Car rental requirements in Costa Rica include the following: Renters must be at least 23 years old and have a valid driver’s license and passport. International driver’s licenses are required when a renter’s license is in a different alphabet such as Mandarin. A major credit card is required to make the vehicle deposit and rental payment. And you cannot pay for your rental with cash.
Requirements for Renting a Car with Adobe Rent a Car
In order to rent a vehicle from Adobe Rent a Car, all customers must meet certain requirements. In this article, we will explain the car rental process and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
Which are the basic car rental requirements?
- Valid driver’s license with more than 2 consecutive years of issue. Valid for 90 days from the entrance to Costa Rica.
- A valid driver’s license. If it is not in the Latin alphabet or a digital license, it must be presented with the International License.
- Passport with entry stamp to Costa Rica valid for no more than 90 days from entry to the country.
- Original identity card for Costa Ricans.
- A MasterCard, VISA, or American Express card for the vehicle deposit. The credit card must have the cardholder’s name printed on it and it must be the same person who picked up the vehicle. We do not accept debit cards or cash.
- Drivers must be at least 23 years old.
How much is the security deposit?
The Adobe vehicle security deposit is $1,000. Make sure that your credit card has sufficient funds available to cover the transaction. If no damages or fines are incurred during your rental, the full deposit will be reimbursed to your account. Any incurred fees will otherwise be deducted accordingly.
Can I pay with cash?
Adobe does not accept cash as a form of payment. However, your rental car costs (daily rates and insurance coverage) can be paid for with either a debit or credit card.
Don’t forget the security deposit can only be made with a credit card. Cash and debit cards will not be accepted for the deposit.
Why do I have to present my passport?
If you’re a foreigner, you will need to present an original and valid passport. This is both to verify your identity as well as to ensure your Costa Rica 90-day immigration permit is valid. Under Costa Rican law, foreigners can use their country’s driver’s license for 90 days. After 90 days, the license is no longer valid.
Why do I have to present my driver’s license if I already have an International License?
An International Driver’s License basically states that your home license is legal and valid in your country. This is not an authorization to drive, it only indicates that the license from your country is legitimate.
We do not require an international license; but if you bring it, you must submit both.
What if my license is written in a different alphabet?
If your home license is not written in the Roman alphabet (such as Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Mandarin), we cannot verify that it is valid. In this case, we require that you also present an International Driver’s License.
If you have any additional questions or concerns about our car rental requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact us by email at reservas@adobecar.com or call us directly at +1 (855) 861-1250 and we will be happy to assist you. We aim to make your trip to Costa Rica as hassle-free and as pleasant as possible.
US & CAN Toll Free:
(8 am-5 pm Central Time)
Whatsapp:
(506) 8494-5956 Monday to Saturday 8 am – 5 pm and Sunday 9 am – 3 pm.
What is the amount of deposit required if I am accepting CDW (LDW) on my vehicle rental?
I purchased a CDW of 35000 usd from an outside agency. Which insurances can I bypass if I rent from you and still be covered?
Thanks
Can I rent with you guys at the age of 22
Hello Meier: we require the drivers to be older than 23 years old with a valid driver license and passport.
I am 74 years old. Will that be a problem for renting a car with you?
Hello Leonard, not an issue to include you as a driver by showing your valid driver license and passport.
Dear Sir/Ms. I have Supplemental Liability Insurance that I pay annually. It is valid worldwide.
CarHireExcess.com provides cover for:
Externally caused damage to the rental vehicle
Third party bodily injury
Damage caused by your rental vehicle to material property.
Will you accept this? Also what are the rates if I book for more that 28 days? Andy, Uk
Hello Andy: you can decline the car protection if you have CDW coverage with your credit card. Costa Rican law does not recognize any other insurance plan.
Hello,
I am 60 years old and renting the vehicle. However, my travel partner is 22. Can she drive the car as well as me?
Hello Julia. The driver must be older than 23 years with a valid driver license and passport.
We are planning a trip in Oct of this year. I know you require a security deposit of $1000. Can we put the $1000 deposit on a credit card and pay for the rental with a debit card? Just wanted to see if this was allowed. Thanks for your time!
Hello Ben, exceptionally we could take the credit card for a deposit and the payment for rental in debit card, as long as they are the same branch. For example, if the credit card is Master Card, the debit card must be Master Card. This is a requirement from the Credit Card companies in our country.
I don’t have a credit card can i use my debit card or prepaid Mastercard for the security deposit ?
We only take credit card for the guarantee deposit. The credit card holder can be different from the driver. We require both people to be present at the delivery date to sign the rental contract.
My clients have read, that it is only allowed to drive a car in Costa Rica every second day, accoring to the number of the plate. Is that correct?
Thank you for your help in advance.
Yours sincerely
Helmut Promegger
Reisebuero Kirchberg
Austria
Hello Helmut, our fleet is exempt of the vehicular restriction. We provide all our customers a copy of the rental contract.
Hi – do all rental cars come with unlimited miles?
Hello Amber, unlimited miles applies for rentals up to 29 days.
Do you accept American Express credit cards?
Hello Alan: yes, we do accept American Express.
Can I drive from Quepos to Puerto Veijo and drop off the rental car there?
Thank you
Hello Matteo, sure, you can pick the car in Quepos and return in Puerto Viejo, just a minimum of 3 consecutive days rental and a drop off fee of U$ 110.
Hi! I was scammed by a rental car company in the Arenal area. Is there an agency in Costa Rica
that rental car companies register with, are licensed under or report to? I would like to file a formal complaint. The scamming company makes others look bad! I should have gone with Adobe!!
Hello, you can contact https://www.acar.cr/es/, which is the Costa Rica car rental asociation.
Hi, I have a reservation for a full size SUV. It had the option to add roof racks. Does that allow for putting luggage on the roof? Thanks.
Hello, we can offer surf racks for surfboards, but not for luggage.
Do you have any restrictions to the ricon road to Drake bay
Hello: only a good 4×4 is recommended to drive in the area of Drake Bay.
Hi there. I have insurance for rental cars through my car insurance company in Canada (rather than credit card). Is this okay to use as insurance rather than purchasing?
Hello, we only take credit card insurance for car rental. We do not take coverage for foreign car insurance companies.
We have rented a car from you via a travel agent.
When we rent a car direct do you bring and pick-up the car then als from hotel Bougainville?
Hi Mr. Kiers: yes. We do deliver the car at your hotel free of charge, when you make the reservation directly with us. You would need to request the delivery at the Hotel Bougainvillea when making the reservation.
I rented a car from you in February, 2020 when I was 80 years old. When I visit in 2023, I will be 83. Will I have a problem renting a car?
Hi Mr. Ehmer: not a problem, as long as you bring your valid driver license, passport and credit card.
Thank you; I just saw this. We will see you in February. In 2020, I picked up the car at the CPI Spanish School in Playa Flamingo and returned it near the Liberia Airport. I assume that we can still do that.
Excellent Jack ! Sure, we can deliver at the school and you can return near Liberia airport.
do the vehicles have GPS?
Hello Ruth: we offer GPS and WIFI devices to rent.
Hello, I will be visiting Costa Rica on a cruise next month from the USA. Since I am not entering through immigration, I will not be able to get a passport stamp. Am I still able to rent a car with my passport even though I do not have an entry stamp?
Hi. We will be contacting you in order to help you in this case. We would need to know if you are arriving to Puntarenas (Pacific) or Limón (Atlantic)?
I will be in Limón. Thank you!
You´re welcome. We will contact you in order to coordinate.
I have a question concerning the insurance requirements. I have in writing additional premium car rental protection policy with AMEX Assurance Company that is effective in Costa Rica it covers reimbursement for damage to or theft of a rental car, a secondary accidental injury expense benefits: accidental death or dismemberment coverage: secondary coverage for damage to or theft of personal property.
Does not provide insurance for personal liability, uninsured motorists, worker’s compensation injuries, disability benefits of any kind and any coverage mandated by government.
Is this going to be acceptable to be able to rent a car. If not what would be acceptable?
Hi Greg. Sorry for the delay in the response, bust we had some technical issues. Yes. This insurance will be acceptable for you to decline the LDW. No problem.
I am about to book an SUV with you for late November, but I wanted to ask two questions:
1. Does your listing of mandatory charges includes the CDW (LDW), or is that an additional charge. My credit card does have insurance that covers see CDW (LDW) and I am trying to determine what the final cost will be for my rental.
2. I plan on booking a 10 day rental, but if later I decide to shorten the rental to five days, how much notice do I need to give to allow this change without penalty?
Hello John. Regarding your questions:
1- Yes, the website shows the rental and liability insurance and taxes included.
You can decline Adobe’s Vehicle Protection Coverage (LDW) if your credit card provides car rental insurance coverage. Because conditions vary between cards, it is important to comply with the following:
• Make sure the credit card you will use to pay for the rental is current and offers LDW coverage in Costa Rica for the type of vehicle you plan to rent.
• You must use the same credit card to decline LDW as you do to pay the rental. This is a requirement of the credit card provider.
• Remember that the card owner must also be the driver of the rental car.
• Make sure you know the terms and conditions of your credit card LDW.
• If you have a card other than the ones listed below, you must present a letter from your card provider showing that the credit card covers the rental conditions. If you have one of the cards listed below, you do not need the letter.
1) Visa Signature
2) Visa Infinite
3) Amex Gold
4) Amex Platinum
5) Amex Centurion
6) Mastercard Black
7) Mastercard World
8) Mastercard World Elite
Remember that a security deposit of $1,000 USD is required for all car rentals. The deposit is not higher if you decline the LDW. Clients can make the deposit with their valid Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit card.
2- You can shorten the rental days, but we will appreciate you can let us know at least 5 days prior to the returning date.