Costa Rica Country Code +506
The international country calling code for Costa Rica is +506. You will see this code in front of numbers for hotels in San José, surf schools in Tamarindo, eco-lodges near national parks and nearshore service centres serving clients in North America and Europe.
Costa Rica uses a modern 8-digit closed numbering plan. Both landlines and mobiles have 8 digits, with specific leading digits indicating fixed line vs mobile vs special services. In international format this becomes +506 XXXX XXXX – there is no trunk “0” before the number.
On this page you’ll find a practical guide to Costa Rican phone number formats, how to dial +506 from the US, Canada, Europe and neighbouring countries, how San José time (UTC−6) compares with your time zone, and tips for calling tourism businesses, call centres, real-estate agents and remote workers in Costa Rica.
Example landline (San José)
+506 2101 2345
Typical pattern for fixed lines: 2XXX XXXX, often used by offices and homes.
Example mobile
+506 8888 1234
Mobiles commonly start with digits like 6, 7 or 8; the rest identifies the subscriber.
Time & region
UTC−6 · Central America
Similar to US Central Standard Time; Costa Rica does not observe daylight saving time.
Overview – where +506 is used
The code +506 is used exclusively for Costa Rica. You will encounter +506 numbers in many different contexts: eco-tourism and adventure travel, medical and dental tourism, nearshore BPO and call-centre operations, software development teams and the everyday mobile phones of residents and expats.
Because the numbering plan is closed and standardised, almost every Costa Rican number can be written cleanly in the pattern +506 XXXX XXXX. The first digit usually tells you whether you’re calling a fixed line (commonly starting with 2) or a mobile/service number (often starting with 6, 7, 8 or other specific digits). Exact ranges can change when new blocks are opened, but the 8-digit rule is very stable.
Costa Rica’s strong tourism industry and large remote-work community also mean that many +506 numbers are tied to WhatsApp and other messaging apps. When collecting contact details for bookings or support, it’s common to ask for a +506 mobile that can receive calls, SMS and app messages.
Typical situations using +506 numbers
- Trip planning & bookings – calling hotels, car-rental agencies and tour operators in Spanish or English.
- Business & outsourcing – coordinating with nearshore customer-support and software teams serving US/EU markets.
- Property & relocation – contacting real-estate agents, lawyers and relocation consultants about moving or investing in Costa Rica.
In all of these cases, storing clean +506-formatted numbers avoids failed calls, broken links in CRMs and missed WhatsApp messages.
Costa Rica phone number formats (+506)
Generic pattern: +506 XXXX XXXX (8 digits)Costa Rica’s numbering plan is simple and developer-friendly: every standard phone number has 8 digits after +506. There is no separate area code field and no trunk prefix 0. Some general patterns:
- • National number length: always 8 digits for landlines and mobiles.
- • Fixed lines: many start with 2, especially in central regions. Example national format: 2101 2345 → +506 2101 2345 internationally.
- • Mobiles: often begin with digits like 6, 7 or 8, followed by seven more digits: 8888 1234 → +506 8888 1234.
- • Special services & VoIP: certain leading digits are reserved for value-added services, VoIP or corporate ranges; these still follow the 8-digit rule.
- • No trunk “0”: when you switch a Costa Rican number to international format, you do not drop or add a 0. You just add +506 in front of the 8 digits.
Validation rule idea: treat any number as “Costa Rica candidate” if it matches ^\\+506[0-9]{8}$ (E.164 form) or ^[0-9]{8}$ for local input, then normalise to the +506 + 8 digits version.
Sample Costa Rica numbers
Illustrative onlyExample office line with a 2-starting block commonly associated with fixed lines.
A mobile format you might see advertised on social media, often linked to WhatsApp.
Nearshore BPOs often use dedicated +506 blocks for inbound customer support traffic from abroad.
How to dial Costa Rica (+506)
1. From the USA or Canada
To call a Costa Rican number from North America, you use the international access code 011, then 506, then the 8-digit local number.
- Dial 011 – exit code from the US/Canada.
- Dial 506 – country code for Costa Rica.
- Dial the 8-digit number (e.g. 2101 2345).
Example (Chicago → San José office 2101 2345): 011 506 2101 2345.
2. From the UK, EU or most other countries
In many countries the international prefix is 00. After that you dial 506, then the 8-digit Costa Rican number.
- Dial 00 – international prefix.
- Dial 506 – Costa Rica country code.
- Dial the 8-digit local number (e.g. 8888 1234 for a mobile).
Example (Madrid → Costa Rica mobile 8888 1234): 00 506 8888 1234.
3. Dialing inside Costa Rica & calling out
- Within Costa Rica: you simply dial the 8-digit number as written (for example 2101 2345 or 8888 1234), with no extra 0 or area code.
- From Costa Rica to other countries: international calls commonly start with 00 plus the destination country code, for example 00 1 for the US/Canada, 00 34 for Spain. Check with your local operator for available long-distance prefixes and packages.
- Short codes: some emergency and customer-service lines use short 3-digit numbers (like 911). These are usually only reachable from inside Costa Rica.
For your address book, always save Costa Rican contacts in full +506 form so they work regardless of where you are travelling.
Normalisation tip: if a user types 21012345, your system can treat it as a
local Costa Rican number and store it as +50621012345 internally.
Time in Costa Rica – UTC−6 (America/Costa_Rica)
Costa Rica uses a single time zone aligned with UTC−6. The IANA time zone name is America/Costa_Rica. The country does not observe daylight saving time, so clock changes happen only in other countries – not in Costa Rica itself.
In practice this means that during part of the year Costa Rica shares the same local time as US Central Standard Time. When the US switches to daylight saving time, the offset between Costa Rica and some North American cities changes by one hour, while Costa Rica stays fixed.
For scheduling calls with hotels, offices and call centres, business hours are typically 08:00–17:00 or 09:00–18:00 local time. Morning in Costa Rica overlaps well with Europe; afternoon overlaps with North and South America.
San José compared with other cities
| City / region | Time zone | Typical offset vs San José |
|---|---|---|
| San José | America/Costa_Rica (UTC−6) | Reference |
| New York | America/New_York | ≈ +1 to +2 hours (seasonal) |
| Los Angeles | America/Los_Angeles | ≈ −1 to 0 hours |
| Mexico City | America/Mexico_City | Often similar or ±1 hour |
| London | Europe/London | ≈ +6 to +7 hours |
| Madrid | Europe/Madrid | ≈ +7 to +8 hours |
In software, store timestamps in UTC and label user-facing times with the region America/Costa_Rica so they remain correct even if other regions adjust their rules.
Safety & emergency calls in Costa Rica
Costa Rica uses a unified 3-digit emergency number: 911. This is the main number to call for police, fire and medical emergencies, similar to the US and parts of Latin America. Most operators route 911 calls even if you have no remaining credit on a prepaid SIM.
In addition to 911, hospitals, private clinics, roadside assistance and insurance companies publish their own +506 contact numbers for non-life-threatening situations. If you are travelling or relocating, save the emergency numbers recommended by your hotel, tour company or employer as named contacts in your phone.
General emergency
911
Call 911 for urgent police, ambulance or fire assistance anywhere in Costa Rica. Operators may speak Spanish and often some English in tourist areas.
Police & security
Through 911
For immediate safety issues, start with 911. For follow-up or non-urgent matters, your hotel or local contact can provide the appropriate police station +506 numbers.
Ambulance & hospitals
911 & clinic lines
Use 911 for life-threatening situations. For planned visits and follow-up care, hospitals and private clinics publish direct +506 numbers for appointments and medical advice.
Practical tip
Save key contacts
Before travelling, create a small group of starred contacts: hotel, local guide, insurer, embassy and 911. Make sure each one is stored as a valid +506 number where applicable.
Emergency protocols and language support can vary by region. Always follow the latest advice from local authorities, your tour operator or your company’s security guidelines.
Examples: calling +506 Costa Rica numbers
US (Miami) → hotel in San José
Hotel landline: 2101 2345.
- Dial 011 – exit code from the US.
- Dial 506 – Costa Rica country code.
- Dial 2101 2345 – 8-digit hotel number.
Result: 011 506 2101 2345
Germany (Berlin) → Costa Rica mobile
Tour guide mobile: 8888 1234.
- Dial 00 – international prefix from Germany.
- Dial 506 – Costa Rica country code.
- Dial 8888 1234 – mobile number as written.
Result: 00 506 8888 1234
Inside Costa Rica – mobile → restaurant
Restaurant: 2200 5678.
- From a Costa Rican mobile, dial 2200 5678 directly.
- No +506, 0 or area code is required for domestic calls.
A visitor saving this contact should use: +506 2200 5678 so it works from abroad too.
Costa Rica country code +506 – FAQ
What is the country code for Costa Rica?
The international country code for Costa Rica is +506. From abroad you dial your international access code (for example 011 or 00), then 506, then the 8-digit Costa Rican number.
How many digits does a Costa Rican phone number have?
Standard Costa Rican numbers contain 8 digits after +506. In international format a complete number looks like +506 XXXX XXXX, where the first digit indicates fixed vs mobile or other services.
Is there an area code or a leading 0 in Costa Rica?
No. Costa Rica uses a closed 8-digit plan with no area codes and no trunk 0. You simply dial the full 8 digits inside the country, and add +506 in front when dialing from abroad.
What time zone does Costa Rica use?
Costa Rica is in the America/Costa_Rica time zone, which is UTC−6. The country does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset from UTC remains the same all year.
Is WhatsApp common for +506 numbers?
Yes. Many Costa Ricans use WhatsApp linked to their +506 mobile number for day-to-day communication. Hotels, tour operators and remote workers often prefer to receive initial contact via WhatsApp rather than voice calls alone.
Are calls to Costa Rica expensive?
Call prices depend on your carrier and package. Direct international calls from mobile or landline can be expensive, but many people use VoIP apps, Wi-Fi calling or local SIM cards to reduce costs. Always check rates with your provider before making long calls to +506 numbers.
Download the Costa Rica (+506) dialing & time zone cheat sheet
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