Costa Rica authorizes tourism from eight more U.S. states

Costa Rica on Thursday announced that residents of eight more U.S. states will be welcomed as tourists.

As of September 15, residents of the following states will be allowed to visit Costa Rica: Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan and Rhode Island.

On October 1, California will be added to the authorized list.

Here is the complete list of authorized U.S. states:

• As of September 1: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, or Virginia (and Washington, D.C.)
• As of September 15: Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan and Rhode Island.
• As of October 1: California.

According to Gustavo Segura, Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister, the country evaluates a state’s new coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks as the primary deciding factor into whether to allow its residents.

No COVID-19 cases correspond to international tourists, Segura said. The country first opened its borders for international flights on August 1.

Requirements for tourists entering Costa Rica

Visitors from the U.S. must reside in one of the authorized states, and must have a driver’s license or State ID corroborating their state of residency.

Tourists from these states — or from an authorized country, such as Canada — can fly through a non-authorized state (e.g. Florida, Texas) en route to Costa Rica. The maximum layover time is 18 hours, and the traveler cannot leave the airport.

Tourists wishing to enter Costa Rica via a flight must comply with these requirements:

• Complete the online “Health Pass” epidemiological form: https://salud.go.cr.
• Show proof of a negative PCR test for the coronavirus. The sample for the test must have been taken no more than 72 hours before departure.
• Obtain travel insurance. This can be either a pre-approved Costa Rican policy from INS or Sagicor, or an international policy that covers COVID-19 medical expenses of at least $50,000 and $2,000 for lodging.

Tourists coming from anywhere but the United States must have remained in an authorized country for at least 14 days before travel.

U.S. residents must show a driver’s license or State ID indicating they live in the authorized state.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of requirements and authorized states/countries, as written by the Costa Rica Tourism Board.

Requirements for citizens and residents

Citizens and residents can legally return to Costa Rica via a flight from anywhere.

Here are the entry requirements for citizens:

• Complete the Health Pass.

Here are the entry requirements for residents (permanent, temporary, special categories or estancias):

• 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.

Citizens and residents are issued a 14-day quarantine upon their arrival in Costa Rica. However, they are exempted from the isolation order if they come from an approved country/U.S. state and obtained a negative PCR coronavirus test prior to travel.