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HomeNewsCosta RicaVaccinated tourists can enter Costa Rica without insurance

Vaccinated tourists can enter Costa Rica without insurance

As of August 1, Costa Rica has stopped requiring a travel health insurance policy for minors and for adult tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

With the change, the only coronavirus-related requirement for vaccinated tourists to enter Costa Rica is to complete the Health Pass in the 72 hours before arriving. Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated visitors are still required to obtain insurance covering the duration of their stay.

In order to be exempted from the insurance requirement, vaccinated adults must:

  • Have received an approved vaccine: Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or Johnson & Johnson.
  • The last dose of the schedule must have been administered at least 14 days before arrival in Costa Rica.
  • Proof must be demonstrated with a document that includes the person’s full name, date of each dose, formula, and lot number.
    • For U.S. visitors, the Covid-19 vaccination record card meets the requirement.
    • This proof should be uploaded to the Health Pass.
Woman holding Covid-19 vaccine card
A Covid-19 vaccination record card. Photo via Temple Health.

For individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or who were vaccinated with a formula other than the ones mentioned above, health insurance is still required to visit Costa Rica. The policy must meet the following requirements, as detailed by the Tourism Board:

  1. Valid for the entire stay in Costa Rica.
  2. $50,000 USD for medical expenses, including those from COVID-19.
  3. $2,000 USD for lodging expenses in the event of COVID-19 quarantine.

Unvaccinated tourists can also opt for any of the following Costa Rican insurance companies, which sell products that are registered and authorized by the Office of the Superintendent General of Insurance of Costa Rica: INS, Sagicor and BlueCross BlueShield. The minimum coverage for policies sold by Costa Rican insurance companies is $20,000.

All U.S. airlines that served Costa Rica before the pandemic have resumed their nonstop service. The official site for Costa Rica tourist entry requirements is the Costa Rica Tourism Board.

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