The Costa Rican Presidency on Wednesday said it has not applied any new coronavirus measures, and that social-media posts claiming otherwise are false.
“No measure has been changed. The entire population is reminded that all information that the Government discloses is made publicly by press conference and is formally sent to the media and official channels; it is never done informally by text messaging,” said the Minister of Communication, Agustín Castro.
However, this week authorities will more stringently enforce current restrictions. The Health Ministry has said it is considering reapplying measures in the future if cases and hospitalizations continue to spike.
These are Costa Rica’s current coronavirus measures:
Travel and borders
Costa Rica is welcoming all tourists who arrive via flights (commercial or private) or boats (yachts or sailboats). A negative coronavirus test is not required, but visitors are required to purchase insurance covering their stay in Costa Rica.
The land borders reopened to arriving tourists on April 5. Residents and citizens can also enter via land borders.
For more information, visit the Costa Rica Tourism Board’s official site.
Driving restrictions
Costa Rica has ended its national coronavirus-related daytime driving restrictions. There remain national nighttime restrictions, as well as daytime restrictions in downtown San José only.
- At night (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.): A nationwide restriction is enforced.
- Weekday restrictions apply in downtown San José only.
The typical list of exceptions — which includes rental vehicles, people driving to/from a hotel reservation, and people driving to/from the airport — will also continue to apply, including in San José. The official list of exceptions can be found here.
Tourism activities
All outdoor tourism activities are permitted. All national parks can be open, and beaches can remain open daily from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Guests are required to wear masks in some outdoors situations, so come prepared. (e.g. you need to wear a mask when purchasing your ticket to a national park, but you can remove the mask when you’re hiking.)
Businesses and activities
The vast majority of businesses can operate (with capacity restrictions) from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. This includes restaurants and bars.
Activities that are not permitted include: concerts, fairs, nightclubs, large religious processions. The full list of establishments and activities that are not allowed is here.
Covid-19 testing requirements
Costa Rica does not require a negative coronavirus test to enter or exit the country. However, many foreign countries (e.g. the United States, Canada) do require a negative test if flying into or transiting through those nations.
More than 100 private labs across Costa Rica offer PCR and/or antigen coronavirus tests. Click here for a list. Note that antigen tests are accepted by the U.S. but are not valid for entry to many countries, including Canada.
Mask wearing and other measures
Masks are required in nearly all indoor settings except when eating, while alone, or in a private residence. You can be denied entry into an establishment if you are not wearing a mask.
Some businesses require hand washing and/or have implemented temperature checks.
The official site for coronavirus measures in Costa Rica is: https://presidencia.go.cr/alertas.
