Residents can now enter Costa Rica without current Caja payments

Costa Rican residents can now legally enter the country even if their Costa Rica Social Security System (Caja) payments are overdue.

The change was announced by the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) on Monday night and officialized by executive decree No. 42513-MGP-S.

Previously, residents had to demonstrate they were current with their Caja payments as part of their requirements to enter Costa Rica during the coronavirus pandemic. At least three residents were rejected on Saturday because they had fallen behind on payments.

Here are the new requirements for residents (permanent, temporary, special categories or estancias) who want to enter Costa Rica by air or sea:

• Complete the Health Pass.
• Present a valid DIMEX card.
• Have proof of current payment into the Caja OR have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 with a minimum coverage of 22 days.

Over that 22-day span, the resident(s) in question would be expected to complete any missing payments into the Caja. They will receive a “warning” from Immigration Police, the ICT says.

The private insurance “must meet all the established and specified conditions,” an ICT spokesperson told The Tico Times. That means it must either be a pre-authorized plan from Sagicor or INS, or it must cover $50,000 in COVID-19 medical expenses and $2,000 in housing expenses.

Arriving residents will also receive a sanitary isolation order for 14 days upon entering the country. However, citizens and residents can prevent having to quarantine by coming from an authorized country or U.S. state, and showing proof of a negative coronavirus test.