Costa Rica Flag: Colors, Meaning and History

Blue, white, red, white, blue. Costa Rica’s flag is easy to draw and easy to confuse with Thailand’s, but the meaning of its colors is written into law.

The Costa Rica flag has five horizontal stripes: blue, white, a double-width red stripe in the center, white and blue. Costa Rican law defines what each color stands for: blue for the sky, white for peace and red for the blood of those who died for freedom. The design dates to Sept. 29, 1848, and drew on the red, white and blue of revolutionary France. The version on government buildings adds the national coat of arms on the red stripe; the plain striped version is the one everyone else flies.

This guide covers what the colors mean, how the flag came to be, what’s on the coat of arms and the flag rules worth knowing as a visitor.

Costa Rica flag	At a glance
Spanish name	La bandera de Costa Rica; the version with the coat of arms is el pabellón nacional
Stripes	Blue, white, red, white, blue; the red stripe is twice as wide as the others
Color meanings	Blue: the sky. White: peace. Red: the blood of those who died for freedom
Adopted	Sept. 29, 1848
Proportions	3:5
Flag Day	Nov. 12 (Día del Pabellón Nacional)
Look-alike	Thailand’s flag, with the colors in reverse order

The colors

What the Costa Rica Flag Colors Mean

Costa Rica doesn’t leave its flag’s symbolism to folklore. The law that governs the national symbols spells it out:

• Blue (the two outer stripes): the sky over Costa Rica.
• White (the two inner stripes): peace.
• Red (the wide center stripe): the blood of those who died for freedom.

You will see longer lists online that add opportunity, perseverance, wisdom, happiness and the warmth of the Costa Rican people. Those are popular interpretations, not the legal definitions.

The red stripe itself has a clear origin. Before 1848, Costa Rica flew blue and white. The red was added that year as a nod to France and its 1848 revolution, with its red, white and blue tricolor and its ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

History

History of the Costa Rica Flag

Costa Rica gained independence from Spain on Sept. 15, 1821, along with the rest of Central America. The flag took another 27 years to arrive at its current form.

• 1823 to early 1840s: Costa Rica belonged to the Federal Republic of Central America and used the federation’s blue-white-blue banner, in a Costa Rican variant with its own seal.
• Early 1840s: As the federation broke apart, Costa Rica kept flags based on that design, including a version with the stripes reversed to white-blue-white.
• Sept. 29, 1848: The current flag and coat of arms are adopted under President José María Castro Madriz. The design is credited to his wife, Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, who suggested the red center stripe.
• 1906: The coat of arms is simplified. The weapons, flags and horn of plenty that surrounded the original shield are removed.
• 1964: Two stars are added to the coat of arms, for a total of seven, one for each province.
• 1998: Smoke is added to the three volcanoes on the coat of arms, so they read as volcanoes rather than ordinary mountains.
• 2022: A new law updates the rules for using the flag, the pabellón and the coat of arms.

The flag is one of several national symbols. The others include the national anthem, the guaria morada orchid, the clay-colored thrush and the guanacaste tree.

Coat of arms

The Coat of Arms on the Costa Rica Flag

On the official version of the flag, the coat of arms sits inside a white oval on the red stripe, shifted toward the pole. The law describes these elements:

• Three volcanoes and a wide valley between two oceans, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
• A merchant ship on each ocean.
• A rising sun on the left side.
• Seven stars, one for each province: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón.
• Myrtle branches framing the shield.
• Two ribbons: “República de Costa Rica” in gold letters, and a blue ribbon at the top that reads “América Central.”

The law doesn’t name the three volcanoes, so be wary of anyone who tells you exactly which peaks they are.

Two versions

Bandera vs. Pabellón: The Two Versions of the Flag

Costa Rica has two official versions of its flag, and they have different rules.

Version	What it looks like	Who flies it
Bandera nacional	Stripes only	Anyone: homes, businesses and vehicles, especially during patriotic holidays
Pabellón nacional	Stripes plus the coat of arms in a white oval	Government seats, the electoral tribunal, embassies, consulates and official ceremonies

Private homes and buildings may not fly the pabellón, with one exception: on Nov. 12, Flag Day, anyone may raise it with due respect. If you buy a flag as a souvenir, the plain striped version is the one meant for private use. Our guide to Costa Rica souvenirs has more ideas for gifts to take home.

Etiquette

Costa Rica Flag Rules for Visitors

Costa Rican law spells out how the flag must be treated. The rules that matter most for travelers and expats:

• Keep it off the ground. Don’t let it touch the floor or drag it behind you.
• Don’t write on it. Slogans and messages on the flag are not allowed.
• Retire worn flags. A torn, faded or damaged flag shouldn’t be flown.
• Don’t use it as a logo. The flag and the national colors can’t serve as a trademark or a party emblem, and private use of the coat of arms is banned. This matters if you run a business here.
• Give it the place of honor. When it flies with other flags, the Costa Rican flag goes on the right, in the center or highest.

When to see it

When You’ll See the Flag Everywhere

• September: The month of Independence Day (Sept. 15). Flags go up on houses, shops and cars, and the night of Sept. 14 brings lantern parades in towns across the country.
• Nov. 12: Flag Day. Schools and public offices hold ceremonies honoring the flag.

For the full calendar, see our guide to Costa Rica holidays and celebrations.

Good to know

Costa Rica Flag FAQ