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

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

Identified for its lush forests, lively volcanoes, white-sand seashores, and unimaginable wildlife, Costa Rica is a favourite amongst vacationers. It was the place that ignited my wanderlust (so it holds a particular place in my coronary heart).

Sandwiched between the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, this small nation has rather a lot to supply. It attracts many guests because it’s simply accessible to North American vacationers, with frequent and inexpensive flights and a well-established vacationer path.

Total, it’s fairly protected, the standard of life is excessive, and components virtually really feel such as you’re in one other US state.

Numerous vacationers to Costa Rica wonder if journey insurance coverage is important in any respect.

“Do I actually want it? It’s simply an additional expense I gained’t even use!” I get requested.

To me, the reply is sure.

No matter the place I’m going, I by no means go away residence with out journey insurance coverage. It’s safety towards sudden prices that will come up if issues go unsuitable on the highway, which — as each traveler will let you know — occurs while you least count on it.

Since Costa Rica is costlier than its Central American neighbors, and because you’re extra more likely to be taking part within the journey actions that make the nation well-known (volcano hikes, zip-lining), the dangers will be increased, and prices can shortly add up shortly if issues go sideways.

What Does Journey Insurance coverage Usually Cowl?

Journey insurance coverage is an all-purpose emergency protection plan for journey mishaps. Prices can add up shortly as a consequence of sickness or harm, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the demise of a member of the family again residence — the listing goes on.

Since most home medical insurance applications don’t cowl you abroad and journey bank cards supply restricted safety, shopping for journey insurance coverage is important to guard you towards these sudden prices. It’s designed to be sure you don’t lose a ton of cash if an emergency occurs overseas.

Nice journey insurance coverage embrace the next provisions:

• Medical protection for harm and sudden sicknesses
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection to your electronics)
• Journey cancelation/interruption protection you probably have a sudden sickness, demise within the household, or another emergency that causes you to cancel or go residence early
• Protection for journey delays
• Protection for political emergencies, pure disasters, or strife within the nation
• Unintended demise and dismemberment (morbid as it’s, it’s vital to have)
• 24/7 help

What to Take into account When Buying Journey Insurance coverage for Costa Rica

Listed here are some particular protection wants to bear in mind when buying journey insurance coverage for the land of pura vida:

1. Journey actions – From skydiving to browsing, Costa Rica is a haven for the whole spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers might need to attempt some. It’s the most effective locations on the planet to go zip-lining, and there are unimaginable jungle and volcano hikes to be loved. Make sure that your journey insurance coverage plan covers you within the occasion that you simply get injured whereas taking part in any of the actions that you simply would possibly need to attempt.

2. Medical protection – Must you get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing the rest), you’ll need to be coated. A very good journey insurance coverage firm offers as much as $100,000 USD in essential therapy and care, although costlier insurance policies will cowl you for increased quantities.

3. Medical evacuation – If you’re climbing within the rainforest and break your leg, your coverage ought to cowl your evacuation to the closest acceptable medical facility. (For those who’d favor to not keep in a international hospital for therapy and restoration, look right into a medical transport membership program like Medjet, which is able to get you residence it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automotive rental – Renting a automotive is a standard approach to get across the nation. Nevertheless, other than the primary highways, roads will be in questionable situation; they usually lack streetlights and have potholes and sharp drop-offs. To not point out the oncoming site visitors on tight, winding roads that appear like they need to solely match one automotive. Even essentially the most skilled of drivers can get in an accident, so be sure you’re ready with the correct rental and collision protection.

(For those who do intend to hire a automotive, Vamos has the perfect costs. As a Nomadic Matt reader, you’ll get 5% off by utilizing our hyperlink.)

5. Stolen or misplaced possessions – Petty theft is the most typical sort of crime right here. Defend your self by solely bringing the mandatory money and one bank card while you exit, leaving your valuables at residence. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so be sure you have some protection to your private objects (laptop computer, telephone, and many others.).

6. Pure catastrophe protection – Costa Rica is geologically fascinating — however meaning it’s additionally an lively, unpredictable earthquake and volcano zone. Ensure that your coverage will cowl you if a pure catastrophe causes you to cancel or minimize quick your journey.
 

FAQ About Journey Insurance coverage in Costa Rica

Do I want journey insurance coverage to go to Costa Rica?
Whereas Costa Rica now not requires guests to point out proof of journey insurance coverage upon arrival, I extremely suggest that you simply get it anyway. It’s to your personal profit and solely prices a couple of {dollars} per day (or much less).

Does US medical insurance coverage (like Medicare) work in Costa Rica?
No, medical insurance coverage from the US, together with Medicare, doesn’t cowl you in Costa Rica. You shouldn’t count on to be coated ought to something occur to you (one of many most important causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica protected?
Costa Rica is among the most secure international locations to go to in Central America. Hottest vacationer cities are small and there’s little menace of violence. Solo vacationers ought to typically really feel protected right here; nonetheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means go away your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll residence alone intoxicated, and many others.). Try this submit for extra tips about staying protected in Costa Rica.

Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
The water is protected to drink in most components of Costa Rica, although on the Caribbean aspect of the nation and in additional distant areas, it’s advisable that you don’t. It’s greatest to carry a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), to be able to be assured your water is at all times clear and protected to drink. (And be sure you have journey insurance coverage in case you do get sick.)

Do I want malaria capsules for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial capsules are presently not essential for journey to Costa Rica, although examine the CDC web site earlier than you journey for present journey advisories. There’s a barely elevated danger within the province of Limón, so in case you are spending vital quantities of time there, particularly in rural areas, it’s possible you’ll need to discuss to your physician about getting a prescription. Whether or not you are taking antimalarial capsules or not, I’d nonetheless suggest getting journey insurance coverage simply in case you do contract the illness.

What vaccinations are required for Costa Rica?
It’s advisable that you simply’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever should you’re touring from a rustic with danger of yellow fever transmission (equivalent to Tanzania or Zambia, in addition to rural areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago).

For those who’ll be spending a variety of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place it’s possible you’ll encounter stray canine and different wildlife, you would possibly need to take into account getting vaccinated towards rabies (although rabies therapy is available should you do get bit). Once more, you’ll want to get good journey insurance coverage that can shield you in case you do get sick and wish therapy.

What do I do in an emergency in Costa Rica?
For those who’re experiencing a real emergency, Costa Rica’s emergency quantity is similar as in the USA — 911. Be certain to additionally save the emergency contact to your journey insurance coverage firm — firm may have a 24/7 emergency hotline.

For extra info on journey insurance coverage, try this submit, Purchase the Finest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Advisable Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which gives handy and inexpensive plans tailor-made to digital nomads and funds vacationers. It gives low-cost month-to-month plans, nice customer support, and an easy-to-use claims course of that makes it excellent for these on the highway.

You should buy and renew your insurance coverage coverage on-line in a matter of minutes, and most significantly, the corporate offers a variety of protection at a brilliant inexpensive worth. SafetyWing covers most journey actions (with some exclusions) and consists of emergency medical protection (together with evacuation), as properly protection for as journey interruption, cancelation, and delay.

Study extra in my complete Security Wing evaluation and use the widget beneath to get a free quote:

For those who’re questioning whether or not to get journey insurance coverage to your journey to Costa Rica, the reply is an emphatic YES. It’s the only most vital factor you must get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means go away residence with out.