Legal status in Costa Rica
Per-substance legal status for Costa Rica, from sourced statutes where available. Legal information, not legal advice; drug laws change, so confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.
Confirmed legal status
Cannabis / THC
- Legal status
- Recreational illegal; personal consumption prohibited but not penalized (no statutory quantity); medical cannabis legal (Law 10113, 2022)
- Consequences if caught
- Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20). Recreational cannabis is illegal; medical cannabis is legal under Law 10113 (March 2022).
- If prescribed / medical
- Medical cannabis is legal under Law 10113 (2022) but dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY — foreign prescriptions are invalid; recreational use is illegal.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Cocaine
- Legal status
- Controlled under Law 8204 — personal consumption prohibited but not penalized (no statutory quantity); trafficking 8–15 years
- Consequences if caught
- Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Heroin
- Legal status
- Controlled under Law 8204 — personal consumption prohibited but not penalized (no statutory quantity); trafficking 8–15 years
- Consequences if caught
- Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
MDMA
- Legal status
- Controlled under Law 8204 — personal consumption prohibited but not penalized (no statutory quantity); trafficking 8–15 years
- Consequences if caught
- Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Methamphetamine
- Legal status
- Controlled under Law 8204 — personal consumption prohibited but not penalized (no statutory quantity); trafficking 8–15 years
- Consequences if caught
- Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Not individually verified
For these 80 substances the governing national drug law is cited, but we have not verified that the substance specifically is scheduled under it. Treat them as unanswered, not as legal. Confirm with Costa Rica’s drug authority or your embassy.
1P-LSD
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
2-FDCK
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
25I-NBOMe
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
2C-B
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
2C-E
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
2C-I
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
2C-T-7
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
3-MMC
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
4-AcO-DMT
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
4-HO-MET
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
6-APB
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Adderall
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Alcohol
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Amanita muscaria
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Amphetamine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Amyl Nitrite
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Ayahuasca
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Barbiturates
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Benzodiazepines
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Buprenorphine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Caffeine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Cathinone
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
CBD
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Clonazepam
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Codeine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Crack Cocaine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Delta-8-THC
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Diazepam
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
DMT
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
DOM
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
DXM
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Ephedrine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Etizolam
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Fentanyl
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Gabapentin
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
GBL
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
GHB
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
HHC
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Hydrocodone
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Ketamine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Khat
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Kratom
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Lorazepam
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
LSA (Morning Glory)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
LSD
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
MDA
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
MDPV
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Memantine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Mephedrone (4-MMC)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Mescaline
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Methadone
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Methaqualone (Quaaludes)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Methylone
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Methylphenidate
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Mitragynine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Modafinil
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Morphine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
MXE
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Nicotine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Nitrous Oxide
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Oxycodone
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
PCP
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Peyote
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Phenibut
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Pink Cocaine / Tusi
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Poppers
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Pregabalin
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Psilocybin
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Quetiapine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Salvia divinorum
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Scopolamine (Devil's Breath)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
THC-P
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Tobacco
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Tramadol
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Xanax (Alprazolam)
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026
Xylazine
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated June 26, 2026
Zolpidem
- Legal status
- Not confirmed — status not individually verified; confirm with Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Law 8204) / your embassy
- Consequences if caught
- This specific substance was not named in the cited Costa Rican sources (Law 8204; General Health Law Arts 28 & 127) — do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. Personal consumption is PROHIBITED BUT NOT PENALIZED — it is not formally decriminalized ('prohibited but no punishment'), and NO statutory personal-dose quantity exists. (Police informally treat roughly 1–8 g as personal — this is ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE, not a legal threshold.) Trafficking, cultivation and sale (Law 8204 Art 58) carry 8–15 years (up to 20).
- If prescribed / medical
- If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis is dispensed by prescription through Costa Rican pharmacies ONLY; foreign prescriptions are not valid. Confirm any controlled medicine with your embassy before travel.
Law No. 8204 (Ley sobre Estupefacientes), Art 58 · General Health Law Arts 28 & 127 · Law 10113 (March 2022, medical cannabis) · unodc.org · loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary by country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →
