Costa Rica is one of the finest sites of tourist attractions all over the world because of the wide variety of national parks all around making it ideal for tourists arriving from all over the globe to enjoy the amazing diversity including people from the states, who, can U.S. citizens travel to Costa Rica?

The situation of tourism all around Costa Rica was affected by the covid 19 pandemic and now when the effects of the pandemic decreased, Costa Rica has opened their borders again for tourism from all different countries around the world. 

Restrictions To Entry and Exit of US Citizens

After restrictions ended, US citizens can now travel to Costa Rica. Citizens of all the 50 states of the United States and Washington, D.C can enter the country. From 1st August, the government of Costa Rica allows minors under the age of 18, without travel insurance, and adults who have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson and Johnson. For the visitors to enter Costa Rica, they will have to provide their record cards of vaccination. 

Medical Insurance

The people vaccinated against the Covid 19 viruses, need to carry their vaccine certificates. Visitors traveling to Costa Rica without a vaccine, need to provide proof that their medical insurance can cover any kind of treatments related to covid 19. The visitors can purchase medical insurance from the Sagicor or National Insurance Institute of Costa Rica. This insurance will cover the entire stay of the visitor in Costa Rica. 

The duration of stay of the visitors coming to Costa Rica is decided by the Immigration officials of Costa Rica. Immigration officials are limiting the stay of the tourists so the duration can correspond with the dates of coverage of the insurance policies. Tourists that seek to extend their stay in Costa Rica, need to contact the Directorate General taking charge of Migration. All the visitors need to complete a Health Pass via the online portal, 48 hours before traveling to Costa Rica. 

Additional Measures for the US citizens

Costa Rica has implemented certain measures apart from the ones related to the coronavirus for visitors traveling from the US. The additional measures are as follows: 

  • The visitors from the US must have a passport that is valid and an onward ticket. 

U.S. citizens that have a permanent or temporary residency in Costa Rica can enter the country through flights and also through crossings created on land borders by the authorized government. The visitors while entering the country must have the following documents: 

  • Passport
  • Evidence of up-to-date Caja payments for every person entering the country.
  • US citizens with residency in Costa Rica must have their Caja payments cleared up, if not so, then they must clear their payments within 22 days of their arrival in the country.
  • Citizens must purchase the health insurance of the Costa Rican government to cover the cost of any kind of treatments related to Covid 19 or during the period of their lodging for 22 days. 
  • Valid DIMEX.
  • A complete Health Pass.
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Individuals who are willing to travel from Costa Rican to Nicaragua need to show a negative Covid 19 test no older than 72 hours before them crossing the borders. Various testing locations are available all around the country to facilitate excellent covid testing facilities.

Covid 19 tests and Quarantine

The visitors traveling from the US do not need to provide a negative Covid 19 RTPCR test result before entering Costa Rica. Although, all the visitors must have possession of the Health Pass and have proof that their health insurance can cover any kind of complications during their stay.  The government undergoes procedures of screening at airports and other places of entry. Travelers showing any kind of symptoms related to the covid 19 virus, will undergo covid 19 tests at the airport itself and if the results are positive, the individuals will comply with quarantine

Citizens of the US that did not test positive, don’t have to quarantine. The individuals who tested positive will have to stay quarantined for 10-14 days depending completely on their condition. Even if the visitor tests negative during the 10–14-day period, the visitor has to mandatorily remain quarantined for the total period of 10-14 days. Every individual traveling via a flight who has tested positive for the covid 19 results, needs to provide proof of them undergoing a quarantine period of 14 days before boarding the transportation. The tourists who have been overstaying their term of visa due to the quarantine sanitary orders, will not be penalized. Still, individuals who violate the sanitary order of the government will be subjected to a penalty of 450,200-2300000 colones according to the extent of their violation.

So, can U.S. citizens travel to Costa Rica?

The Covid 19 virus has rigged the whole system of tourism in Costa Rica with numerous cases of the virus all over the country during the peak of the virus. As the number of cases of the virus has significantly decreased, the borders of Costa Rica have opened for tourists. U.S. citizens can enter the country, with numerous measures taken to control the virus and prevent the spread of the virus from any affected visitor, by taking necessary measures according to the health of the individual.