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, energetic 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 nation has so much 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 protected, the standard of life is excessive, and elements virtually really feel such as you’re in one other US state.

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

Since Costa Rica is costlier 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 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 dying 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 provide restricted safety, shopping for journey insurance coverage is important to guard you in opposition to these surprising prices. It’s designed to ensure 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 diseases
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection on 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 dwelling early
• Protection for journey delays
• Protection for political emergencies, pure disasters, or strife within the nation
• Unintentional dying and dismemberment (morbid as it’s, it’s vital to have)
• 24/7 help

What to Contemplate When Buying Journey Insurance coverage for Costa Rica

Listed here 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 all the spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers could wish to attempt some. It’s probably the greatest locations on the earth to go zip-lining, and there are unimaginable jungle and volcano hikes to be loved. Be 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 attempt.

2. Medical protection – Do you have to get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing the rest), you’ll wish to be coated. A great journey insurance coverage firm offers as much as $100,000 USD in needed therapy and care, although costlier insurance policies will cowl you for increased quantities.

3. Medical evacuation – If you’re mountaineering within the rainforest and break your leg, your coverage ought to cowl your evacuation to the closest acceptable medical facility. (When you’d choose to not keep in a overseas hospital for therapy and restoration, look right into a medical transport membership program like Medjet, which is able to get you dwelling it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automotive rental – Renting a automotive is a typical approach to get across the nation. Nevertheless, other than the principle highways, roads will 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 ensure you’re ready with the right rental and collision protection.

(When you do intend to hire a automotive, Vamos has the very 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 commonest kind of crime right here. Shield your self by solely bringing the required money and one bank card once 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 objects (laptop computer, cellphone, and many others.).

6. Pure catastrophe protection – Costa Rica is geologically fascinating — however meaning 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 reduce 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 advocate that you just 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 coated ought to something occur to you (one of many most important causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica protected?
Costa Rica is likely one of the most secure nations to go to in Central America. Hottest vacationer cities are small and there’s little risk of violence. Solo vacationers ought to typically really feel protected right here; nonetheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means go away your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll dwelling alone intoxicated, and many others.). Try this put up 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 beneficial that you don’t. It’s finest to convey a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), as a way to be assured your water is all the time clear and protected to drink. (And ensure 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 needed for journey to Costa Rica, although test the CDC web site earlier than you journey for present journey advisories. There’s a barely elevated danger within the province of Limón, so in case you are spending vital quantities of time there, particularly in rural areas, you might wish to discuss to your physician about getting a prescription. Whether or not you’re taking antimalarial capsules 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 beneficial 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 danger of yellow fever transmission (reminiscent of Tanzania or Zambia, in addition to rural areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago).

When you’ll be spending plenty of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place you might encounter stray canine and different wildlife, you may wish to take into account getting vaccinated in opposition to rabies (although rabies therapy is available in the event you do get bit). Once more, make sure to get good journey insurance coverage that can defend you in case you do get sick and wish therapy.

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

For extra data on journey insurance coverage, take a look at this put up, The best way to Purchase the Finest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Advisable Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which affords handy and reasonably priced plans tailor-made to digital nomads and price range 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 buy and renew your insurance coverage coverage on-line in a matter of minutes, and most significantly, the corporate offers plenty of protection at an excellent reasonably priced worth. SafetyWing covers most journey actions (with some exclusions) and consists of emergency medical protection (together with evacuation), as nicely protection for as journey interruption, cancelation, and delay.

Study extra in my complete Security Wing overview 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 one most vital factor you must get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means go away dwelling with out.