Do You Need Travel Insurance for Costa Rica? (Updated 2023)

Posted: 8/12/2023 | August twelfth, 2023

Known for its lush forests, lively volcanoes, white-sand seashores, and fantastic flora and fauna, Costa Rica is a favourite amongst vacationers. It used to be where that ignited my wanderlust (so it holds a unique position in my center).

Sandwiched between the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, this small nation has so much to provide. It draws many guests because it’s simply obtainable to North American vacationers, with common and reasonably priced flights and a well-established vacationer path.

Overall, it’s somewhat secure, the standard of existence is prime, and portions virtually really feel such as you’re in any other US state.

Numerous vacationers to Costa Rica wonder if shuttle insurance coverage is essential in any respect.

“Do I really need it? It’s just an extra expense I won’t even use!” I am getting requested.

To me, the solution is sure.

Regardless of the place I’m going, I by no means go away house with out shuttle insurance coverage. It’s coverage in opposition to sudden prices that can get up if issues pass incorrect at the highway, which — as each and every traveler will inform you — occurs whilst you least be expecting it.

Since Costa Rica is dearer than its Central American neighbors, and because you’re much more likely to be taking part within the journey actions that make the rustic well-known (volcano hikes, zip-lining), the hazards can also be upper, and prices can temporarily upload up temporarily if issues pass sideways.

What Does Travel Insurance Typically Cover?

Travel insurance coverage is an all-purpose emergency protection plan for shuttle mishaps. Costs can upload up temporarily because of sickness or harm, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the demise of a circle of relatives member again house — the listing is going on.

Since maximum home medical insurance systems don’t duvet you in a foreign country and shuttle credit playing cards be offering restricted coverage, purchasing shuttle insurance coverage is essential to give protection to you in opposition to those sudden prices. It’s designed to make sure to don’t lose a ton of cash if an emergency occurs in another country.

Great shuttle insurance policy come with the next provisions:

• Medical protection for harm and surprising diseases
• Emergency clinical evacuation
• Coverage for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection for your electronics)
• Trip cancelation/interruption protection you probably have a surprising sickness, demise within the circle of relatives, or another emergency that reasons you to cancel or pass house early
• Coverage for shuttle delays
• Coverage for political emergencies, herbal screw ups, or strife within the nation
• Accidental demise and dismemberment (morbid as it’s, it’s vital to have)
• 24/7 help

What to Consider When Purchasing Travel Insurance for Costa Rica

Here are some explicit protection wishes to remember when buying shuttle insurance coverage for the land of pura vida:

1. Adventure actions – From skydiving to browsing, Costa Rica is a haven for all the spectrum of journey actions, or even the tamest of vacationers would possibly need to check out some. It’s one of the most preferrred puts on the planet to head zip-lining, and there are fantastic jungle and volcano hikes to be loved. Ensure that your shuttle insurance coverage plan covers you within the tournament that you just get injured whilst taking part in any of the actions that you may want to check out.

2. Medical protection – Should you get injured whilst checking out your adrenaline limits (or doing anything), you’ll need to be lined. A just right shuttle insurance coverage corporate supplies as much as $100,000 USD in essential remedy and care, even though dearer insurance policies will duvet you for upper quantities.

3. Medical evacuation – If you’re mountain climbing within the rainforest and ruin your leg, your coverage must duvet your evacuation to the closest applicable clinical facility. (If you’d want to not keep in a overseas medical institution for remedy and restoration, glance right into a clinical shipping club program like Medjet, which can get you house it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Car apartment – Renting a automotive is a not unusual solution to get across the nation. However, excluding the primary highways, roads can also be in questionable situation; they regularly lack streetlights and feature potholes and sharp drop-offs. Not to say the oncoming visitors on tight, winding roads that look like they must handiest have compatibility one automotive. Even probably the most skilled of drivers can get in an coincidence, so make sure to’re ready with the correct apartment and collision protection.

(If you do intend to hire a automotive, Vamos has the finest costs. As a Nomadic Matt reader, you’ll get 5% off by means of the usage of our link.)

5. Stolen or misplaced possessions – Petty robbery is the most typical form of crime right here. Protect your self by means of handiest bringing the essential money and one credit card whilst you pass out, leaving your valuables at house. Still, even the best-laid plans can pass awry, so make sure to have some protection for your own pieces (pc, telephone, and many others.).

6. Natural crisis protection – Costa Rica is geologically interesting — however that implies it’s additionally an lively, unpredictable earthquake and volcano zone. Make certain that your coverage will duvet you if a herbal crisis reasons you to cancel or lower quick your travel.
 

FAQ About Travel Insurance in Costa Rica

Do I want shuttle insurance coverage to consult with Costa Rica?
While Costa Rica now not calls for guests to turn evidence of shuttle insurance coverage upon arrival, I extremely counsel that you just get it anyway. It’s for your personal get advantages and handiest prices a couple of greenbacks in step with day (or much less).

Does US medical health insurance (like Medicare) paintings in Costa Rica?
No, medical health insurance from america, together with Medicare, does now not duvet you in Costa Rica. You must now not be expecting to be lined must anything else occur to you (one of the most major causes to get shuttle insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica secure?
Costa Rica is without doubt one of the most secure international locations to consult with in Central America. Most fashionable vacationer cities are small and there’s little danger of violence. Solo vacationers must typically really feel secure right here; on the other hand, the usual precautions follow (by no means go away your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll house by myself intoxicated, and many others.). Check out this post for extra tips about staying secure in Costa Rica.

Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
The water is secure to drink in maximum portions of Costa Rica, even though at the Caribbean aspect of the rustic and in additional far flung spaces, it’s really helpful that you don’t. It’s preferrred to deliver a water bottle with a filter out (my favourite is LifeStraw), to be able to be confident your water is at all times blank and secure to drink. (And make sure to have shuttle insurance coverage for those who do get unwell.)

Do I want malaria drugs for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial drugs are these days now not essential for shuttle to Costa Rica, even though take a look at the CDC web site ahead of you shuttle for present shuttle advisories. There is a quite greater possibility within the province of Limón, so in case you are spending vital quantities of time there, particularly in rural spaces, it’s possible you’ll need to communicate for your physician about getting a prescription. Whether you are taking antimalarial drugs or now not, I’d nonetheless counsel getting shuttle insurance coverage simply for those who do contract the illness.

What vaccinations are required for Costa Rica?
It’s really helpful that you just’re up-to-the-minute on all regimen vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever when you’re touring from a rustic with possibility of yellow fever transmission (reminiscent of Tanzania or Zambia, in addition to rural spaces of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago).

If you’ll be spending a large number of time in rural spaces, tenting, or in different eventualities the place it’s possible you’ll come upon stray canines and different flora and fauna, it’s possible you’ll need to imagine getting vaccinated in opposition to rabies (even though rabies remedy is instantly to be had when you do get bit). Again, you should definitely get just right shuttle insurance coverage that can give protection to you for those who do get unwell and want remedy.

What do I do in an emergency in Costa Rica?
If you’re experiencing a real emergency, Costa Rica’s emergency quantity is equal to within the United States — 911. Make certain to additionally save the emergency touch for your shuttle insurance coverage corporate — a just right corporate may have a 24/7 emergency hotline.

For extra information on shuttle insurance coverage, take a look at this post, How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance.
 

My Recommended Travel Insurance Company

My favourite corporate is SafetyWing, which provides handy and reasonably priced plans adapted to virtual nomads and price range vacationers. It provides affordable per thirty days plans, nice customer support, and an easy-to-use claims procedure that makes it absolute best for the ones at the highway.

You can buy and renew your insurance plans on-line in an issue of mins, and most significantly, the corporate supplies a large number of protection at an excellent reasonably priced value. SafetyWing covers maximum journey actions (with some exclusions) and comprises emergency clinical protection (together with evacuation), as nicely protection for as travel interruption, cancelation, and lengthen.

Learn extra in my complete Safety Wing overview and use the widget under to get a unfastened quote:

If you’re questioning whether or not to get shuttle insurance coverage for your travel to Costa Rica, the solution is an emphatic YES. It’s the one maximum vital factor you must get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means go away house with out.