Make sure to have both forms ready along with your passport.
After clearing Immigration, you’ll enter a hall with two baggage carousels. Your luggage should be on one of these, but locating it might require a little patience, especially if several flights are using the same carousel. If the area is crowded, baggage handlers may remove luggage from the belt and place it on the floor nearby. If you don’t see your bags on the belt, check the surrounding area.
Your next stop is Customs.
After Customs, take the stairs on the right to reach the airport exit. For heavy luggage, there’s a conveyor belt to your right for assistance. Be prepared to show your baggage claim tags at the top of the stairs; airport staff may ask for them. These tags, provided by the airline during check-in, are typically stapled to your ticket envelope.
Finally, step out into the vibrant light of Costa Rica! The entire process should take less than half an hour.
Please do not take a taxi without notifying someone first. If needed, leave a message on the school’s answering machine. Rest assured, someone is already on their way to pick you up.
If your luggage is lost and you need to fill out baggage claim forms, we recommend briefly stepping outside to let the person waiting for you know that you’ve arrived but need to complete some paperwork.
We recommend arriving on the Saturday or Sunday before your program begins, and departing on the Saturday or Sunday after it ends. Our homestay week runs from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. If you’d like to arrive earlier or extend your stay after your classes end, please contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate you, if possible.
Costa Rica charges an exit tax of $29 per person, payable at the airport (some airlines include this tax in the price of the ticket). In addition, you will need to arrange transportation to the airport. We can arrange for one of ILISA’s drivers to take you for $30, or you can take a taxi or Uber, usually for a bit less, depending on the time of day.