Panorama of Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano in northern Costa Rica, above the rainforest — Arenal, Alajuela

Shipping from Miami to Costa Rica

Three days by sea. One day up the mountain.

King Ocean from Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine from PortMiami sail every Friday and reach Moín, on the Caribbean coast, on Monday. Our agent handles customs and trucks the container up to San José on Tuesday. By air, DHL and UPS each fly four times a week and land the next day.

Get a Costa Rica rate Call (305) 597-9595

We respond within 4 business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET).

FridaySails. Cargo cutoff Tuesday 5:00 PM.
Day 3Moín, at sea level
Day 4San José, about 1,170 meters up

The week

Tuesday to Tuesday, dock to San José.

Cargo and documents on our Medley dock by Tuesday at 5:00 PM make that Friday’s sailing. Miss Tuesday and it waits a week. Hazmat and bonded cargo close a day earlier, Monday at 5:00 PM.

Monday 5:00 PM
Hazmat and bondedClose 24 hours ahead.
Tuesday 5:00 PM
Cargo cutoffCargo and documents on our Medley dock.
Friday
SailsPort Everglades and PortMiami.
Monday
MoínOff the ship.
Tuesday
San JoséThen to the door.

A cutoff that falls on a holiday when we’re closed moves to 12:00 PM the business day before. An EEI filing doesn’t move your cutoff. Transit times are what we book to, not a guarantee.

Ocean · Fridays

King Ocean and Seaboard Marine

South FloridaPort Everglades
or PortMiamiMoínDay 3San JoséDay 4

Air · 4 a week each

DHL and UPS

MiamiBook by 12:00 PM, dock by 2:00 PMSan José (SJO)Next day

Aerial view of the port of Moín in Limón, Costa Rica, with a cargo ship at the berth, red cranes on the pier and rainforest behind — Moín, Limón

The climb

The port is at sea level. San José is a mountain away.

From Moín, Ruta 32 crosses the Caribbean lowlands, climbs through Braulio Carrillo National Park and the Zurquí tunnel, then drops into the Central Valley. That’s where San José is, and where nearly three in four Costa Rican consumers live.

Elevation from Moín to San José: about 155 km by road. Sea level at Moín on day 3, a climb past 1,400 meters through Braulio Carrillo, and San José at about 1,170 meters on day 4.

Ruta 32About 155 km from Moín to San José. Costa Rica’s transport ministry says 80% of the country’s imports and exports travel on it.

When it closesLandslides and heavy rain close the mountain stretch, sometimes overnight. Trucks then take Ruta 10 through Turrialba and Cartago, the long way around. If that moves a delivery, we tell you.

Anywhere in Costa RicaOur agent’s trucks deliver in San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago, and anywhere else in the country.

Sources: elevations sampled from SRTM terrain data along the OpenStreetMap road route, approximate; MOPT, January 15, 2025 (Ruta 32 share); MOPT, November 11, 2024 (closures); U.S. International Trade Administration, Costa Rica Country Commercial Guide, June 2026 (consumers).

Ocean and air

A container of your own, or space in ours.

Full containers and LCL sail every Friday. Air is there for what can’t wait for the ship.

Ocean freight

Fridays

Carriers: King Ocean from Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine from PortMiami, into Moín.
Full containers: 20′, 40′ and 40′ high cube. They load at our dock or at your door.
LCL: Smaller shipments are consolidated in our Medley warehouse into our own container for Moín, every Friday. Our agent unloads it at its own warehouse.
Out of gauge: Flat racks and open tops for machinery that won’t fit a box.
Vehicles: New and used, shipped in containers. See the paperwork section for the tax.
Refrigerated: Cold cargo never comes through our Miami warehouse. It loads into a reefer container at your facility instead.
Hazmat: Moves on this lane, declared and documented before it reaches our dock. The cutoff is Monday 5:00 PM. See dangerous goods consulting.

Air freight

4 a week each

Carriers: DHL and UPS, from Miami International.
Lands at: Juan Santamaría International (SJO), in Alajuela, next to San José.
Cutoffs: Booked by 12:00 PM, on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. It lands the next day.
Security: We tender under our own TSA Indirect Air Carrier certification.
Hazmat: Accepted, under the stricter air rules. Send the DGD and MSDS before pickup.

Commercial cargo only. We don’t take household goods or personal effects to Costa Rica.

Both ends

Our agent delivers anywhere in Costa Rica.

We load it in Medley. Our agent, based in San José, clears it through Costa Rican customs and delivers it. You call our operations desk for both ends.

Exterior loading docks at the Express Freight International warehouse in Medley, Miami — Medley, Miami

Miami · EFI, since 1992

Up to the ship.

FMC-licensed NVOCC, OTI No. 018467
U.S. export filing (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent
50,000 sq ft bonded warehouse with 18 dock doors
Our own trucks across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach
Our own Moín container for LCL, every Friday

Aerial view of the Flag Roundabout in San José, Costa Rica, with the city and the Central Valley mountains behind — San José

San José · our agent

From Moín to the door.

A licensed customs broker. It files the DUA, Costa Rica’s import declaration
Clears ocean and air cargo through Costa Rican customs
Unloads our LCL container at its own warehouse
Delivers with its own trucks, anywhere in Costa Rica

Paperwork

Some goods need a technical note.

Costa Rica requires a licensed customs broker on commercial imports, and our agent is one. Most of what follows sits with the importer in Costa Rica, but a shipment can stall on any line of it. Check it before the cargo leaves Miami.

Costa Rica side

Commercial invoiceSeller and buyer, a full description, quantities, unit prices and the sale terms. Make sure it matches the packing list and the bill of lading.
Bill of lading or air waybillDepending on how it moves.
Packing listSend one that matches the invoice.
CAFTA-DR certification of originWhen the importer claims the duty-free rate.
Permits and technical notesFor regulated goods, from the agency that covers the product. See the table below.

U.S. side, and the duty

EEI, filed by us

Most commercial shipments over $2,500 per Schedule B number need Electronic Export Information filed through AES. We file it as your authorized agent, at least 24 hours before the container is loaded for ocean and 2 hours before departure for air.

We handle this

CAFTA-DR, since 2009

The agreement has covered trade between the U.S. and Costa Rica since January 1, 2009, and every U.S. consumer and industrial good that meets its rules of origin has entered duty-free since January 1, 2015. The claim rests on a certification from the importer, exporter or producer. It has no set form, and imports with a customs value of US$1,500 or less don’t need one. Costa Rica’s 13% value-added tax still applies.

Optional, usually worth it

Regulated cargo and who signs off
If you’re shipping	It goes through
Processed food and drinks	Ministry of HealthProduct registration before the first import.
Medicines, cosmetics and medical devices	Ministry of HealthRegistration, and an import permit valid for five years.
Plants, fruit, fertilizers and pesticides	SFEThe State Phytosanitary Service. Phytosanitary certificates for plant products, and registration for agrochemicals.
Animals, animal products and animal feed	SENASAThe National Animal Health Service, including feed registration.
Phones, tablets and other devices for mobile networks	SUTELThe telecom regulator approves each brand and model for use in Costa Rica.
Firearms, ammunition and explosives	Ministry of Public SecurityA license from its Department for the Control of Weapons and Explosives.

Does it need a technical note?

Some products can’t clear without a technical note (nota técnica), an agency’s sign-off tied to the tariff code. Give us the tariff code with the quote and our agent checks it against the list before anything ships.

Is it allowed in at all?

Used tires without rims and used shoes can’t be imported, and used clothing has to meet labeling rules. Vehicles, new or used, pay an extra tax of 30 to 50 percent depending on the model, so price it in before it ships.

This section is general information, not customs or legal advice. For your specific shipment, talk to a licensed customs broker. New to exporting? Start with our import and export guide.

Sources: U.S. International Trade Administration, Costa Rica Country Commercial Guide (opens in a new tab): Import Requirements, Customs Regulations, Prohibited and Restricted Imports, and Import Tariffs, June 2026; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAIRS Country Report CS2026-0014, June 22, 2026; SUTEL; USTR, CAFTA-DR Chapter 4; Ley General de Aduanas (Law 7557), article 37.

The licenses

Who stands behind your container.

Express Freight International’s licenses and certifications
Credential	Issued by	What it means for your cargo
Licensed NVOCC, OTI No. 018467	Federal Maritime Commission	Your cargo moves on our license, our bond and our bill of lading.
CTPAT partner	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Container inspection and high-security seals on the containers we stuff.
Indirect Air Carrier	TSA	We tender air cargo to the airline under our own certification.
Bonded container freight station	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Cargo can be received and held under bond in our Medley facility.
Registered food facility	FDA	Our warehouse is registered with the FDA as a food facility.

In freight since: 1992
Bonded warehouse in Medley: 50,000 sq ft
Dock doors: 18
Destinations from Miami: 35

Questions

Your questions about shipping to Costa Rica.

The National Theatre of Costa Rica in San José at dusk, lit from inside — Teatro Nacional, San José

01How long does shipping from Miami to Costa Rica take?

By sea, three days from Port Everglades or PortMiami to Moín, and San José the next day. By air, DHL and UPS land at Juan Santamaría (SJO), next to San José, the day after the flight. Add pickup to our Miami dock before the cutoff, and clearance and delivery on the Costa Rica end.

02When does the ship sail, and what’s the ocean cutoff?

Every Friday. Cargo and documents are due on our Medley dock by Tuesday 5:00 PM for that Friday’s sailing. Hazmat and bonded cargo close 24 hours earlier, on Monday at 5:00 PM. Miss Tuesday and the cargo waits a week.

03What are the air freight cutoffs?

Book by 12:00 PM and have the cargo on our dock by 2:00 PM with documents complete. DHL and UPS each fly four times a week, and the cargo lands the next day. Hazmat closes 24 hours earlier.

04Which carriers do you use to Costa Rica?

By sea, King Ocean out of Port Everglades and Seaboard Marine out of PortMiami, both sailing on Fridays. By air, DHL and UPS.

05Does my cargo arrive at Moín or at Limón?

Ocean freight arrives at Moín, the container port just up the coast from the city of Limón, on the Caribbean. Air freight lands at Juan Santamaría International (SJO) in Alajuela, next to San José.

06How does cargo get from Moín to San José?

By truck on Ruta 32, about 155 km through Braulio Carrillo National Park. When landslides or heavy rain close the mountain stretch, trucks take Ruta 10 through Turrialba and Cartago instead, and we tell you if that moves the delivery.

07Who handles customs clearance in Costa Rica?

Our agent in San José, a licensed customs broker, files the DUA and clears ocean and air cargo through Costa Rican customs. On the U.S. side, we file the export (EEI through AES) as your authorized agent.

08Do you deliver outside San José?

Yes. Our agent delivers anywhere in Costa Rica: Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago and the rest of the country. Give us the address when you ask for the quote so the inland leg is priced in.

09Can you ship LCL, or do I need a full container?

Both. Smaller shipments are consolidated in our Medley warehouse into our own container for Moín, which sails every Friday, and our agent unloads it at its own warehouse. Full containers run in 20′, 40′ and 40′ high cube. Send dimensions and weight and we’ll price it both ways.

10Can you ship dangerous goods to Costa Rica?

Yes, by sea and by air. We need the Dangerous Goods Declaration and the MSDS before the truck arrives. Hazmat closes 24 hours before general cargo: Monday 5:00 PM for the Friday ship.

11Do U.S. goods enter Costa Rica duty-free?

Usually, if they qualify. CAFTA-DR has covered trade between the U.S. and Costa Rica since January 1, 2009, and every U.S. consumer and industrial good that meets its rules of origin has entered duty-free since January 1, 2015. The 13% value-added tax still applies. This is general information, not customs advice. Confirm your goods with a licensed customs broker.

12Can I ship a vehicle to Costa Rica?

Yes, new or used, in a container. Costa Rica charges an extra tax of 30 to 50 percent on vehicles depending on the model, so price it in before it ships. On the U.S. side, a used vehicle needs an EEI filing whatever its value, and the vehicle and its title documents must be presented to U.S. Customs at least 72 hours before export.

13Is there anything that can’t go to Costa Rica?

Used tires without rims and used shoes can’t be imported, and regulated goods need a permit or a technical note from the agency that covers them. We ship commercial cargo only, so no household goods or personal effects. Cold cargo can’t come through our Miami warehouse, so it loads into a reefer at your facility.

14What do you need from me to quote Miami to Costa Rica?

Tell us if you want sea, air or both priced side by side. The pickup address, or tell us you’ll deliver to our dock. The destination in Costa Rica. Piece count, dimensions and weight. The commodity, its tariff code and its value. Any dangerous goods class. And the date it needs to land. We reply within 4 business hours.

Sails every Friday

Tell us what’s going to Costa Rica.

Ocean closes Tuesday at 5:00 PM for Friday’s ship. Air closes the day it flies: book by 12:00 PM and have it on our dock by 2:00 PM.