New Travel Policy Starts August 1, 2021

Updated July 13, 2021

The Costa Rican government has announced a new policy affecting all travelers coming to Costa Rica. Fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to purchase COVID-19 related travel insurance. This policy goes into effect August 1, 2021. 

Previously, all visitors and travelers to Costa Rica were not permitted entry without travel insurance that covered COVID-19 related expenses and a 14 day quarantine, in case they tested positive for the virus while in-country. 

Now that more and more travelers are vaccinated, this requirement is being lifted.

What Travelers Need to Know about this Policy Change

Only fully vaccinated participants are spared the travel insurance requirement. This means that the individual received all required doses of an approved vaccine, at least 14 days before entering Costa Rica. Approved vaccine providers are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.

Participants will be required to show a completed official vaccine card. For travelers from the US, the official documentation is called the “COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card''. In order to be approved, their documentation must include: 

• Name of vaccinated individual 
• Date of each dose 
• Pharmaceutical creator of the vaccine

Travelers who have not received the full vaccine regimen at least 2 weeks prior to visiting Costa Rica will still be required to purchase COVID-19 related travel insurance.

Official Health Pass Requirement

Additionally, travelers need to fill out the “Pase de Salud” (Health Pass) within 72 hours of boarding their first plane. This is a short questionnaire that travelers can access here. Upon completion, an email confirmation will be sent to the participant’s email with a QR code that will be scanned prior to entrance to the country.

COVID-19 Testing in Costa Rica

Currently, COVID-19 testing is not a requirement to enter Costa Rica. However, it is a requirement to return to many different countries, including the United States. Here is everything your participants need to know about getting tested in Costa Rica prior to departure.