USMCA / Andean Community preferential treatment for member-state goods. Travelers should consult Dirección General de Aduanas for the current quantity threshold + documentation requirement before departure.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 500–500000 CRC
- Civil penalty only
Leaving Costa Rica with fresh fruit
Personal-use quantities of fresh fruit may generally be exported from Costa Rica. Commercial fresh-fruit export requires a Phytosanitary Certificate under the IPPC framework. Many destinations (Australia, New Zealand, US, Japan) restrict or prohibit personal-import of fresh fruit regardless of origin-side permissions.
Carry Fresh Fruit in carry-on where applicable (medication / lithium battery / valuables). On arrival, walk the Red Channel and declare on the customs form. Dirección General de Aduanas computes duty + VAT at the published rate. Have the purchase receipt + (for medication) the original prescription available.
This page covers destination customs rules in Costa Rica. Whether you can carry fresh fruit through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Fresh Fruit rules in other countries
Fresh Fruit
🇦🇺 Australia
Most fresh fruit is prohibited due to biosecurity risk. Must be declared.
Fresh Fruit
🇺🇸 United States
Most fresh fruit prohibited without permit
Fresh Fruit
🇯🇵 Japan
Strict plant quarantine; most fruit prohibited
Fresh Fruit
🇸🇬 Singapore
Generally permitted with declaration
Fresh Fruit
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Subject to MOCCAE inspection
Fresh Fruit
🇩🇪 Germany
EU phytosanitary rules apply from non-EU