🇨🇷 India–Costa Rica trade guide
Everything you need to ship from India to Costa Rica or import from Costa Rica to India: the trade agreement, routes and transit times, how your buyer imports, duties, regulators and documents.
India and Costa Rica at a glance
No trade agreement with India.
India exports pharmaceuticals, vehicles and motorcycles, chemicals, textiles and steel. India buys medical devices and electronic components from Costa Rica's free zones.
Routes and transit times to Costa Rica
35–50 days to Moín, via Cartagena or Panama transhipment.
- Moín / Limón (Atlantic, APM terminal) CRLIO
- Caldera (Pacific) CRCAL
4–7 days.
- San José Juan Santamaría SJO
Transit times are indicative port-to-port from Nhava Sheva / Mundra (sea) and Delhi / Mumbai (air). Routing changes (for example Red Sea diversions) can add 10–14 days.
Importing into Costa Rica: what your buyer needs
- Declarations are filed on TICA through a licensed customs agent (agente aduanero).
- Strong free-zone sector: many importers operate under free-zone regimes.
Central American common tariff (DAI), plus 13% VAT (IVA) and selective consumption tax on some goods.
- Ministry of Health: medicines, food, cosmetics registration
- SFE / SENASA: plant and animal health
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading / AWB
- ISPM-15 wood packaging
From Costa Rica to India, and tips from the field
Medical devices and electronics from free zones.
- File the Bill of Entry through a licensed customs broker in India (YAM holds licence R-7/92).
- Check the HS code in the Indian tariff, the DGFT import policy (free, restricted or prohibited) and any BIS, FSSAI, plant quarantine or other permit before the goods ship.
- If an agreement applies, get the correct certificate of origin from the exporter to claim the lower duty.
- Product registration with the Ministry of Health can take months: start early.
- Our partner agents in Latin America can handle destination clearance and delivery. Ask us for a door-to-door quote.
Written by YAM Logistics from our own experience and public sources, checked November 2026. Duties, taxes, permits and trade agreements change often: treat rates and transit times as indicative and confirm them for your HS code and shipment before you quote or ship. This is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.
Questions people ask
Does India have a trade agreement with Costa Rica?+
No trade agreement with India.
How long does shipping from India to Costa Rica take?+
By sea: 35–50 days to Moín, via Cartagena or Panama transhipment. By air: 4–7 days.
What does an importer in Costa Rica need?+
Declarations are filed on TICA through a licensed customs agent (agente aduanero). Strong free-zone sector: many importers operate under free-zone regimes.
What duties and taxes apply in Costa Rica?+
Central American common tariff (DAI), plus 13% VAT (IVA) and selective consumption tax on some goods.
Can YAM Logistics handle shipments to Costa Rica?+
Yes. YAM handles export clearance and freight from India, and works with partner agents in Latin America for destination clearance and delivery to Costa Rica. Message us on WhatsApp for a quote.