Monday, 23rd of December 2024: Closures, Restrictions, Current Costa Rica COVID-19 Cases
The best way to avoid coronavirus is
get outside and Breathe Fresh Mountain Air
Entry Tourist Restrictions - As of October 23, 2020
Land or coastal entries are still closed no matter country of origin of the passport.
FLIGHT Entries
From countries excluding USA:
Permitted: Canada, Mexico, E. U., United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Jamaica, Uruguay
USA: Entries permitted regardless of state of origin after November 1
Now until October 15:Residents of Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wyoming California, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Ohio
FLIGHTS FROM APPROVED COUNTRIES/STATES: You can fly from your approved country/state through an airport on the way to Costa Rica, provided you stay in the airport between connections (and less than 18 hours).
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY
1. HEALTH FORM to fill out and submit prior to arrival. See link below.
2. INSURANCE: Tourists over age 12 (but not citizens or legal residents) are required to buy insurance to cover health ($50,000) and a "delayed departure" in case you must quarantine ($2,000). The cost is calculated depending on person's age and length of stay. The online forms don't work... but see links below on both providers. Costa Rica now accepts policies from outside travel insurance providers, but it must cover the minimums listed here.
3. Starting Nov. 1 no PCR test certificate required, and no quarantine when entering.
4. Regardless of what passport used for entry, non-Costa Rica citizens/residents must have stayed in an "approved" country (listed above) for the last 14 days and not passed through an unapproved country en route to Costa Rica.
Escaping coronavirus on a raft
Summary - What's Required, What's Open, Closed
Masks or plastic face guards are required whenever outside of your home.
Following the practice of "the Hammer and the Dance" Costa Rica goes from relaxing restrictions to coming down hard as caseloads start to overtake hospital capacity. So far this has worked.
Beaches have restricted hours, 5 am to 9 PM. National parks now open. Tours operating outdoors (zip lines, rafting, horseback, nature hikes etc.) are permitted. Restaurants permitted for outdoor seating or carry-out, or reduced seating inside. Churches are now open.
The major outbreak is in the Central Business District (CBD), accounting for more than 50% of recent cases. Museums, gyms, theaters and bars are still closed in the central business district of San José.
The Alert system prevents private vehicles from being operated in Orange or Yellow zones depending on last number in license plate AND on restricted hours (these zones change weekly). The fine for driving is very big, the car loses it's plates, and the driver gets points on their license.
Approximately 30% of covid cases are foreigners, which mostly applies to immigrants or refugees from neighboring countries who tend to live in very tight quarters in San José.
The best parts of Costa Rica?
Most of our inhabitants aren't even aware there's a pandemic
Information from Costa Rica and USA Governments
These documents will (most likely) be current at the time you read them, but all of them change weekly, so may not be correct for the time you are entering Costa Rica.
CLICK HERE for Costa Rica Entry Form - fill online. SUBMIT no more than 72 hours prior to arrival.(Spanish or English)
CLICK HERE for U.S. State Department latest travel restrictions between the USA and Costa Rica
CLICK HERE for Costa Rica Ministry of Health info on cases of COVID, hospitalizations, areas of outbreaks (Spanish)
CLICK HERE for Costa Rica restrictions on driving vehicles (Spanish)
CLICK HERE for health form to complete prior to arrival in Costa Rica (Spanish).
CLICK HERE for Costa Rica required insurance, as provided by the Government Insurance (Instituto Nacional Seguros). As of September 9 this form doesn't work because of very poor programming.
CLICK HERE for costs of required insurance as provided by SAGICOR, a Costa Rica "agency". Their rates reflect the INS rates, if you can ever get through to INS with their online form. Sagicor's web page gives no details of coverage provided, they have no online means of inscribing. When testing (August 14,2020) CHAT system inoperative. For inscription to the SAGICOR policy you need to solicit a policy via WhatsApp +506 6060-0776 or call +506 4080-0776.
It's time to call us.