Coronavirus Costa Rica; Stats & Travel Info (COVID-19)
Last updated on June 25th, 2021
Last Updated: Dec 14th, 2020
Disclaimer: Current travel rules are changing without notice and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date.
Another blog about Coronavirus Costa Rica!
So far, we guess that you probably have heard/read about this virus enough (enough!), however, we have decided to create this post with the purpose of helping you make decisions for your future travel plan to Costa Rica base on the travel restrictions that our government is implementing.
Which airlines are flying to Costa Rica?
Tourists from all countries allowed entry as of November 1st. Land borders remain closed at this moment.
According to the Juan Santamaría International Airport (AERIS), these are the airlines that are flying to Costa Rica.
Dates are subject to change as coronavirus Costa Rica restrictions and reduced demand continue to impact international travel.
Keep close contact with the airline for more information. We have learned from travelers that had to changes several times their plans.
So far we have had two flights canceled. Both were departing from our preferred airport and flying direct to San Jose. We will now have to fly from another airport and travel via Madrid. This means we now have an added 6 hours to the overall journey plus there is an additional Spanish health form to complete as we stop off in Madrid.
Dave Clever, UK – Oct 2020
Airlines from Europe:
LUFTHANSA: Resumed operations on August 5 from/to Frankfurt.
Air France: Resumed his operation on October 31st from/to Paris.
KLM: Resumes operations on November 26, from / to Amsterdam.
British Airways: Resumes operations in 2021.
Iberia: Resumed operations on August 3 from/to Madrid.
Edelweiss: Restart operations on 2021.
Airlines from the US and Latin America:
AEROMEXICO: Resumed his operation operations on October 18 from/to Mexico.
AIR CANADA: Resumes flights on November 1 from Toronto.
AIR FRANCE: Resumes flights on October 31 from Paris.
ALASKA: Resumes flights on November 20th from Los Angeles.
AMERICAN AIRLINES: Resumed operations on October 9th from/to Miami and Dallas.
AVIANCA: Resumed his operation on November 1st, from / to El Salvador and Bogotá.
COPA AIRLINES: Resumed its operation on September 10, from / to Panama.
Resumed its operation on November 23, from / to Guatemala.
DELTA: Resumes flights on November 2 from Atlanta, and on December 17 from Los Angeles.
JETBLUE: Resumes flights in November from Fort Lauderdale (Nov. 1), Orlando (Nov. 4), and New York (Nov. 20). NEW ROUTE on December 18, from/to Los Angeles.
SOTHWEST: Resumed operations on 2021.
SPIRIT AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September from/to Fort Lauderdale.
UNITED AIRLINES: Resumed operations in September.
Resumed operations to / from Houston and Newark.
Resumed operations on November 7, from / to Chicago.
Resumes operations on December 19, from / to Washington.
NEW ROUTE on December 17, from / to Los Angeles.
NEW ROUTE on December 19, to / from Denver.
VOLARIS: Resumes flights on October 29 to Mexico (via Guatemala) and on November 26 from/to Cancún.
WINGO: Resumes operations on December 4th, from / to Bogotá.
Entry Requirements (Coronavirus Costa Rica):
COVID-19 Testing Entry Requirements
*PCR (molecular test) Testing is NO LONGER REQUIRED. Therefore this decision has saved travelers a lot of money.
So seems that our goverment has reduced the list of requierments to these 2:
- Fill out the electronic epidemiological HEALTH PASS form, available at https://salud.go.cr.
Make sure to click in the right corner to switch language to English. You will be asked personal information, dates of your trip, and questions related to your overall health. Then you will obtain the QR codes that you will have to show up on your arrival in Costa Rica.
2. Traveler’s Medical Insurance- international or purchased in Costa Rica.
Can I use my International Insurance? Tourists with an international insurance policy must request a certification from their insurer, issued in English or Spanish and stating at least three conditions:
- Policy validity, effective for the duration of the tourist’s visit to Costa Rica.
- A guarantee of coverage for medical expenses, with pandemic coverage for COVID-19 in Costa Rica, for at least US $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars of the United States of America).
- A minimum coverage of US $2,000 for extended lodging expenses due to illness associated with the pandemic.
If you have questions or want to check theconditions of the insurance, please email [email protected]
You can get quotes from INS and Sagicor direct (remember to click in the right corner to switch the language to English):
For some travelers they feel like the cost for the insurance is barely acceptable and there are not many international companies that they have found who will cover us to meet the US$2000 quarantine ‘lodging’ criteria.
Ultimately, it seems for some travelers that for peace of mind upon entry it’s better to use INS or Sagicor.
Note: You can buy insurance anytime. You have to fill out the health form within 48 hours of travel.
Quarantine Entry Requirements
No longer required.
COVID-19 Health Requirements While in Costa Rica
Upon landing in Costa Rican territory, travelers must:
-Wear face protection.
Masks or also the face shield protector “Careta” this is complementary to the mask it´s not allowed to wear the face shield without mask below.
You will find surgical masks mostly in supermarkets and pharmacies, and every place charges differently but an acceptable price is around $0.50.
People sell/wear the fabric ones that are better for the enviroment.
Most common protocols that you will see:
- Physical distancing (1.8 meters or around 6 feet) do your best calculation, we are a culture that loves invading personal space just be aware some people forget this rule.
- Clean your feet at the carpets. Some people feel strongly that this is useful. However, you will see some sort of grass carpet that you wipe your feet when you enter a place.
- Taking temperature reading.
- Some places request to wash your hands and hand sanitizer are available everywhere.
- Driving restrictions. The country to avoid massive gatherings restricts vehicles with a schedule that tells which license plates ending in even or odd numbers could not circulate. Rental cars, people driving to/from a hotel reservation were exemptions for the daytime circulation restrictions.
- Stay with your social bubble
Let’s be honest here as much we wish everyone follow strictly the protocols always will be a situation that will catch you off of guard.
For example, we have been on tours recently where everyone started wearing masks, and then because they asked to smell a flower or drink a sip of sugar cane in the end some people forgot to put their mask back on like there is not coronavirus in Costa Rica.
Also, we have experienced some trails in National Parks that got crowded but so far only have been few experiences like that.
What makes Costa Rica an option for future travel?
PROS
- Costa Rica is like someone said: “naturally socially distanced”, our small country with a small population and a sparsely populated rural area outside the city it’s a plus in pandemic times.
- Costa Rica has a good healthcare system, it’s not perfect but it’s considered one of the best in Latin America. Private and Public
- Clean country. New protocols by the ministry of health that extreme the education on the way we do our daily habits like wash hands, sneeze covering your mouth, etc, has been a good investment in cleanliness. The majority of the country has potable water, which contributes to the overall health of residents and visitors alike.
CONS
- With many Americans and Canadians (Costa Rica’s largest tourism base) finding it difficult to fulfill the international health insurance requirements, many travelers were looking elsewhere to vacation, notable countries with no health insurance requirements.
- The trip can be expensive than before. No longer that easy to come with flight cancelations, adding insurance expenses, and the associated dates changes in lodging will be extremely difficult to accommodate for most travelers.
The tourism sector has been deeply affected and for us and other friends that work in the industry apprecited you choosing Costa Rica to spend your vacations.
Costa Rica Coronavirus Stats:
Useful links: You can stay informed at the following links:
- Government Entry requirements
- Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica
- Migration Office
- United States’ Embassy
- Canadian Embassy
- UK Embassy
- French Embassy
- Spanish Embassy
- German Embassy
- United States Center for Disease Control
