Planning

Flight Preparations

• A valid passport, with minimum of six (6) months before expiration, and proof of return plane or bus ticket out of the country (within 90 days) is required to travel into Costa Rica. You also should have a destination address for the customs form at the airport in San José. Depending on your nationality you may need a visa. Please be sure to check into any vaccinations that may be required before traveling from other countries.

• Make sure you say you are here on vacation/pleasure, and not working/business! That can cause issues with your visa. 

• Help our sensitive environment by practicing eco-consciousness; pack light to avoid bringing items that will wind up in our local landfills (e.g. take the plastics and wrappers off of materials before packing them away).

• Be sure to double check the date on your passport and confirm flight times prior to leaving. There is WiFi available within the San Jose Airport.

• Making your travel plans before you arrive will help you feel relaxed, assured and ready for when you get to Costa Rica! Stay aware, take in the beautiful scenery, and above all, enjoy the ride!

• Print out a copy of your return ticket and a copy of your Passport!

What date should I fly in/out?

Unless you plan to take a staff shuttle to site, you should plan to fly into SJO at least one day before your mandatory arrival day or you run the risk of not arriving on time and starting off your work exchange experience with a warning on your record.

Similarly, it takes approximately 3.5 - 4 hours to drive directly from site to SJO (longer if you use the public transit method). Give yourself a night in San Jose, and plan to take an early bus to site or drive to site on your arrival day. Plan your outbound flights accordingly.

Do you provide accommodation/tents? Where can we rent/buy tents?

No tents or accommodations are included with your participation in the work exchange program. Envision offers a wide range of accommodation add-ons.  We recommend packing a small, lightweight tent, but if you cannot pack a tent, we recommend purchasing one in San José prior to arriving to site:

• EPA in Belen (Google Maps)

• Walmart in Alajuela, 10 mins from Airport (Google Maps)

• Stone Mountain Outdoors, 25-30 minutes from Airport (Google Maps)

Many Envision attendees stay off-site. You can use the WhatsApp Chat and Facebook Group to make arrangements with other members of the Work Exchange program. Please be mindful that taxis to site can be unreliable and relying on them to arrive to site in time for your shift may cause you to be late, which is not an excuse.