Caribbean

In late June, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled for marriage equality and that same-gender couples have the constitutional right to marry in all 50 states and all U.S. territories. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are covered by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Same-sex marriage in Guam has been licensed and recognized since June 9, 2015, following a ruling of the District Court of Guam on June 5, 2015, that held the territory’s prohibition of same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

Another very friendly island to the LGBT community is Puerto Rico, where you can find just a little bit of everything. On this exciting Caribbean island that never seems to sleep, you’ll find the following all over the island: Snazzy beachfront hotels for catching up on your sleep.

Guides to gay Costa Rica stress that the country is a fairly tolerant place as long as you’re not “openly affectionate” in public. Gay men, by the way, are far more visible than gay women, and there is a big trans community, with cross-dressing sex workers much in evidence along some downtown streets.

Costa Rica is known for its incredible national parks, where tourists can enjoy some thrilling activities like river rafting, canyoning, cave tubing, and zip lining. It’s also one of the best places for animal lovers to discover some interesting wildlife like macaws, sea turtles, and adorable sloths.

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Country Summary: While petty crime is the predominant threat for tourists in Costa Rica, violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault, occurs in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican government provides additional security resources in areas frequented by tourists.

The consumption of Cannabis in Costa Rica is nominally illegal; however, personal consumption does not carry any criminal penalties. The sale of marijuana, however, can be punished criminally.

US nationals do not require an entry visa to Costa Rica. However, they must have a current valid passport and a return ticket to exit Costa Rica within 90 days. As a tourist US nationals cannot stay more than 90 days.

Costa Rica is not and never was a US territory, but it has strong relations with the United States in terms of economic, strategy, and security.

COVID-19 Update: June 2021

Total turnaround time for a standard passport application can be 18 weeks, with 12 weeks for processing and six weeks for mailing, according to the State Department. It says an expedited application can take up to 12 weeks.

Be sure to include the $60 expedite fee in addition to the normal application fee. See Passport Fees for more information. Find the acceptance facility nearest you to turn in your application and fees.

Applicants who, despite booked appointment, have been ‘refused token’ due to non-availability of required set of documents can revisit the same Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK).

Passport processing fees for both new applications and renewal are as follows: Regular Processing – P 950.00. Expedited Processing – P 1,200.00. Penalty for lost and mutilated passports – P 350.00.

An adult US passport renewal costs $110. This is for passport processing that is considered “routine” and varies, but typically the processing time is 8-10 weeks. You can pay and extra $60 for “expedited service” to the US Department of State and the cost of your passport renewal then goes up to $170 in total.