No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rica businesses, activities will require Covid-19 vaccine

Costa Rica businesses, activities will require Covid-19 vaccine

Starting December 1, 2021, Costa Rica will require the Covid-19 vaccine in order to enter most commercial centers and to participate in many public activities.

Establishments requiring vaccination will include: Restaurants, bars, casinos, commercial centers, museums, gyms, hotels, adventure tourism, theaters, sites of worship and sporting events:

Essential services (e.g. supermarkets, pharmacies) are not included in the nationwide vaccine mandate.

As Costa Rica begins mandating the Covid-19 vaccine, it will ease capacity restrictions at most businesses and will begin allowing more mass events with in-person attendance, including concerts and sporting events.

“We have to give time for the people who remain to get their two vaccines,” said President Carlos Alvarado. “As of December 1, there will be no excuse.”

Vaccine status will be verified via a digital form or mobile-phone application that will be made available in November. The QR code will not require an ongoing internet connection, and it can also be printed.

According to Outlier Legal, tourists will use their Health Pass and vaccination card to enter businesses.

Costa Ricans who got vaccinated abroad can submit a sworn declaration to the Health Ministry in order to receive their QR code. Children under 12 years old will not need a vaccine to enter businesses, though that may change at a later date if shots are authorized for that population.

As a reminder: As of Friday, October 15, all public-sector employees in Costa Rica will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Private employers can also obligate their employees to be vaccinated.

About 82% of all Costa Ricans ages 12 and older have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, per the latest figures from the Social Security Fund (CCSS).

Where to get a Covid vaccine in Costa Rica

Vaccination locations and times are available on the CCSS website at www.ccss.sa.cr/vacunacion.

All citizens and residents who are adults (18+) or who are teenagers (12+) with risk factors are eligible for the vaccine. Documented migrants are also eligible. Undocumented migrants (e.g. perpetual tourists) can receive a vaccine until Thursday, October 14, at CCSS sites. Click here for a list of Covid-19 vaccination sites in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Both comprise two doses.

Immunosuppressed individuals will receive a booster (third) dose in 2022, and minors without risk factors will be eligible for a shot in the coming weeks as more Pfizer shipments arrive.

Trending Now

Chiquita Executives Convicted in Colombia for Financing Death Squads

Colombian justice on Wednesday sentenced seven former executives of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a...

Why I Choose Real Life in Costa Rica Over the AI Hype

When it comes to AI, call me OG. Old school. I sometimes wish I could go back to a time before it existed. Artificial...

Nicaragua Places Bayardo Arce Under House Arrest Amid Power Struggle

The Nicaraguan government has placed historic Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, under house arrest, according to exiled opposition members...

A Costa Rica Expat and the Devil on His Shoulder

Everyone has a dark side—that little devil in your conscience that says, go ahead and do it! even though you know it’s wrong. It...

Costa Rica Embraces IHRA to Combat Antisemitism in Region

Costa Rica has formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. This step positions the country as the sixth in...

Empty Stadiums and Inequality Mar Women’s Copa América

Nearly empty stadiums, players' criticism of the organization, and demands for equality in South American football have marked the 2025 Women's Copa América in...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica