Entry Requirements

The Government of the Republic has facilitated the entry of international tourists, and since Oct. 26, eliminated the requirement of RT-PCR tests for the detection of the coronavirus. Neither Costa Ricans nor foreigners will be issued sanitary confinement (or quarantine) orders when entering the country by air. These measures are subject to change and dependent on the evolution of the pandemic both in Costa Rica and around the world.

Tourists visiting Costa Rica are asked to abide by the sanitary protocols implemented for carrying out all tourist activities in the country.

For information on visas, refer to the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners:

https://www.migracion.go.cr/Paginas/Visas.aspx

The following requirements remain during the pandemic:

1. Complete the digital form called HEALTH PASS and available at https://salud.go.cr
   • This pass will be available 48 hours before boarding. It must be accessed in an updated browser (except for Internet Explorer). An individual form must be completed for every person, including minors.
2. Purchase health insurance
   

• • It is mandatory that tourists purchase travel insurance, covering their accommodations in case of quarantine and medical expenses due to COVID-19 illness. An explanation of one’s travel insurance coverage, addressing Costa Rica’s requirements, must be uploaded or entered into the HEALTH PASS in order to be reviewed and approved by the Costa Rican authorities. If more information on international insurance is needed, the Costa Rican authorities will contact the passenger at the email address indicated in the HEALTH PASS.

• • In the case of international insurance, the tourist must request from their insurer a certification issued in English or Spanish, noting at least three conditions, without forgetting to add it to the HEALTH PASS:
    1. Validity of the effective policy during the visit in Costa Rica.
    2. Guarantee of coverage for medical expenses in cases of pandemic disease COVID 19 in Costa Rica, for at least US $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars of the United States of America).
    3. Minimum coverage of US $2,000 for extended lodging expenses due to pandemic illness or trip interruption/cancellation due to illness, which covers the extra cost of the passenger due to quarantine.

• • If you do not have international insurance, it is possible to opt for travel insurance from Costa Rican companies approved by SUGESE (General Superintendency of Insurance of Costa Rica), which offer their services at Juan Santamaría international airports (city of San José) and Daniel Oduber Quirós (city of Liberia).

• • National insurances meet all the requirements to have coverage of medical expenses for illness, including COVID-19, for a minimum amount of $20,000 and coverage for extended lodging expenses or quarantine, due to pandemic illness, for a minimum amount of $2,000.

• • Local insurance authorized for travelers can be valued at the following links. If you have doubts or queries about the requirements or conditions of the insurance, please email seguros@ict.go.cr
    • https://www.grupoins.com/seguroparaviajeros
    • https://tiendasagicor.com/en/

• • Foreigners with temporary or permanent residence or temporary category who return to Costa Rica, and who are not up to date with the corresponding payments with the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, must purchase a temporary local insurance for 22 days or bring an international insurance that complies with the requirements of a foreign tourist.
  • In the case of foreigners with the migratory category of permanent or temporary resident, or special category in the latter case, with the exception of the Student Subcategory, they must demonstrate the insurance by the Costa Rican social security, which can be verified at https://sfa.ccss.sa.cr/servMedicos/validarDerechos.do

If these requirements are not met, the passenger will not be able to enter the country.

Private flights

From Sept. 1, private flights from the United States of America are allowed to enter the country. For passengers on private flights, the same requirements already described apply.

Maritime entry

Passengers and crew of yachts and sailboats must meet the same sanitary entry requirements that the country requires of those who enter by air.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, tourists coming from yachts or sailboats must also hand over to the immigration authorities the document “International Ship Sailing and Dock” in authorized marinas.

In case of doubts with the medical insurance, the passengers and crew of yachts or sailboats can write to the email seguros.marinas@ict.go.cr.

Welcome to Costa Rica! To visit our country there are some requirements which must be met.

Remember that:

A return flight ticket is needed when entering Costa Rica. The immigration officer will ask for it upon your arrival.  It is advisable to make a photocopy or take a picture of your passport with the entry stamp to carry at all times during your stay.

• Your country of origin determines the amount of days available to stay in Costa Rica as a tourist.
• In some cases, the Immigration official may request you show economic solvency for your stay in the country.
• Even with a 90-day tourist visa, the immigration official determines the duration of your stay as allowed by your passport.

Visitors to Costa Rica must have a valid passport as well as proof of their intent to exit the country before their visa or entry stamp expires, usually within 90 days.

All non-resident travelers must possess a return ticket or a ticket as proof of when they intend to exit the country, commonly referred to as an outbound exit or onward ticket. An onward ticket is required of non-residents who are:

• Traveling on a one-way ticket
• Entering the country with a return ticket dated more than 90 days after arrival
• Flying into Costa Rica and flying out of another country

By law, an onward ticket includes any of the following on approved, commercial transport:

• A pre-purchased bus ticket out of the country
• A pre-purchased flight out of the country
• Proof of passage on a cruise ship

To enter the United States of America a negative antibody test is required. The tests are readily available in Costa Rican laboratories located all over the country.

On January 12, 2021, CDC issued an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. This Order will go into effect at 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on January 26, 2021.

Obligation to Declare when entering or leaving Costa Rica:

When entering or leaving a port in Costa Rica, if you carry an amount equal to or greater than the US $ 10,000 or its equivalent in other currencies, cash or securities, you must request and complete the form provided for this purpose at the migration post and present it to the Customs Authority for verification; The declaration must be made before finalizing the corresponding immigration procedures. The omission of what is established by Costa Rican law (No. 8204, article 35) will result in the immediate loss of money.

What inoculations do I need before entering Costa Rica?

Starting on July 30, 2007, all travelers coming from the following countries must possess a yellow fever vaccination certificate before entry into Costa Rica will be allowed: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and the Republic of Guyana.

For more information click here