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 loads 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 elements nearly really feel such as you’re in one other US state.

Plenty of vacationers to Costa Rica ponder whether journey insurance coverage is important 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 dwelling with out journey insurance coverage. It’s safety in opposition to sudden prices that will come up if issues go incorrect on the highway, which — as each traveler will inform you — occurs if you least anticipate it.

Since Costa Rica is dearer than its Central American neighbors, and because you’re extra prone 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 Sometimes Cowl?

Journey insurance coverage is an all-purpose emergency protection plan for journey mishaps. Prices can add up shortly because of sickness or harm, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the loss of life of a member of the family again dwelling — the listing 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 important to guard you in opposition to these sudden prices. It’s designed to ensure you 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 sicknesses
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection on your electronics)
• Journey cancelation/interruption protection when you’ve got 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 essential 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 might need to attempt some. It’s probably the greatest locations on the earth to go zip-lining, and there are unbelievable jungle and volcano hikes to be loved. Be 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 – Do you have to get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing the rest), you’ll need to be lined. A great journey insurance coverage firm supplies as much as $100,000 USD in needed remedy and care, although dearer insurance policies will cowl you for increased quantities.

3. Medical evacuation – In case you are mountain climbing within the rainforest and break your leg, your coverage ought to cowl your evacuation to the closest acceptable medical facility. (If you happen to’d want to not keep in a overseas hospital for remedy 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 standard technique to get across the nation. Nevertheless, aside from the primary highways, roads will 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 automotive. Even probably the most skilled of drivers can get in an accident, so ensure you’re ready with the correct rental and collision protection.

(If you happen to do intend to lease 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 if you exit, leaving your valuables at dwelling. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so ensure you have some protection on your private gadgets (laptop computer, telephone, and many others.).

6. Pure catastrophe protection – Costa Rica is geologically fascinating — however meaning it’s additionally an energetic, unpredictable earthquake and volcano zone. Ensure that 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 not requires guests to indicate proof of journey insurance coverage upon arrival, I extremely suggest that you simply get it anyway. It’s on 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 anticipate to be lined ought to something occur to you (one of many 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 usually really feel protected right here; nonetheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means depart your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll dwelling 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 elements 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 deliver a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), so that you could be assured your water is at all times clear and protected to drink. (And ensure you have journey insurance coverage in case you do get sick.)

Do I would like malaria tablets for Costa Rica?
Antimalarial tablets are at present not needed 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, chances are you’ll need to discuss to your physician about getting a prescription. Whether or not you are taking antimalarial tablets 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 simply’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever for those who’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).

If you happen to’ll be spending a variety of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place chances are you’ll encounter stray canine and different wildlife, you would possibly need to think about getting vaccinated in opposition to rabies (although rabies remedy is available for those who do get bit). Once more, make sure you get good journey insurance coverage that can defend you in case you do get sick and want remedy.

What do I do in an emergency in Costa Rica?
If you happen to’re experiencing a real emergency, Costa Rica’s emergency quantity is identical as in the USA — 911. Make sure that to additionally save the emergency contact on 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 submit, How one can Purchase the Greatest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Beneficial Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which affords handy and inexpensive 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 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 supplies a variety of protection at a brilliant inexpensive worth. SafetyWing covers most journey actions (with some exclusions) and contains emergency medical protection (together with evacuation), as properly protection for as journey interruption, cancelation, and delay.

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

If you happen to’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 essential factor it’s best to get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means depart dwelling with out.