Very happy to, this page was so helpful for me, so I’m glad to help the future “crossers”.

July 29th – Costa Rica to Panama (Frontera Sixaola)
Got to the border with a bus from Cahuita (2600 colones – 1h).
In Sixaola you will have to pay 9$ exit fee (only cash, can also be paid in colones) at the little kiosk before the actual migration office (if you have mobile network, you can go directly to the migration office and scan the QR code via smartphone to pay 8$ with card). Get stamped out.
Cross the bridge and go to the next kiosk where you will have to pay other 8$ (4$ to enter Panama and 4$ to exit Panama in advance) then go to the migration office and get stamped in: nobody asked for proof of onward travel nor proof of hotel reservation.
You can take the public bus (1$) to Changuinola Bus Terminal to take a different bus to reach your Panamanian destination (direct bus to David every hour or so and to Panama City everyday at 5pm for 29$).

ATTENTION: the border process was very smooth BUT reportedly Sixaola is the only Panamanian frontera in which they charge an entry/exit fee, apparently because is so popular to go to Bocas del Toro in Panama and so they milk the tourists. If you do not plan to go there, try to enter the country from a different frontera, because, contrary to what the officers say, nobody will ask you to show the proof of payment of the exit fee when you leave the country (i.e. at the Colombian border).

Hey Andrea, I wanted to thank you for sharing your experience about crossing the borders in Central America. A lot of backpacker are relying on this article, so we really appreciate your help in keeping it updated. Safe travels!

June 27th – Nicaragua to Costa Rica (Frontera Penas blancas)
Got to Penas blancas from Rivas with a chicken bus (50 cordobas pp – no extra for the luggage), got the exit stamp on the nicaraguan side. ATTENTION, the fees were revised: now you have to pay 1$ while you are in line to get into the building (you’ll get a receipt) and 3$ at the border office (again, with a receipt). Pass to the Costarican side and get your entry stamp. There’s no fee to enter the country but you will be asked proof of onward travel. Lots of people, a bit of waiting in queue, but everything went smoothly.
Nicabus from Penas blancas to San José costs 8$ (if they ask for more, tell them you don’t wanna pay their commission).

June 5th 2024 El Salvador – Honduras (Frontera El Amatillo) – Nicaragua (Frontera Guasaule)
Got to El Amatillo by Chicken bus from San Miguel (via Santa Rosa 2$ total). Head to the border office: no exit stamp but only a paper ticket to be handed out to the officer on the following bridge. No fee. Cross the bridge to Honduras. Get your entry stamp. 3$ fee. They want clean and new banknotes or 1$ coins with the statue of liberty (I had a different image, possibly different year of printing, the lady said it was fake! SMH).
Take a microbus from frontera El Amatillo to frontera Guasaule for 6$ total.
At the frontera, go to the border office, get your exit stamp. No fee. Cross the bridge. Go to get your Nica stamp. 13$ fee to be paid ONLY in USD and in ONLY in cash. Do not make the mistake I made of changing all your USD before the frontera for Nica Cordobas, USD will be helpful to you in your stay in Nicaragua!

May 28th Guatemala – El Salvador (Frontera Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado)
Got there by Chicken bus from Antigua (Escuintla-Chiquimulilla-Frontera 80qtz total) and got the easiest crossing ever.
Head to the border office, exchange any QTZ that you might have left for USD from the kind lady who will suspiciously apply a better rate than the one banks are applying. Get your exit stamp. Cross the bridge to El Salvador. Get your entry stamp. You’re free. No fee was paid, even if the 12$ card was advertised everywhere. Who knows!

Belize: No entry fee | $20 USD exit fee
Guatemala: No entry fee | No exit fee
Honduras: $3 USD entry fee | No exit fee
El Salvador: No entry | No exit fee
Nicaragua: $13 USD entry fee | $4 USD exit fee
Costa Rica: No entry fee | $8 USD exit fee
Panama: No entry fee

Almost all fees in this post were accurate for me except for the following three:

Nicaragua exit fee seems to have gone up from $3 to $4 (I crossed at Peñas Blancas)
I had to pay $1 to get into the building and then a $3 exit fee, both of these felt legit.

Costa Rica exit fee has gone up from $7 to $8
the new official breakdown is: $5 exit tax, a $2 luggage search fee and $1 Quarantine measures service applied by the National Animal Health Service
You can now also pay for this online, just google “banco bcr exit fee” this will allow you to skip the first queue at the border crossing.

I did not have to pay anything to enter Panama, I crossed the border at Sixaola (between Puerto Viejo and Bocas del Toro)
I’m not sure if that means there’s no longer an entry fee, or if they were on their lunch break when I crossed the border.

Hope this helps