Residents returning to Costa Rica via land borders must isolate, government says

The Costa Rican Presidency on Wednesday published a reminder that residents who leave the country and return via land borders will be issued a 14-day isolation order.

The land borders remain closed to incoming tourists. Citizens, residents and tourists who enter Costa Rica via a flight are not issued an isolation order.

The full text from the Presidency, which can be accessed here, reads as follows:

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The Government of the Republic reminds the population that foreign residents who leave the country and return by land will be subject to a sanitary order of isolation for the period of 14 days with mandatory compliance, which they must fully complete during their stay in the country, which means that they will not be able to leave to work or do any other activity.

If they fail to comply with the order, they will be punished with a fine of a basic salary of  judicial office worker (currently corresponds to the sum of 464,300 colones).

This measure applies to people who have an authorized legal stay under the migratory categories of permanent, temporary, special or non-resident estancia subcategory in order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In addition, they must complete the form “Health Pass” (available at the link: https://salud.go.cr), present their current Migration Identification Document for Foreign Persons (DIMEX) or notified resolution, in the terms established by the General Directorate of Migration and Aliens via resolution for that purpose.

They must have current insurance from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), or failing that, travel insurance offered by one of the insurers authorized by the General Superintendence of Insurance in Costa Rica and duly registered with that authority.

This insurance will have to cover at least the accommodation and medical expenses generated in case of infection with COVID-19 disease, equivalent to the costs of hospitalization with a minimum coverage of 22 days, as well as accommodation costs for the same minimum period.

These measures must be complied to without exception, and are carried out within the framework of the measures maintained by the Government of the Republic to prevent the spread of COVID-19.