Juan Santamaría
International Airport
Costa Rica’s principal airport, at San José. A 9,882 foot runway at 3,007 feet elevation, Category 9 cover, and a country that asks for no landing permit but does require parking permission, a slot and mandatory handling.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
San José at a glance
Juan Santamaría International carries the ICAO code MROC and the identifier SJO. A single 9,882 foot runway at 3,007 feet elevation, about 20 kilometres north west of San José near Alajuela, with ICAO Category 9 fire cover.
Costa Rica requires no landing permit, but parking permission, a slot and mandatory handling all apply and are confirmed before departure.
Permits
No landing permit, but three other things
Costa Rica does not require a landing permit for private or charter flights, but parking permission from the airport authority is required and is confirmed before departure, and handling at San José is mandatory. We confirm all three before departure.
07/25 is 3,012 metres, about 9,882 feet, at 3,007 feet elevation with Category 9 fire cover. The elevation features in a heavy departure on a warm afternoon and the runway absorbs it. The airport operates 24 hours with slots regulating the busier periods. Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year.
The Choice
San José or Guanacaste
San José for the capital, the Central Valley, the Pacific coast south of it, and for Arenal and Monteverde. The Escazú and Santa Ana business districts are 30 to 45 minutes from the airport.
Guanacaste Airport for the Papagayo peninsula and the northern Pacific resorts, which are four hours from San José by road. Most resort traffic flies to Guanacaste; most business and combined itineraries start at San José. Fuel is priced above the US average and above Mexico, and we tanker where the sector allows.
History
El Coco, 1958
The airport opened in 1958 as El Coco, replacing the old La Sabana airport in the city, and was renamed in 1968 for Juan Santamaría, the national hero of the 1856 war against William Walker.
It has been Costa Rica’s principal airport since, with the terminal substantially expanded through a concession from the 2000s.
Nearby
San José and the Mexico and Central America fields
Costa Rica asks for no landing permit; Mexico does. Choose the airport by destination.
Guanacaste for the northern Pacific resorts. Limón for the Caribbean coast. Cancún and Cozumel for the Mexican Caribbean. Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Tijuana and Querétaro for Mexico.
Airport guides & index
Questions
San José, answered
Can private jets use San José?
Yes. Juan Santamaría International, Costa Rica's principal airport, has a 9,882 foot runway at 3,007 feet elevation, ICAO Category 9 fire cover and a dedicated general aviation area with customs. Costa Rica does not require a landing permit, but parking permission, a slot and mandatory handling all apply.
Does Costa Rica require a landing permit?
No, and that is unusual for the region. Private and charter flights do not need a landing permit for Costa Rica. Parking permission from the airport authority is required, as is a slot at San José, and handling is mandatory; we confirm all three before departure.
How long is the runway at San José?
07/25 is 3,012 metres, about 9,882 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 3,007 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 9. The elevation is enough to feature in a heavy departure on a warm afternoon, and the runway absorbs it for the whole of business aviation.
Is ground handling mandatory at San José?
Yes. Handling is mandatory at Juan Santamaría for private and charter arrivals, and it is arranged alongside the parking permission and slot.
San José or Guanacaste?
San José for the capital, the Central Valley and the Pacific coast south of it, and for Arenal and Monteverde. Guanacaste for the Papagayo peninsula and the northern Pacific resorts, which are four hours from San José by road. Most resort traffic flies to Guanacaste; most business and combined itineraries start at San José.
What time zone is Costa Rica in?
Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. Costa Rica does not observe daylight saving.
How far is the airport from the city?
About 20 kilometres north west of downtown San José, near Alajuela, around 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The Escazú and Santa Ana business districts are similar.
Is there a curfew at San José?
No formal curfew; the airport operates 24 hours. Slots regulate the busier periods.
Can you fly direct from the United States to San José?
Yes. San José is about three hours from Miami and five from Los Angeles by jet, with customs on arrival in the general aviation area.
What is the history of Juan Santamaría airport?
The airport opened in 1958 as El Coco, replacing the old La Sabana airport in the city, and was renamed in 1968 for Juan Santamaría, the national hero of the 1856 war against William Walker. It has been Costa Rica's principal airport since, with the terminal substantially expanded through a concession from the 2000s.
Is Costa Rica's fuel expensive?
Fuel is priced above the US average and above Mexico, as is usual for Central America. We tanker where the sector allows.
Get Your Number
Request a Costa Rica charter
Tell us whether the trip is the capital, the coast or both. We confirm parking permission, the slot and mandatory handling before departure, and price Guanacaste alongside if the resorts are the real destination.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.