Key facts for Costa Rica
Christmas is the main corporate gifting occasion and coincides with the start of the dry season and holidays.
How companies in Costa Rica give year-end gifts
In Costa Rica, employees receive the legally mandated aguinaldo, a thirteenth-month payment, by 20 December, and the weeks before Christmas are busy with office parties and gift exchanges. Companies commonly give staff a food basket, tamales are a traditional seasonal dish shared in December, and client gifts are usually branded items, gift boxes, chocolates or wine with a card in Spanish. Public institutions and many companies close between Christmas and New Year, when the dry-season holidays begin, so gifts should arrive by mid-December. Costa Rica has a large multinational services sector, and those companies often follow global gift policies with fixed caps. Christmas wording is standard; 'Felices Fiestas' is a common neutral alternative. Gifts for tourism and hospitality clients should arrive early, before the high season begins.
Gift occasions in Costa Rica
Christmas (Navidad)
Main occasion; employees receive the legal aguinaldo by 20 December.
Year-end holidays
Many offices and public institutions close for the holidays.
Good practice
- Deliver by mid-December, before the holiday closures.
- Write cards in Spanish.
- Check caps at multinational service centers.
Avoid
- Avoid gifts to public officials unless their institution's rules clearly allow it.
- Avoid local coffee as a novelty gift; it is a core national product.
Design and wording
Christmas wording and imagery are fully appropriate.
Delivery to Costa Rica
Imports clear Costa Rican customs with duties and VAT; the EU–Central America Association Agreement can reduce duties for EU-origin goods. Food products are subject to sanitary rules, so food shipments are checked before quoting.
Planning dates for Costa Rica
| Order personalized stock advent calendars by | 6 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Order Christmas hampers by | 13 Nov 2026 |
| Fully custom calendars for 2027 — order between | 01.2027 – 08.2027 |
Indicative planning dates; exact dates are confirmed in your proposal.
Recommended formats for Costa Rica
Chocolate advent calendars
Twenty-four chocolates and your brand on the front from 1 to 24 December.
Tea & coffee calendars
A tea or coffee advent calendar with your logo is a measured, practical gift for clients and colleagues who prefer to avoid sweets.
Plush & merch calendars
A merchandise advent calendar distributes your branded items across 24 doors: socks, pins, stickers, small plush and treats, each carrying your logo.
Empty calendar boxes
For companies that already have the filling: custom printed advent calendar boxes in bulk, designed around your products and delivered flat or…
Christmas hampers
Corporate Christmas hampers with your logo on the box, ribbon or card, composed to your budget band and delivered to one office or to individual home…
Baubles with logo
Most promotional items are discarded within weeks.
Frequently asked questions
When is the aguinaldo paid in Costa Rica?
By 20 December; corporate gifts are given in addition to it.
Can we send chocolate to Costa Rica?
Generally yes, subject to sanitary rules; duties and VAT may apply and are quoted in advance.
Do offices close over Christmas in Costa Rica?
Many companies and public institutions close between Christmas and New Year.