Citizens/residents from ALL countries are currently allowed to enter Costa Rica. If you are planning a trip to visit us in Mal Pais/Santa Teresa, there are specific entry requirements that must be met, listed below.
REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER COSTA RICA:
- Fill out the electronic epidemiological Health Pass form, available at
https://salud.go.cr (available 48 hours prior to arrival; requires insurance to be purchased first).
-
Traveler’s Medical Insurance - international or purchased through Costa Rica via the
National Insurance Institute or Sagicor.- For the National Insurance Institute (INS), we’ve found that the English version of their landing page is currently not working. Scroll down and click “COMPRAR” to continue.- INS offers better rates as compared to Sagicor; Trawick International (more below) is currently offering the best rates for coverage that meets the CR requirements.
- OR an international insurance policy. 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 COVID-19 related medical expenses, with minimum coverage of $50,000 USD. While the plans offered by Costa Rican entities (linked above) only need to require $20,000 of medical coverage, international plans must meet the $50,000 USD minimum coverage.
- Includes a minimum coverage of $2,000 USD for lodging expenses as a result of being placed on quarantine if you become ill during your trip.*
*Many international insurance providers that we have researched, called, and vetted do NOT meet the lodging/accommodation requirement, such as: World Nomads and Safety Wing. Passengers who fail to comply with these requirements may not enter the country.
Upon landing in Costa Rican territory, travellers must wear face protection and comply with the protocols of the airport with regard to physical distancing and taking temperature readings, and must follow any other sanitary instructions.
International Travel Insurance Options:-
U.S. Citizens: Trawick International has a
policy that meets the requirements available that is far more affordable, depending on trip length and age of the travellers. Choose the “Safe Travels Voyager” option Don’t enter a value for “Insure Your Trip.”
-
Canadians:
Trawick is offering a policy that meets the requirements for non-US citizens. Choose either “Safe Travels International” or “Safe Travels International Cost Saver.”Manulife insurance for bookings made by Aeroplan members does NOT meet the lodging/accommodation requirement.
-
Rest of World:
Trawick is offering a policy that meets the requirements for non-US citizens. Choose either “Safe Travels International” or “Safe Travels International Cost Saver.”
COVID TEST: A RT-PCR COVID-19 test with a negative result was required for entry until October 26th, 2020. While this is no longer a requirement for entry, please consider the high percentage of cases worldwide that have been asymptomatic — Help slow the spread and protect those most vulnerable. We ask that anyone with a trip planned to AWA, or the country itself, be mindful of this and consider changing their travel dates if they show ANY signs of the COVID-19 related symptoms and/or if they suspect having come in contact with someone who has/will test positive for the virus. Our updated Cancellation Policy takes this into consideration; it’s possible to change or refund (100%) your reservation up to your date of arrival.
VACCINATED TRAVELLERS: From August 1st, vaccinated travellers will no longer need a COVID Insurance Policy to enter Costa Rica. To qualify, you must:
- Have received an approved vaccine: Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or J&J.
- The last dose must have been administered at least 14 days before entering Costa Rica.
- Proof with a document that includes full name, date of each dose, formula and lot number.
While we still recommend buying travel insurance with COVID coverage, the dropping of the mandatory insurance means you can choose whichever company you'd like.
REQUIREMENTS TO RETURN TO THE USFrom
January 26th those returning to the U.S. will also be required to show a negative COVID result from a test taken within 72 hours of departure. More information
here. Our understanding is that international passengers in transit via the U.S. are exempt, although please confirm with your local embassy.
Testing options include:- NEW UPDATE! You can now get tested at the airport of SJO or Liberia and get the results in a few hours! You only need to plan to be at the airport 4 hours before take off. Learn more about it
here.
- A clinic in Santa Teresa is working with a lab in San Jose to provide PCR tests. We can schedule an appointment for you to get tested at the AWA Lodge 72 hours prior to your flight. The clinic charges $150 USD for the test.
- Multiple labs are available in San Jose (roughly $100). Results are guaranteed in 12-24 hours.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There’s so much information out there about COVID-19, and the last thing you want to do when planning your vacation is read from various sources that are often contradicting. Please reach out to us with any concern or question you might have, we are here to help and provide you with a seamless booking process. We will get back to you as fast as possible, much love, Mona & Giulia.
