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I am thinking about bringing a few days of food into CR from the States. Everything will be package, no fruit or anything like that. Does anyone know if this is aloud? Would I have to put it in checked bagage?

I would think that most things would need to be checked and being checked would cause you a lot less posible hazzle with customs.

I have friends bring me food items quite often (things that I can not buy here or are very expensive here). Example- a 3-4 dollar container of graded parmasian cheeze in the states is $16 in Hypermas here. They have never had a problem with anything so far.

A friend will be arriving tomorrow with several items that we have never tried before so will see and will post here if he has a problem.

My biggest question though is: WHY? if you are coming here for just a few days would you want to bring food with you??? Believe it or not food products here are good and there are many very good restarants here. This is not a country where they tell you "don't drank the water" Living here and liking to cook is the only reason I have things that I can not buy here brought to me.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

NO perishable (cooked) food nor fruit is allowed.

I just brought 2 32oz jars of queen olives and 120oz of homemade spaghetti sauce in 2 large jars through. Called American and they had no problem with that amount of liquid in my checked baggage. Also brought 1 each large hunks of Parmesan & Romano cheese. Customs in CR didn't even skip a beat... Welcome Gringo....

I asked the same question 2 months ago about bringing food into CR. The responses were similar - "I've done it many times, no problem."

So I've now arrived twice with cereal, breakfast bars, nuts, peanut butter and bread. My bags are XRayed on arrival, but never opened. I don't know what they're looking for. But the question really hasn't been answered.

Will CR customs allow these foods if they find them?

Orange said:
Homemade spaghetti sauce is perishable, as is cheese.

So the real question still is, can we get away with bringing anything in?


As for bringing a few days worth of food (for what could be a trip that lasts much longer), some of us like the convenience of having healthy or preferred food, at low cost. I guess some of us are doing it and I'll continue. But it would be good to know the rule.

The spaghetti sauce was properly jarred and vacuum sealed. I would have argued that. The cheese was obviously perishable and would have been confiscated. My understanding is that fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, perishables and other NON PROCESSED foods are not allowed. I have seen large boxes of "processed foods" brought in AND inspected and allowed in the country. Including the following; Cereal, cookies, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mayo, tuna fish, soup, coffee mate, crackers, hamburger helper, spices, various cans and boxes of stuff, etc.... Even a giant Italian dried salami and they allowed that! Go figure.... YMMV

The key thing with fresh fruit and vegetables is that they might have foreign bugs and microbes on them that aren't allowed into the country with you. Anything boxed, canned, jarred, etc. isn't a problem, unless you're trying to sneak commercial quantities past customs.

CR customs is so lax toward american tourists that it probably would not be too difficult to stroll through with a human head in your duffle bag.

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I believe in moderation in everything except excess.
I phuck 'em just to see the look on their face.
Klatu, berata, nicto.

My friend just arrived bring me peanut butter, velveeta cheese, parmesan cheese, Bisquick mix, waffle mix and even Jimmy Dean country sausage amoung other things with NO problem at customs here.

Also, I bring fresh cheese back every time I go to Panama (cheese is much better and 1/3 the price in Cr) and customs has seen it every time and never said a thing.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

I always bring cupcakes,cookies and candy-No problem.

Processed foods are OK. That's true in most countries. But fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, or viable seeds, are usually prohibited. Seeds get smuggled a lot because they are easily concealable. But whole fruits and veggies rarely make it through.

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Don't call 'em hookers. I tell my wife I'm here dealing with holesalers.