ICT confirms requirements for international travel insurance policies

The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) has confirmed the insurance requirements for foreigners who wish to visit Costa Rica during the pandemic.

In a press release released Thursday night, the ICT officialized what we previously reported. Here are the details:

People who enter Costa Rica on a tourist visa must obtain a travel insurance policy. This can be a policy that has been pre-approved by the General Superintendence of Insurance (SUGESE), or it can be a foreign policy that meets certain requirements.

ICT is responsible for verifying that visitors’ foreign policies comply with the requirements. This verification process will eventually be digital; however, until the digital process is implemented, ICT staff will conduct this verification step upon arrival at the airport. 

If a tourist purchases a foreign travel insurance policy, he or she must bring certification from the policy issuer (in English or Spanish) confirming the following:

1. Validity of the policy during the visit to Costa Rica.
2. Guarantee that it covers medical expenses in cases of COVID-19 in Costa Rica, for at least $50,000 (fifty thousand United States dollars).
3. That it includes a minimum coverage of $2,000 for expenses of extended lodging due to the pandemic.

This new information will be publicized via Costa Rica’s embassies and consulates. ICT will also detail the process on its website, www.visitcostarica.com.

“Starting today, there are a variety of options and prices, thus attending to the concerns of the tourism sector and our own concerns regarding the cost for international tourists when visiting the country in times of pandemic,” said Gustavo Segura, Tourism Minister.

A travel insurance policy is one of several requirements Costa Rica has established for arriving tourists. The others include:

1. Tourists can only enter Costa Rica via a flight from an authorized country.
2. Tourists must show proof of a negative PCR test for the coronavirus. The sample for the test must have been taken no more than 48 hours before the flight to Costa Rica.
3. Anyone entering Costa Rica must complete the online “Health Pass” epidemiological form: https://salud.go.cr.

Travel insurance policies that have been pre-approved by SUGESE include one from the National Insurance Institute (INS) and one from Sagicor.

“The dynamic of competition tends to lower premiums,” Segura said.