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, lively 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.

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

Lots 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 received’t even use!” I get requested.

To me, the reply is sure.

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

Since Costa Rica is dearer than its Central American neighbors, and because you’re extra more likely to be collaborating within the journey actions that make the nation well-known (volcano hikes, zip-lining), the dangers may be greater, 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 result of sickness or harm, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the loss of life of a member of the family again residence — the checklist goes on.

Since most home medical health 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 coverage embody the next provisions:

• Medical protection for harm and sudden sicknesses
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection on your electronics)
• Journey cancelation/interruption protection in case you have a sudden sickness, loss of life 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 loss of life and dismemberment (morbid as it’s, it’s necessary to have)
• 24/7 help

What to Take into account 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 the whole spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers might wish to strive some. It’s among the finest locations on this 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 collaborating in any of the actions that you just may wish to strive.

2. Medical protection – Do you have to get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing the rest), you’ll wish to be lined. An excellent journey insurance coverage firm gives as much as $100,000 USD in obligatory remedy and care, although dearer insurance policies will cowl you for greater quantities.

3. Medical evacuation – In case you are climbing within the rainforest and break your leg, your coverage ought to cowl your evacuation to the closest acceptable medical facility. (When you’d want to not keep in a international hospital for remedy and restoration, look right into a medical transport membership program like Medjet, which can get you residence it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automotive rental – Renting a automobile is a typical approach to get across the nation. Nevertheless, aside from the primary highways, roads may be in questionable situation; they typically lack streetlights and have potholes and sharp drop-offs. To not point out the oncoming visitors on tight, winding roads that appear like they need to solely match one automobile. Even probably the most skilled of drivers can get in an accident, so be sure you’re ready with the right rental and collision protection.

(When you do intend to hire a automobile, Vamos has the perfect costs. As a Nomadic Matt reader, you’ll get 5% off through the use of 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 whenever you exit, leaving your valuables at residence. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so be sure you have some protection on your private objects (laptop computer, telephone, and so on.).

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 lower 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 suggest that you just get it anyway. It’s on 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 count on to be lined ought to something occur to you (one of many important causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica secure?
Costa Rica is among the most secure nations 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 secure right here; nonetheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means depart your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll residence alone intoxicated, and so on.). Take a look at this put up for extra recommendations on staying secure in Costa Rica.

Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
The water is secure to drink in most elements 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 finest to deliver a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), as a way to be assured your water is at all times clear and secure to drink. (And be sure you have journey insurance coverage in case you do get sick.)

Do I would like malaria capsules for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial capsules are at the moment not obligatory for journey to Costa Rica, although examine 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 vital quantities of time there, particularly in rural areas, you might wish to speak 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 just’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever in the event you’re touring from a rustic with threat of yellow fever transmission (comparable to Tanzania or Zambia, in addition to rural areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago).

When you’ll be spending a number of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place you might encounter stray canines and different wildlife, you may wish to contemplate getting vaccinated towards rabies (although rabies remedy is available in the event you do get bit). Once more, you should definitely get good journey insurance coverage that can shield you in case you do get sick and want remedy.

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

For extra info on journey insurance coverage, take a look at this put up, The right way to Purchase the Greatest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Really useful Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which provides handy and reasonably priced plans tailor-made to digital nomads and finances vacationers. It provides low cost month-to-month plans, nice customer support, and an easy-to-use claims course of that makes it good 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 gives a number of protection at an excellent reasonably priced worth. SafetyWing covers most journey actions (with some exclusions) and contains emergency medical protection (together with evacuation), as nicely 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:

When you’re questioning whether or not to get journey insurance coverage on your journey to Costa Rica, the reply is an emphatic YES. It’s the only most necessary factor you need to get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means depart residence with out.