Costa Rica Entry Requirements and Links as of September 25, 2020

The following entry information is courtesy  the Tico Times at; https://ticotimes.net/

Here are the current entry requirements for travel to Costa Rica as of September 25th, 2020 followed by links, countries and relevant information. Changes include;  Ohio, Mexico and Jamaica have been added to the list of approved countries. Air Canada and some United States airlines are offering Covid-19 travel insurance. Costa Rica has extended the tourist visa. Tourists Arriving on or before Oct 31, 2020 can stay until March 2nd.

Here is the complete list of authorized U.S. states:

• As of Sept 25th,  Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, or Virginia (and Washington, D.C.), Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan and Rhode Island.
• As of October 1: California & Ohio

According to Gustavo Segura, Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister, the country evaluates a state’s new coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks as the primary deciding factor into whether to allow its residents.

No COVID-19 cases correspond to international tourists, Segura said. The country first opened its borders for international flights on August 1.

The following Countries are also authorized to enter Costa Rica;

• THE EUROPEAN UNION, SCHENGEN ZONE, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM: for flights from the European Union, the Schengen Zone, and the United Kingdom; for citizens and residents of the European Union, the Schengen Zone, and the United Kingdom.
• CANADA: for flights from Canada; for citizens and residents of Canada and for citizens and residents of the European Union, the Schengen Zone, and the United Kingdom in transit.
• SOUTH AMERICA: for flights from Uruguay; for citizens and residents of Uruguay.
• ASIA: for flights from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the People’s Republic of China; for citizens and residents of Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the People’s Republic of China.
• OCEANIA: for flights from Australia and New Zealand; for citizens and residents of Australia and New Zealand.
• Caribbean: Jamaica
• Mexico: All States

Requirements for tourists entering Costa Rica

Visitors from the U.S. must reside in one of the authorized states, and must have a driver’s license or State ID corroborating their state of residency.

Tourists from these states — or from an authorized country, such as Canada — can fly through a non-authorized state (e.g. Florida, Texas) en route to Costa Rica. The maximum layover time is 18 hours, and the traveler cannot leave the airport.

Tourists wishing to enter Costa Rica via a flight must comply with these requirements:

• Complete the online “Health Pass” epidemiological form: https://salud.go.cr.
• Show proof of a negative RT-PCR test for the coronavirus. The sample for the test must have been taken no more than 72 hours before departure.
• Obtain travel insurance. This can be either a pre-approved Costa Rican policy from INS or Sagicor, or an international policy that covers COVID-19 medical expenses of at least $50,000 and $2,000 for lodging.
• Many other suitable travel insurance coverages exist, including Blue Cross. Private insurance brokers both here in Costa Rica and your ome country are offering alternative policies. Attached is a link to a broker here in Costa Rica.   https://allinsurancecr.com/covid-travel/

Tourists coming from anywhere but the United States must have remained in an authorized country for at least 14 days before travel.

U.S. residents must show a driver’s license or State ID indicating they live in the authorized state.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of requirements and authorized states/countries, as written by the Costa Rica Tourism Board.

Requirements for citizens and residents

Citizens and residents can legally return to Costa Rica via a flight from anywhere.

Here are the entry requirements for citizens:

• Complete the Health Pass.

Here are the entry requirements for residents (permanent, temporary, special categories or estancias):

• Complete the Health Pass.
• Present a valid DIMEX card.
• Have proof of current payment into the Caja OR have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 with a minimum coverage of 22 days. There has been some discrepancies related to Caja coverage being up to date. Please double check that information before boarding a flight.

Citizens and residents are issued a 14-day quarantine upon their arrival in Costa Rica. However, they are exempted from the isolation order if they come from an approved country/U.S. state and obtained a negative RT-PCR coronavirus test prior to travel.

Here is a link to updated information from the Costa Rican Tourism Board    Click Here

Link to USA testing

https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-my-testing-place?fbclid=IwAR3J64Gg8JAtNo1PWB0kCcBpWehKN4Nq4Cm0xY763fpB5oTxES3319VjK8Y

Links to Canadian Testing centres

I found a couple links in Canada. There seems to be a lot of information depending on the province. Here are a couple links. Check online for your province

Ontario           https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/resources-list-of-ontario-covid-19-assessment-centres-their-individual-criteria/

Shopper Drug Mart is offering Covid testing at some stores. Go online to find a location near you.

Quebec                        Google or other Quebec. There are many options for information and testing depending on your area

Alberta                           https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/page16944.aspx

BC      https://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/testing

Testing in Europe Varies, with some testing available at the airports

www.letsbuycostarica.com

Theo Veenstra,  Tres Amigos Realty Group  thveenstra@gmail.com, +506-8360-1006, 1-877-205-5507