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 lots 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 secure, the standard of life is excessive, and components virtually really feel such as you’re in one other US state.

Numerous 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 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 residence with out journey insurance coverage. It’s safety towards surprising prices that will come up if issues go unsuitable on the highway, which — as each traveler will let you know — occurs once you least count on 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 may be increased, and prices can rapidly add up rapidly 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 rapidly because of sickness or damage, canceled flights, broken electronics, misplaced baggage, the demise of a member of the family again residence — the record goes on.

Since most home medical health insurance packages don’t cowl you abroad and journey bank cards provide restricted safety, shopping for journey insurance coverage is critical to guard you towards these surprising 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 damage and sudden diseases
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Protection for misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection to your electronics)
• Journey cancelation/interruption protection you probably have a sudden sickness, demise 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 demise 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 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 your entire spectrum of journey actions, and even the tamest of vacationers might need to strive some. It’s probably the greatest locations on this planet 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 would possibly need to strive.

2. Medical protection – Must you get injured whereas testing your adrenaline limits (or doing anything), you’ll need to be lined. journey insurance coverage firm gives as much as $100,000 USD in essential remedy 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. (In the event you’d favor 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 residence it doesn’t matter what.)

4. Automobile rental – Renting a automotive is a standard technique to get across the nation. Nonetheless, aside from the primary highways, roads may 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 be sure you’re ready with the correct rental and collision protection.

(In the event you do intend to hire 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 commonest sort of crime right here. Shield your self by solely bringing the required money and one bank card once you exit, leaving your valuables at residence. Nonetheless, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so be sure you have some protection to 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. 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 indicate 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 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 count on to be lined ought to something occur to you (one of many essential causes to get journey insurance coverage).

Is Costa Rica secure?
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 typically really feel secure right here; nevertheless, the usual precautions apply (by no means depart your drink unattended on the bar, by no means stroll residence alone intoxicated, and many others.). Try this submit for extra tips about staying secure in Costa Rica.

Can I drink the water in Costa Rica?
The water is secure to drink in most components 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 finest to deliver a water bottle with a filter (my favourite is LifeStraw), so as 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 presently not essential for journey to Costa Rica, although verify the CDC web site earlier than you journey for present journey advisories. There’s a barely elevated danger within the province of Limón, so if you’re spending vital quantities of time there, particularly in rural areas, you could need 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 really helpful that you just’re updated on all routine vaccines, however the one required vaccine is yellow fever when you’re touring from a rustic with danger 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 lots of time in rural areas, tenting, or in different conditions the place you could encounter stray canines and different wildlife, you would possibly need to think about getting vaccinated towards rabies (although rabies remedy is available when you do get bit). Once more, you should definitely get good journey insurance coverage that may shield you in case you do get sick and want remedy.

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 certain to additionally save the emergency contact to your journey insurance coverage firm — a very good firm can have a 24/7 emergency hotline.

For extra info on journey insurance coverage, try this submit, How one can Purchase the Greatest Journey Insurance coverage.
 

My Really useful Journey Insurance coverage Firm

My favourite firm is SafetyWing, which affords handy and inexpensive 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 good 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 gives lots 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 nicely protection for as journey interruption, cancelation, and delay.

Be taught extra in my complete Security Wing evaluation 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 only most vital factor it is best to get, and one thing I strongly, strongly advise vacationers to by no means depart residence with out.