The Venue

Venue information

The Centro Internacional de Convenciones ANDE (CIC ANDE) is a modern convention center located in San Antonio de Belén, Costa Rica, in the capital region, only 15 minutes away from the main international airport of the country (Juan Santamaria). CIC ANDE features aspacious main auditorium and highly flexible facilities that can accommodate conferences, concerts, product launches, fairs, and cultural activities, adjusting to the needs of each organizer to create memorable and smoothly run experiences

Note on the exact location of the venue: the great metropolitan area of the capital region intersects 4 provinces: San Jose, Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago. Technically, the CIC is located in Heredia, the airport in Alajuela, and the official capital is San Jose city. Costa Rica is known for not having well-defined addresses, so we encourage the visitors of GECCO to use digital map services and stay in the immediate surroundings of the venue.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica offers an exceptional setting for academic exchange, combining political stability, a strong commitment to education and research, focus on peace and well-being (e.g., military forces were abolished by law since 1948), and a globally recognized focus on sustainability and innovation. The country is home to a growing scientific and academic community, renowned universities such as Universidad de Costa Rica (frequently ranked as the best university in Central America and the Caribbean), Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, among others, and an expanding technology and AI ecosystem. This strong foundation in high-tech education, combined with widespread English proficiency, has made Costa Rica an attractive base for high-tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Intel, and has helped catalyze a broader innovation environment that enables technology development, applied research, and the scaling of new solutions across sectors.

With a population of just over 5 million people, Costa Rica welcomes around 3 million international visitors every year. The country represents only 0.03% of the world’s surface, but contains 6% of the global biodiversity (of which more than 30% is protected by law), making it one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. Combined with its close-to-perfect tropical climate and year-round comfortable temperatures, Costa Rica offers a safe, welcoming environment with excellent connectivity and rich cultural and natural diversity—an ideal setting for meaningful scholarly interaction, collaboration, and knowledge sharing during GECCO 2026. If you want to explore Costa Rica, please visit the official page of essential Costa Rica, the country’s national brand: https://www.visitcostarica.com/ 

History and Exhibitions

San José’s museum and cultural landscape begins at the National Theatre of Costa Rica, a dazzling and elegant landmark with ornate, European-style interiors that reflect the country’s artistic heritage, while the National Museum of Costa Rica, set inside a historic fortress with visible echoes of the 1948 conflict, guides you through everything from pre-Columbian artifacts and colonial history to nature-focused exhibits, outdoor native gardens, a live butterfly garden, and iconic stone spheres. Nearby, the Museum of Jade and Pre-Columbian Culture houses the world’s largest collection of American jade in a striking modern building shaped like a cut jade block. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, tucked underground beneath the Central Bank, where thousands of luminous gold pieces (roughly 500–1500 AD) reveal extraordinary craftsmanship and the everyday worlds they came from. The Museum of Costa Rican Art sits on a beautiful neoclassical former airport terminal by La Sabana Park and showcasing two centuries of Costa Rican art alongside select Latin American works, and the National Children’s Museum is a playful, hands-on experience in a renovated former penitentiary turned storybook castle, filled with interactive rooms and courtyards spanning science, technology, history, and culture.

Travel information and visas

You can find the entry requirements enlisted in here:

https://es.visitcostarica.com/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements and in https://migracion.go.cr/visas/

Information for African, Asian and countries outside the US and the EU

Citizens from the U.S., Canada, UK, EU, and many others can enter Costa Rica visa-free for up to 180 days (Group 1). Other nations, including Colombia, China, India, and Peru, require a consular visa (Group 2/3), while restricted countries like Cuba, Afghanistan, and Syria need a specialized, pre-approved visa (Group 4) for up to 30 days.

General Entry Requirements

Passport: Valid for at least 6 months beyond entry.

Proof of Onward Travel: A return ticket or proof of transit to another country, usually within 90-180 days.

Funds: Proof of sufficient funds for the stay (e.g., US$100 per month of stay).

Yellow Fever: Vaccination proof required if arriving from high-risk countries.

Key Country Groups & Visa Rules (2026)

Visa Exempt (Up to 180 days): USA, Canada, UK, EU citizens, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and others.

Consular Visa (Group 2 & 3 - Max 30 days): Citizens of Colombia, China, India, Russia, Thailand, Dominican Republic, and others must apply at a consulate.

Restricted Visa (Group 4 - Pre-approved): Citizens of Cuba, Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, and others require approval from the4in Consultative Commission on Migration.

Important Exemptions

Citizens requiring a visa (Groups 3 and 4) are exempt if they hold a valid, multiple-entry visa or permanent residence in the USA, Canada, or an EU member state. This visa/residency must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Costa Rica.

For more information, please visit https://www.visitcostarica.com/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements and https://migracion.go.cr/visas/

Note: Always check the official immigration website before traveling, as rules can change quickly.