There is a significant and welcome change to the entry requirements to Costa Rica. Good news for the vaccinated amongst you.
The change is effective August 1, 2021.
Those of you who can provide proof of complete vaccination with either the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will no longer be required to purchase COVID insurance coverage for your stay in Costa Rica. For U.S. citizens, the “COVID-19 Vaccination Record” will be accepted.
On the other hand, you will still need to purchase COVID insurance coverage if you are unvaccinated.
For the full details to answer all the inevitable “what about.” and “what if…” questions, please link to the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) English-language website detailing these entry requirements: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements.
You can also go to the U.S. Embassy site for accurate and timely information: https://cr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
The basics:
Whether vaccinated or not, all visitors entering Costa Rica will still be required to flash the Health Pass QR code ( online Health Pass ) on their cell phones to customs officials.
Remember that Costa Rican Immigration officials have sole authority to determine the length of stay for tourists entering Costa Rica up to but no longer than 90 days. For those of you unvaccinated, that means the Immigration officials will only give you a visa stamp for the number of days for which you have purchased COVID insurance and not exceeding 90 days. Please keep in mind that if you are awaiting approval on a submitted application for legal residency to the DGME, you are still considered a tourist, and as such, need to follow the same guidelines.
COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate
If you have been vaccinated in Costa Rica and wish to obtain proof in the form of a vaccine certificate, those certificates are now available through online applications. These will be very helpful when entering certain countries that have liberalized entry for vaccinated entrants. Or for your return to Costa Rica. As such, you will avoid quarantines or costly stays in designated hotels (Canada eh.) For full details on how to obtain these certificates, please link to: https://www.ministeriodesalud.go.cr/index.php/vigilancia-de-la-salud/certificado-de-vacunacion-covid-19
This site also includes instructions on how to obtain a certificate for vaccines received outside of Costa Rica. Eligibility applies only to Costa Rican people residing in the country and foreigners with authorized legal permanence under the immigration categories of permanent, temporary, special category of stay in Costa Rica. Be mindful of the language requirements of your destination country. Read carefully about required Apostilles and official translations. Go slow and do it right to avoid a very negative experience entering your destination country. (https://news.co.cr/costa-rica-changes-covid-19-entry-requirements-as-of-august-1st-2021/82890/)
