A woman of Cuban nationality was detained by the officials of the Policía de Control de Drogas (PCD) – Drug Control Police – at the Juan Santamaria (San Jose) international airport, for carrying a large sum of cash hidden in her hand luggage.
The PCD confirmed the detention of the 23-year-old woman, surnamed Jimenez, when she tried to enter Costa Rica as a tourist. The Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (MSP) confirmed the woman arrived from a flight originating in Italy, with a stop in Spain.
Authorities said Jimenez was carrying 36,460 Euros which she had not declared on her customs form. The woman told immigration officials that she was a tourist, with the intention of leaving the country on February 17.
Jimenez was transferred to the Fiscalia (Prosecutor’s Office) in Alajuela for not reporting the money to authorities.
There is no limit to the amount of cash you can carry domestically or internationally. It is legal to travel with any amount of cash or other monetary instruments in and out of Costa Rica. However, you must declare your cash to customs if the amount exceeds US$10,000 dollars or its foreign equivalent.
