Costa Rica relaxes travel restrictions: No health insurance needed if you’re vaccinated
Relaxing Costa Rica’s costliest pandemic-related travel restriction, the government announced Friday that visitors who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer need to buy special health insurance to enter the country.
Travelers to Costa Rica will no longer need to buy health insurance if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Minors under 18 are also now exempt from the insurance requirement. The new rule takes effect on Aug. 1.
Visitors must present proof that they have received one of the following vaccines at least 14 days before entering the country: Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.
Proof of vaccination allows entry into Costa Rica without health insurance
Acceptable proof of vaccination includes certificates that show the name of the vaccinated person, the date of the vaccinations and the maker of the vaccine.
A Costa Rica immigration official checks a passenger’s proof of vaccination.
For U.S. visitors, a COVID-19 vaccination record card from the Centers for Disease Control will be considered adequate documentation.
The elimination of the insurance requirement seeks to increase tourism, maintain economic links and save tourism jobs, Health Minister Gustavo Segura said at a news conference Friday.
Eliminating the health insurance requirement for visitors to Costa Rica is an effort to increase tourism.
Visitors must still fill out a Health Pass, an epidemiological form, within 72 hours of entering Costa Rica.
Tourism in Costa Rica has decreased significantly as a result of the pandemic, but authorities are trying to reverse that trend.
Health insurance still required for the non-vaccinated
Costa Rica travel restrictions remain the same for adults who are not fully vaccinated, who will still have to buy health insurance that meets the following requirements:
- $50,000 coverage for health insurance purchased in other countries
- $20,000 coverage for Costa Rican health insurance
- $2,000 coverage for additional lodging that may be required for those who become ill in Costa Rica and can’t leave the country
See this link for detailed information about insurance requirements for non-vaccinated visitors to Costa Rica.
Impact of Covid-19 on Costa Rica’s tourism industry
Costa Rica received 497,449 visitors by air in the first six months of 2021, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute said Tuesday. This represented a drop of 34% from the same period in 2020.
Tourism is Costa Rica’s top industry, with 73% of travelers by air arriving from the United States.
While the vast majority of foreign visitors to Costa Rica are Nicaraguans arriving by land, 73% of travelers by air in 2021 came from the United States and 14% from Europe.
Related Posts…
