Do You Want Journey Insurance coverage for Costa Rica? (Up to date 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 country has a lot to offer. 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 quite safe, the standard of life is excessive, and elements nearly really feel such as you’re in one other US state.

Quite a lot of vacationers to Costa Rica ponder whether 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 depart dwelling with out journey insurance coverage. It’s safety towards surprising prices which will come up if issues go improper on the highway, which — as each traveler will let you know — occurs whenever you least anticipate it.

Since Costa Rica is more expensive 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 will be larger, and prices can shortly add up shortly if issues go sideways.

What Does Journey Insurance coverage Usually Cowl?

Travel insurance 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 dwelling — the checklist goes on.

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

Nice journey insurance policy embody the next provisions:

• Medical protection for harm and sudden diseases
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection to 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 dwelling 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 vital 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 remember 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 complete spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers could need to attempt some. It’s top-of-the-line locations on the earth 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 just get injured whereas collaborating in any of the actions that you just would possibly need to attempt.

2. Medical protection – Do you have to get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing anything), you’ll need to be coated. A great journey insurance coverage firm gives as much as $100,000 USD in crucial 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. (In the event you’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 dwelling it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automobile rental – Renting a automotive is a typical approach to get across the nation. Nevertheless, aside from 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 visitors on tight, winding roads that appear like they need to solely match one automotive. Even probably the most skilled of drivers can get in an accident, so be sure to’re ready with the correct rental and collision protection.

(In the event you do intend to lease a automotive, Vamos has one of the best 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 whenever you exit, leaving your valuables at dwelling. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so be sure to have some protection to your private gadgets (laptop computer, cellphone, and many others.).

6. Pure catastrophe protection – Costa Rica is geologically fascinating — however meaning it’s additionally an lively, unpredictable earthquake and volcano zone. Guarantee 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 just get it anyway. It’s to your personal profit and solely prices a number 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 anticipate to be coated ought to something occur to you (one of many important causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica secure?
Costa Rica is without doubt one of the most secure international locations to go to in Central America. Hottest vacationer cities are small and there’s little risk of violence. Solo vacationers ought to usually really feel secure right here; nevertheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means depart your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll dwelling alone intoxicated, and many others.). Check out this post for more tips on staying safe 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 really helpful that you don’t. It’s greatest to convey a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), so to be assured your water is at all times clear and secure to drink. (And be sure to have journey insurance coverage in case you do get sick.)

Do I want malaria drugs for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial drugs are at the moment not crucial for journey to Costa Rica, although verify 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, it’s possible you’ll need to discuss to your physician about getting a prescription. Whether or not you are taking antimalarial drugs 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 really helpful that you just’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever should you’re touring from a rustic with threat of yellow fever transmission (akin to Tanzania or Zambia, in addition to rural areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago).

In the event you’ll be spending plenty of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place it’s possible you’ll encounter stray canines and different wildlife, you would possibly need to contemplate getting vaccinated towards rabies (although rabies therapy is available should you do get bit). Once more, make sure you get good journey insurance coverage that may defend you in case you do get sick and want therapy.

What do I do in an emergency in Costa Rica?
In the event you’re experiencing a real emergency, Costa Rica’s emergency quantity is identical as in the USA — 911. Be sure to additionally save the emergency contact to your journey insurance coverage firm — a great firm could have a 24/7 emergency hotline.

For extra info on journey insurance coverage, try this put up, How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance.
 

My Really useful Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which provides handy and inexpensive plans tailor-made to digital nomads and funds vacationers. It provides 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 gives plenty of protection at an excellent 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.

Be taught extra in my complete Safety Wing review and use the widget beneath to get a free quote:

In the event you’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 it is best to get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means depart dwelling with out.