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Tourist visa for Costa Rica for Colombian citizens.

I am having a problem getting answers out of the Costa Rican consulate here and the answers I am getting seem very backward and unreasonable. Anyway, I am planning to visit Colombia and Costa Rica with my Colombian wife - she needs a visa to go to Costa Rica (I can just fly in and out without any visa requirements.) When I looked at tickets - I saw that if we fly from Denver to Costa Rica and back and fly Costa Rica to Barranquilla and back (that is - we first go to CR then from there to Barranquilla, come back and then come back to Denver) the tickets are about $500 cheaper )for 2 people.
But Costa Rica only gives out 'one entry' visas and the Denver office tells me that they will not give her two 'one entry' visas here (instead she will have to obtain a visa in Colombia!) And when she talked to a travel agent (a friend) he told her that she will need to go to Bogota in person to get the visa! (There's a consulate office in Barranquilla but they don't answer their emails.)
But if she goes to Bogota to get a visa - then money spent will be more than the savings there is in traveling the other way around! (And more time wasted for no good reason!)
Does anyone else know if there is another way around this or should I just pay the additional $500 and fly Denver, Barranquilla; Barranquilla to CR and back from CR to Denver?
I am surprised by the backward way the Costa Rican consulate works - I was told that they do not approve the visas in Denver but send them to Costa Rica to be approved! And they don't accept the applications from the website - they insist on using their own local applications! They don't have multiple entry visas only one entry visas - other countries have various visas including multiple entry visas e.g. India. That way they can make even more money (multiple entry visas cost more) and make it easier for the travelers to visit the country multiple times without the visa hassles every time (they pay more for the convenience).

By rjstuff on May 4, 2006, 12:17 in Visa & paperwork.

Crazy4Cali says on May 4, 2006, 12:58:

That sucks... Bummer. Keep us posted, though.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

rjstuff says on May 13, 2006, 12:13:

Yikes - Absolute Nincompoops in the CR consualte Denver Ok So I sent an email to inquire about visa requirements to the Denver office and then on April 19th I sent them my address - they asked for it to mail the tourist visa form.
I didn't get it for a week so I called then, "We are sorry, we have been very busy I will mail it today." And yes they told me no way can I use the internet form (its their own website - Costa Rica Govt. site.)
I still didn't get it for a week and called again, and got the same song and dance number.
I didn't get it for another week and called again and ... oh yeah ... you guessed it!
Any now after 3 weeks of emails and 4 phone calls I finally got the form that they sent me - no instructions. The form is the same form that's on the internet (but black and white copy) - so why the heck did she tell me 3 weeks ago that I can't use the internet form and have to use their 'special' form?
The instructions on the internet say that the passport and Green card need to be mailed along with several other documents - so now I am not sure. Can I trust them? If she loses my wife's passport and Green card - we won't even be able to go to Colombia let alone losing $2500 in tickets. A few people have told me to may be send it to the Houston office - I will call both the Denver and Houston office on Monday to decide where to send it. I also emailed my complaint to the Washington DC office (on Friday) so I don't expect to hear anything for a few days.
Any body else have any ideas?

0 funny, 0 helpful.