Do You Want Journey Insurance coverage for Costa Rica? (Up to date 2023)

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

Recognized for its lush forests, energetic volcanoes, white-sand seashores, and unbelievable 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 lots to supply. It attracts many guests because it’s simply accessible to North American vacationers, with frequent and reasonably priced flights and a well-established vacationer path.

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

A variety of vacationers to Costa Rica wonder if journey insurance coverage is critical 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 house with out journey insurance coverage. It’s safety towards sudden prices which will come up if issues go unsuitable on the highway, which — as each traveler will let you know — occurs if you least anticipate it.

Since Costa Rica is dearer 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 may be larger, 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 attributable to sickness or damage, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the dying of a member of the family again house — the checklist goes on.

Since most home medical insurance packages don’t cowl you abroad and journey bank cards supply restricted safety, shopping for journey insurance coverage is critical 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 policy embody the next provisions:

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

What to Think about When Buying Journey Insurance coverage for Costa Rica

Listed below 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 all the spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers could wish to attempt some. It’s top-of-the-line locations on the planet to go zip-lining, and there are unbelievable jungle and volcano hikes to be loved. Make sure that your journey insurance coverage plan covers you within the occasion that you just get injured whereas taking part in any of the actions that you just may wish to attempt.

2. Medical protection – Do you have to get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing anything), you’ll wish to be lined. journey insurance coverage firm offers as much as $100,000 USD in obligatory therapy and care, although dearer insurance policies will cowl you for larger 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 choose to not keep in a international hospital for therapy and restoration, look right into a medical transport membership program like Medjet, which can get you house it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automobile rental – Renting a automotive is a standard method to get across the nation. Nonetheless, other than the principle highways, roads may 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 right 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 commonest sort of crime right here. Defend your self by solely bringing the required money and one bank card if you exit, leaving your valuables at house. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so be sure you have some protection to your private gadgets (laptop computer, cellphone, and so forth.).

6. Pure catastrophe protection – Costa Rica is geologically fascinating — however which means it’s additionally an energetic, unpredictable earthquake and volcano zone. Make it possible for your coverage will cowl you if a pure catastrophe causes you to cancel or minimize brief your journey.
 

FAQ About Journey Insurance coverage in Costa Rica

Do I would like 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 advocate that you just get it anyway. It’s to your personal profit and solely prices just a few {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 anticipate to be lined ought to something occur to you (one of many foremost causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica secure?
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 usually really feel secure right here; nonetheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means go away your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll house alone intoxicated, and so forth.). Try this publish for extra tips about staying secure in Costa Rica.

Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
The water is secure to drink in most components of Costa Rica, although on the Caribbean facet of the nation and in additional distant areas, it’s really helpful that you don’t. It’s finest to carry a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), so as to be assured your water is all the time clear and secure to drink. (And be sure you have journey insurance coverage in case you do get sick.)

Do I would like malaria drugs for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial drugs are at present not obligatory for journey to Costa Rica, although test the CDC web site earlier than you journey for present journey advisories. There’s a barely elevated threat within the province of Limón, so if you’re spending important quantities of time there, particularly in rural areas, chances are you’ll wish to discuss to your physician about getting a prescription. Whether or not you are taking antimalarial drugs or not, I’d nonetheless advocate getting journey insurance coverage simply in case you do contract the illness.

What vaccinations are required for Costa Rica?
It’s really helpful that you just’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever in case you’re touring from a rustic with threat 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 numerous time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place chances are you’ll encounter stray canine and different wildlife, you may wish to think about getting vaccinated towards rabies (although rabies therapy is available in case 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 sure to additionally save the emergency contact to your journey insurance coverage firm — firm can have a 24/7 emergency hotline.

For extra info on journey insurance coverage, take a look at this publish, Find out how to Purchase the Finest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Beneficial Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which affords handy and reasonably priced plans tailor-made to digital nomads and funds vacationers. It affords 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 purchase and renew your insurance coverage coverage on-line in a matter of minutes, and most significantly, the corporate offers numerous protection at a brilliant reasonably priced value. SafetyWing covers most journey actions (with some exclusions) and contains emergency medical protection (together with evacuation), as effectively protection for as journey interruption, cancelation, and delay.

Study extra in my complete Security Wing evaluation and use the widget under 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 one most vital factor you must get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means go away house with out.