Okokuzithokozisa okubandakanya ukudla e-Costa Rica
These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.
Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your Experience, we encourage you to check with official sources or seek legal advice.
Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the laws or procedures have not changed recently.*
What are some of the basic principles?
Your guest’s health and safety should always come first. For example, make sure you take your guests to (or otherwise serve them food from) reputable restaurants or professional caterers who keep clean facilities, use fresh ingredients, and have a good food safety track record. Also ask your guests in advance about any food allergies they may have, or religious or philosophical codes that may impact what kind of food they eat.
I’m a foodie. What kind of food experiences can I provide in Costa Rica?
The following food experiences are unlikely to trigger any regulatory issues:
- Taking your guests to your favorite local restaurants;
- Inviting your guests to your home or a picnic where you serve food that is cooked in a licensed facility (for example, take-out from your favorite local restaurants, food catered by a professional licensed caterer, prepared or prepackaged food from your favorite market).
- Giving them cooking instructions without them eating the food. As an alternative, your guests can bring their own ingredients for them to prepare their own food under your guidance.
If you are thinking of serving home-cooked food, please carefully read our home-cooked food guidance and check with an attorney to make sure you are following your local laws.
I want to serve home-cooked food to guests. Are there any specific rules I need to follow?
Please bear in mind that you require appropriate permits to use your residential kitchen to prepare meals that you can sell to your Guests. There are space limitations with the permit that you must apply for and food handling permits.
The key question is whether serving home-cooked food in your private home to occasional guests qualifies as a main commercial activity under Costa Rica´s regulation.
Note that, for a variety of reasons, residential kitchens generally cannot be permitted as food establishments.
That said, this is a tricky area and we encourage you to call your local Municipality and the Ministry of Health directly or speak to a lawyer to describe your Experience and make sure you are correctly interpreting this guidance and are following your local laws.
I’m a great cook. Can I give cooking lessons for a fee to my guests?
If you want to teach a cooking lesson in a private home, please carefully read the section above on home-cooked foods and speak to an attorney to make sure you are following your local laws. If you simply demonstrate cooking without serving the food, that should be okay to do without a permit.
From time to time, Airbnb may also partner with select non-profits who may either provide licensed food facilities for hosts or may otherwise sponsor a food related event.
*Airbnb is not responsible for the reliability or correctness of the information contained in any links to third party sites (including any links to legislation and regulations).