Arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport

When you arrive in Costa Rica, you will land at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Your first stop after disembarking the plane will be Immigration.

Immigration

Upon entering the Immigration area, look for an orange sign hanging from the ceiling. After passing through that door, you’ll find a line of people waiting. Head down the stairs and join them.

The airline should have provided you with two forms: one for Immigration and one for Customs. If you’re only bringing personal items into the country, simply write “personal belongings” on the Customs form. The Immigration form will ask for your intended address in Costa Rica—write:
“familia de ILISA Instituto de Idiomas.”

Make sure you have both forms and your passport ready for inspection.

Baggage Claim

After passing through Immigration, you’ll enter a hall with two baggage belts. Your luggage should be on one of these belts. Keep an eye out, as several flights often share the same belt, which may require a little extra searching. Note that baggage handlers may remove luggage from the belts to reduce congestion, so if you don’t see your bags immediately, check the floor below the belt.

Customs

Once you’ve collected your bags, head to Customs. If you have two bags or fewer, you can generally walk right through. If you have more than two bags, you’ll need to push a button at the Customs area. If the light turns green, you may proceed. If it turns red, your luggage will be inspected. Please note that Customs can inspect any bag or individual at their discretion.

Exiting the Airport

After clearing Customs, take the stairs to the right to exit the airport. There’s also a conveyor belt to help transport heavy items upstairs. Have your baggage claim tickets ready, as the baggage handlers at the top of the stairs may ask to see them. (These tickets should have been provided by the airline when you checked in and are usually stapled to your ticket envelope.)

Meeting Your Pickup

Once you exit through the doors, you’ll likely see a crowd. Don’t worry—look for someone holding a white ILISA sign with blue lettering and your name on it. That’s your airport pickup! Our team—Carlos, Rosibel, or Kenneth—have been working with ILISA for years and will promptly take you to your host family or hotel.

Tip: Costa Ricans aren’t very tall, so check all levels. If you don’t immediately spot the sign, wait just outside the doors. Your pickup person is trained to spot you and may signal if they see you.

In Case of Delays

If you don’t see your pickup, wait just outside the doors. Sometimes traffic can cause delays. However, if your pickup person hasn’t arrived after 15 minutes, ask someone for a 20-colon coin and use the nearby phone booth to call your host family to see if they have any updates.

If you’re unable to reach your host family, or if you’re not confident using your Spanish, you can call ILISA’s director at +506 6278 7058 for further instructions.

If there’s still no success, feel free to take a taxi to your host family at the address provided on your homestay form.