Traveling to Costa Rica Post Covid – Before You Go
We were thrilled to discover that a trip to Costa Rica was still possible in the fledgling post-Covid world, but I will admit that there were a number of additional requirements that made the planning a bit more stressful. Here are some of the specific steps with direct links that we had to go through:
- Purchase travel insurance that meets the minimum requirements set forth by the Costa Rica Ministry of Health. As of our travel in June 2021 that meant a policy that would cover at least $50,000 in medical expenses and $2,000 in extended lodging expenses in the event that you contracted Covid while in the country and required medical attention and/or a mandatory quarantine stay. We purchased ours from Travel Insured International, and a one-week policy for the three of us was $226.
- Acquire a Health Pass – Submit information regarding travel and insurance to receive a Health Pass that allows entry into the country. I sent a request to our travel insurance company for a letter that included the required information and they got us the document we needed. You have to wait until within 72 hours of your departure time to do this, but it’s a seamless process. Upload the required document, enter the requested data, and the QR code is ready to download!
When we arrived in Costa Rica at the San Jose airport, it took about an hour to get through the lines for international visitors. We had to show our health pass numerous times and give information regarding our lodging and length of stay, but it was a smooth process with no glitches, thankfully!
- Schedule a Covid Test – Since the US requires a negative Covid test within three days of arrival back in the country, you either need to plan ahead and take a Home Test Kit with you that will be accepted by your airline or schedule a Covid test in Costa Rica. I heard that there are options to take one at the airport before departing, but you need to arrive four hours early and plan to pay over $100 for the convenience. We tested out both the self-test option and booking a test in the country.
- Complete a Negative Covid Test – Option One: Home Test Kit
We were flying United, so we referred extensively to this page with information on how to acquire and complete an eMed virtual Covid test. It seems overwhelming and complicated and, above all, like a rip-off. You have to purchase the BinaxNOW Covid-19 AG Card Home Test kit exclusively through eMed and they only offer a 6-pack for a whopping $150, which must be assigned exclusively to one individual (i.e. we couldn’t share the 6-pack among the three of us). So, to go this route alone would have cost us an additional $450 just to prove that we didn’t have Covid in order to get back into the US. We almost thought we had found a loophole when we discovered the BinaxNOW self test kit at our local pharmacy for $20 for a 2/pack. Even the pharmacist told us that it was the same thing. Thankfully we read the fine print before making the purchase and discovered that the self-test is not accepted; it must be the Home Test kit in order to use it in conjunction with the required Navica app and virtual medical professional. I completed this process two mornings before we were scheduled to leave and the whole thing took about 30 minutes and concluded with a code that I could upload to prove that I had tested negative.
- Complete a Negative Covid Test – Option Two: Rapid Test at Local Clinic
This page about Where to Get a Covid-19 Test in Costa Rica on the Two Weeks in Costa Rica blog was extremely helpful! We initially attempted to schedule an appointment at Hospital Metropolitano in Quepos, but they were booked solid for two weeks, so they referred us to the 6 Sigma Laboratories a few blocks away. The man there was very friendly, spoke English well, and was able to get two appointments on the schedule for first thing Monday morning. It cost $70/test and they would email results and upload them to the necessary government agency as well within 24 hours. Everything likewise went smoothly and was a great experience (other than Julian and Daniel feeling like their brains were being swabbed out!).
Since we were flying United, they have a Travel Ready Center where we were able to upload all of the necessary documentation and be cleared for departure by the time we arrived at the airport for our return flights. Definitely a bit of added stress to the trip, but it was still worth it for our week in the lush land of Costa Rica!
