Statement
List of Countries and U.S. States Authorized for Visiting Costa Rica
September 10, 2020 – As of Aug. 1, select international travelers are authorized to enter
Costa Rica’s three international airports: Juan Santamaría International Airport, Daniel
Oduber Quirós Airport, and Tobías Bolaños Airport. The list of authorized regions and
countries is being revised periodically.
This is the list currently in effect:
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.
As of Sept. 1, 2020: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Residents of nine states):
Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont,
Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
As of Sept. 15, 2020: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Residents of ten states):
Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Washington and Wyoming.
As of Oct. 1, 2020: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Residents of one state): California
(if the epidemiological scenario permits it)
Requirements to enter Costa Rica:
Fill out the electronic epidemiological HEALTH PASS form, available at
https://salud.go.cr
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RT-PCR diagnostic test with a negative result; the sample must have been taken
within 72 hours of travel to Costa Rica.
Passengers coming from the U.S. must show through their driver’s license or state
identification (State ID) that they live in one of the 20 authorized states. This
requirement excludes children travelling with their family.
Traveler’s Medical Insurance – international or purchased in Costa Rica through
the National Insurance Institute (INS – Instituto Nacional de Seguros)
https://www.grupoins.com/seguroparaviajeros, or Sagicor
https://www.sagicor.cr/seguro_para_turistas/.
For international insurance policies, tourists must request a certification from their
insurance company, issued in English or Spanish, verifying at least the following three
conditions:
- Effectiveness of the policy during the visit to Costa Rica.
- Guaranteed coverage of medical expenses in the event of becoming ill with
the pandemic COVID-19 virus while in Costa Rica, for at least USD $50,000
(fifty thousand United States Dollars). - Includes minimum coverage of USD $2,000 for lodging expenses issued as a
result of the pandemic.
Passengers who fail to comply with these requirements may not enter the country.
Upon landing in Costa Rican territory, travelers must wear face protection and comply
with the strict protocols of the air terminal with regard to physical distancing,
disinfection of carpets, and taking temperature readings, and must follow any other
sanitary instructions.
Tourists from authorized states may enter the country even if their route includes a stop
at a destination that is not authorized, as long as they do not leave the transit airport.
To view a video with important U.S. entry information, click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAc-cbzOhxM.
Opening to Private Flights
As of Sept. 1, private flights from the United States will also be allowed to enter Costa
Rica, given that their size and nature means they present a much lower epidemiological
risk.
The same requirements as set forth above shall be applicable to persons on private
flights. In the event that they come from a state or country that is not authorized, they
must receive the approval of the Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of
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Migration and Foreigners (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería). Interested
parties should submit a request with the following items:
Full names of the passengers.
Nationalities and ages.
Legible copy of the biographical page of the passport of each one of the
passengers.
Date of arrival, arrival airport, and flight origin.
Strategic reason for admission (investment review, property in Costa Rica,
humanitarian reasons, etc.).
Gradual Maritime Opening
Passengers and crew members of yachts and sailboats must meet the same entry
requirements as those issued to passengers entering by air on August 1.
Those who entered the country by sea from the list of permitted countries and who
have not made a stopover elsewhere, should not be subjected to isolation if they have
been sailing for more than 14 days.
If the passengers do not bring with them the negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior
to the trip to Costa Rica, or they set sail in an unauthorized city or country, they will
receive a sanitary isolation order for 14 days from, from which will be deducted the
number of days on the high seas, counting from the last port departure date recorded
in the yacht or sailboat’s log.
In addition to the aforementioned requirements, tourists arriving from yachts or
sailboats must hand over to the immigration authorities the “International Ship Sailing”
document and dock in authorized marinas.
In case of doubts with the medical insurance, the passengers and crew of yachts or
sailboats can write to the email seguros.marinas@ict.go.cr.
