Things are Progressing

General Information:

Starting November 1st, 2020, Costa Rican has reopened its air borders.

Anyone who wishes to enter will be obliged to meet the entry requirements, per their Immigration status.

Everyone must comply with the entry requirements established, per category. If you do not comply with the entry requirements, you will not be allowed in.

Entry Requirements per Category:

Foreign nationals related to Costa Rican nationals or Residents

Parents of minor Costa Rican or Resident children, minor children of Costa Rican nationals or Residents, or children of legal age with disabilities, spouses of Costa Rican nationals or Residents, minor siblings of Costa Rican nationals or Residents, or siblings of legal age with disabilities that wish to enter the country as tourists may do so as long as they carry the corresponding birth or marriage certificates that prove the link between the foreign national and the Costa Rican national or Resident. The presence of the Costa Rican national or Resident is no longer required, meaning a foreign national flying in alone, without his or her spouse or Costa Rican child, for example, will be allowed to enter.

In addition, people entering the country based on this family relation may fly in from any country and must present the following documentation:

1. Valid passport
2. Round-trip ticket or reservation showing an eventual departure from Costa Rica via air.
3. Birth or marriage certificates that prove the link between the foreign national and the Costa Rican national or Resident. Costa Rican marriage and birth certificates can be purchased here.
4. Insurance that covers hospitalization and accommodation in case you require quarantine due to COVID19. Insurance offered by the National Insurance Institute (INS) and Sagicor complies with these exigencies. Many expats have reached out asking if it is plausible to avoid the part of the insurance that covers boarding if they have a house or a rental in Costa Rica. We called the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and received written confirmation on September 1st  stating that this will be possible however, they also clarified that this is not supported by any Decree, Resolution, or Circular. This means that if you wish to enter using proof that you have a home or a rental (it must be for more than 1 month, in your name. It cannot be an Airbnb or similar), we cannot assure you that it will be accepted since this is not supported, in writing, by any current ruling or law. ICT’s written confirmation is not tantamount to a Decree, Resolution, or Circular. We know of some people who have already entered this way; however, the situation is so unstable at the airport that we cannot assure you a smooth entry. Ultimately, if the documentation you provide is not enough, you can purchase the insurance upon arrival.
5. Completed Health Pass. The link for the Health Pass can be found here. The Health Pass must be completed 48 hours prior to entering the country.
6. If the foreign national has a restricted nationality (you can read further on the matter here) and requires a visa to enter Costa Rica, he/she will not be allowed to enter unless he/she presents a valid US, EU, or Canadian visa (please refer to the article pertaining to restricted nationalities). This cannot be a transit visa.

If you have a specific question regarding the Health Pass, you can reach out to pasedesalud@misalud.go.cr

Costa Rican Nationals and Residents

Costa Rican nationals: May enter the country via air, land, river, or maritime borders and will need to complete the Health Pass. To identify as a Costa Rican national you need your passport or cedula. Immigration may accept other documents such as a birth certificate.

People entering the country through our land borders will be required to complete a mandatory 14-natural day quarantine period.

Temporary Residents, Permanent Residents, people with Special Categories or Estancias: May enter the country via air, land, river, or maritime borders and must present the following documentation:

1. Valid passport
2. Valid DIMEX card or, if expired after December 18, 2019 we would suggest carrying a copy of Resolution N° DJUR-0105-07-2020-JM that has extended the validity of the cards until January 11, 2021 for Residents and Special Categories and until February 12, 2021 for Estancias that expired after March 17, 2020.
3. People with Permanent Residency that have expired DIMEX cards can still enter using that card.
4. Prove that the CAJA is up to date or that you hold valid insurance with a minimum coverage of 22 days. This applies to every person trying to enter, including Resident spouses and children. Please note:
   • Regarding CAJA – If your spouse is the main applicant and he/she is registered in CAJA and pays every month, that does not mean that the dependents’ CAJAs are up to date. They can appear as suspended in the system. You can check the system here and carry a print-out, per person, of the results along with the payment receipt of the CAJA payment. If you are entering in September, you can carry the payment receipt for September.
   • Regarding Insurance – If your CAJA is not up to date, you will have the option of securing insurance with a minimum coverage of 22 days. Insurance offered by the National Insurance Institute (INS) and Sagicor complies with these exigencies. Many expats have reached out asking if it is plausible to avoid the part of the insurance that covers boarding if they have a house or a rental in Costa Rica. We called the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and received written confirmation on September 1^st  stating that this will be possible however, they also clarified that this is not supported by any Decree, Resolution, or Circular. This means that if you wish to enter using proof that you have a home or a rental (it must be for more than 1 month, in your name. It cannot be an Airbnb or similar), we cannot assure you that it will be accepted since this is not supported, in writing, by any current ruling or law. ICT’s written confirmation is not tantamount to a Decree, Resolution, or Circular. We know of some people who have already entered this way; however, the situation is so unstable at the airport that we cannot assure you a smooth entry. Ultimately, if the documentation you provide is not enough, you can purchase the insurance upon arrival.
   • Residents who enter using Insurance and not CAJA, will have these 22 natural days to visit the corresponding CAJA/EBAIS/Clinic to get their CAJA up to date. The Immigration Police will be in charge of supervising that Residents comply with this obligation. Failure to update the CAJA within these 22 natural days will result in the cancellation of the Residency.
5. Completed Health Pass. The link for the Health Pass can be found here. The Health Pass must be completed 72 hours prior to entering the country.

People entering the country through our land borders will be required to complete a mandatory 14-natural day quarantine period.

If you have a specific question regarding the Health Pass, you can reach out to pasedesalud@misalud.go.cr

Entry-bans will not apply for Residents who comply with the requirements mentioned above. Residents will be notified of an entry ban upon departure, but if they comply with the requirements mentioned above, that entry ban will be lifted and the person will be allowed to enter.

Tourists, people with applications in progress, and approved Residencies that are yet to process their DIMEX cards

The rules for tourists, people with applications in progress (meaning people who have a process filed at Immigration), and people with approved Residencies that were notified of the approval of their status and are yet to secure their DIMEX card (securing the DIMEX is the last stage of the Residency process that is completed in-country), aside from what has been mentioned about foreign nationals related to Costa Rican nationals or Residents, have not changed.

Therefore, tourists, people with applications in progress, and approved Residencies that are yet to process their DIMEX cards may enter the country via air ( Juan Santamaría Airport or Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport) or through one of our maritime borders (Golfito, Los Sueños, Pez Vela, Banana Bay y Papagayo*) as long as they comply with the following:

1. You will need insurance that covers hospitalization and accommodation in case you require quarantine due to COVID19. Insurance offered by the National Insurance Institute (INS) and Sagicor complies with these exigencies. Many expats have reached out asking if it is plausible to avoid the part of the insurance that covers boarding if they have a house or a rental in Costa Rica. We called the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and received written confirmation on September 1^st  stating that this will be possible however, they also clarified that this is not supported by any Decree, Resolution, or Circular. This means that if you wish to enter using proof that you have a home or a rental (it must be for more than 1 month, in your name. It cannot be an Airbnb or similar), we cannot assure you that it will be accepted since this is not supported, in writing, by any current ruling or law. ICT’s written confirmation is not tantamount to a Decree, Resolution, or Circular. We know of some people who have already entered this way; however, the situation is so unstable at the airport that we cannot assure you a smooth entry. Ideally, the insurance shall be purchased prior to arrival, but it can be purchased at the airport.
2. Valid passport.
3. Round-trip ticket or reservation showing an eventual departure from Costa Rica via air.
4. You will need to complete your Health Pass. The link for the Health Pass can be found here. The Health Pass must be completed 48 hours prior to entering the country.
5. If the foreign national has a restricted nationality (you can read further on the matter here) and requires a visa to enter Costa Rica, he/she will not be allowed to enter unless he/she presents a valid US, EU, or Canadian visa (please refer to the article pertaining to restricted nationalities). This cannot be a transit visa.

If you have a specific question regarding the Health Pass, you can reach out to pasedesalud@misalud.go.cr

*The rules for entry via maritime borders has a special set of rules. Please reach out to us if further information is needed.

Any Resident, person with Special Category, Estancia, tourists, people with applications in progress and approved Residencies that are yet to process their DIMEX cards that do not comply with the requirements set upon in the law will not be allowed to enter. Immigration is not making exceptions.

Any international insurance policy must be presented in either English or Spanish. If you are using an international insurance policy, it must explicitly state that it covers you for COVID and boarding.

One Health Pass per family can be completed, however, the entry requirements must be met by every single traveler, including children. The law makes no distinction regarding children.

Insurance Matters:

Regarding insurance, the insurance should cover you for the duration of your stay. The way this is currently calculated is using the round-trip ticket or reservation. Hence, if you enter using a round-trip ticket or reservation showing a stay of 2 months, the insurance shall cover you for those 2 months. The maximum coverage that you will receive, per the information shared by insurance companies, is 90 days which is the maximum stay, for most nationalities, under a tourist entry stamp (even though the validity of certain entry stamps have been extended until March 02, 2020). In conclusion, they will base the insurance coverage on the duration of stay per the round-trip ticket or reservation.

Per ICT’s confirmation, if a foreign national will enter the country with international insurance, it is essential that sufficient documentation is provided (in English or Spanish) to ensure that the policy guarantees:

1. Coverage for medical expenses in case of contracting COVID19. The insurance policy shall cover you for at least $50,000 USD in medical expenses.
2. A minimum coverage of $2,000 USD for lodging.

Alternatively, the INS or Sagicor insurance can be purchased.

Residents entering with outdated CAJAS:

Residents whose CAJAs are not up to date may enter the country by purchasing insurance with a minimum coverage of 22 days. Upon entry, Immigration will issue these Residents a notice stating that they have 22 natural days to update all CAJA matters, per family member. Failure to comply with this instruction will result in the cancellation of your Residency.

For minor children, as long as the parents appear to be duly registered in CAJA, the children’s CAJA coverage will be deemed up to date.

The CAJA system that Immigration and the ICT check is this one: https://sfa.ccss.sa.cr/servMedicos/validarDerechos.do. Try searching by name only. This will inform you if your CAJA, and every family member’s CAJA, is up to date.