Costa Rican Entry Requirements for International Travelers

​Costa Rica´s air borders have been open to travelers from all over the world since 1st November 2020. Tourists are here now, enjoying everything Costa Rica has to offer. Masks are required in public places such as supermarkets, public transport etc but you may enjoy places like the beach and waterfalls without a mask. 

To visit Costa Rica is easy. Travelers only need to meet these three simple entry requirements:

1. Have a valid passport and proof of intent to exit Costa Rica within 90 days. Of course!

2. Insurance Policy Visitors traveling to Costa Rica will need to provide proof of a medical insurance policy to cover any COVID-19 related medical treatment or quarantine lodging while in Costa Rica.  In the case of international insurance, tourists must request from their insurer a certification issued in English or Spanish, noting:

1. the validity of the policy during the dates of visit to Costa Rica,
2. guarantee of coverage for medicals expenses in cases of COVID-19 related medical treatment in the amount of 50,000 USD and,
3. minimum coverage of 2,000 USD for extended lodging expenses due to COVID-19 related illness. 

It is also possible to purchase a Costa Rican medical insurance policy through the National Insurance Institute (INS) or Sagicor of Costa Rica, covering the duration of your stay in Costa Rica. We can help you organize this - it is quick and easy and costs about $150 USD for 2 weeks. Our insurance advisor works with INS and speaks English. He can guide you through the process via email and payment can be made via CC. If you get a Costa Rican insurance policy the process of completing the online health pass is instantaneous.

3 Complete an online Health Pass (Pasa de Salud) 48 hours prior to travel to Costa Rica (don´t try and fill it out earlier as we did as it will not work). The Health Pass can be found at https://salud.go.cr. The site is both English and Spanish and is easy and quick to complete. It asks you for basic personal details such as your name, age, nationality, passport number, flight details and the address where you will be staying while in Costa Rica - which we can provide. You also need to enter your travel insurance number. If you are using one of the Costa Rican companies you can enter the number directly on  the website and it will verify it on the spot making it easier.  If using an international insurance provider, you also will need to upload your policy so that the Tourism Institute can verify it in advance of your arrival After completing the form, you are provided with a QR Code which will be scanned upon entry. 

​IMPORTANT: Costa Rica no longer requires a negative COVID  test to enter. This requirement was eliminated as of October 26.

Better still we have personally gone through this process ourselves last year in October 2020 so it is still fresh in our minds and we can help and advise you.

Your country may have special requirements upon returning and you should check before leaving. at the moment we are aware of the following special requirement for people returning to the US

Returning to the US

Effective January 26 2021, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older must provide a negative Covid-19 viral test taken within 72 hours  of flight departure from Costa Rica. If you are returning to the US we can help you obtain these tests and drive you to testing facilities close by. Tests cost around $130 USD and results are provided within 24-72 hours.

This website here shows all the available airlines currently flying into Costa Rica.

Canada

Canada has suspended all flights to the south (Mexico and all caribbean countries) until 30th April 2021. Canada also requires a COVID test before leaving. More information here.