Is there Uber in Costa Rica?

Is Uber legal in Costa Rica?

Not formally. Uber has operated for years in a legal gray area. A bill to regulate platforms such as Uber and DiDi was introduced in 2023. In July 2026 a legislative committee finished reviewing its amendments and sent it back to the full Assembly, and as of the latest reports it had not been voted on.

In practice, the legal risk falls on the driver, not the passenger: fines start at ¢122,597 (about US$272) and can include seizure of the license plates. The officially licensed options are the red taxis with a yellow triangle on the door and the orange airport taxis.

Uber at San José airport (SJO)

Since June 2026, Uber has been testing a dedicated option at Juan Santamaría International Airport: when you request a pickup there, the app offers the official orange airport taxi. A June comparison put that taxi at about US$35, against about US$18 for a standard Uber ride.

The pending bill would keep platform drivers out of airports unless they're specifically authorized, and tourism drivers protested in September 2026 against changing that rule. Expect this to keep changing.

Outside San José

In tourist areas such as La Fortuna or the Guanacaste beaches, ride-hailing cars are much harder to find, and long trips with several suitcases aren't what most app drivers expect. Many travelers book their transfers between destinations ahead of time.

When a private driver makes more sense

• Long trips between destinations, such as San José to La Fortuna.
• Arriving with luggage, children or a group.
• Early flights or late arrivals, when you don't want to depend on finding a car.
• Stops along the way: a viewpoint, a soda for lunch, a town worth seeing.
• Licensed tourism transport, with authorized vehicles and current insurance.

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