What’s the Best Travel Insurance for Costa Rica? (Hint: It Depends on What You’re Looking For)

Well known for its pristine national parks, deep jungles, rich wildlife, and plenty of outdoor activities, Costa Rica has exploded onto the scene in recent years as a favourite tropical travel destination.

If you're lucky enough to be travelling to Costa Rica, it'll be a good idea to get travel insurance sorted out before you pack your bags. After all, while it's a safe destination, there are still many things that can disrupt your travels, from accidents to flight cancellations and travel delays.

In this guide, we weigh up the two providers we think offer the best travel insurance for Costa Rica to give you a reliable overview. But first, let's address the obvious question:

Do You Need Travel Insurance for Costa Rica?

No, strictly speaking, you don't need travel insurance to visit Costa Rica. Prior to April 2022, travel insurance was required for all visitors who'd not had a Covid-19 vaccination, but as of 1 April, this rule no longer holds effect.

However, while not obligatory, the Costa Rican government nonetheless advises inbound travellers to have a travel insurance policy.

Best Choice & Coverage — VisitorsCoverage

Among the internet's best-known insurance platforms, VisitorsCoverage is a pioneering Silicon Valley insurtech company that offers some of the best travel insurance for Costa Rica in terms of options and coverage (while still being reasonably affordable). However, VisitorsCoverage is only available for US residents, so if you're not from the US, then we recommend the next option instead.

VisitorsCoverage offers a large variety of plans and models, and depending on your needs and preferences, you may want to compare and explore their full catalogue of plans. However, we've chosen the two that we think offer the best travel insurance for Costa Rica:

RoundTrip Basic Plan

From around $150 per person, per month, this plan is VisitorsCoverage's most affordable trip insurance option that covers all your bases:

• Up to $100,000 in medical emergencies.
• Trip delay coverage up to $250 per day (after six hours).
• Trip cancellation up to 100% of non-refundable amount.
• Trip interruption up to 100% of non-refundable amount.
• Up to $500 covered for missed connections.
• Up to $250,000 covered for emergency medical evacuation/repatriation.

SafeCruise Plan

Starting at around $250 per person, per month, this mid-level plan offers more comprehensive coverage while still being in an affordable range:

• Up to $250,000 in medical emergencies.
• Trip delay coverage up to $200 per day ($1,000 maximum).
• Trip cancellation up to 100% of non-refundable amount.
• Trip interruption up to 150% of non-refundable amount.
• Up to $1,000 in dental expenses.
• Up to $2,000 covered for missed connections.
• Up to $1,000,000 covered for emergency medical evacuation/repatriation.

All VisitorsCoverage plans currently include Covid-19 coverage. In addition to the two plans above, there are also many other plans to choose from, so we recommend heading over to their website to compare for yourself:

Best Price & Flexibility — Insured Nomads

Aimed at remote workers and globetrotters, Insured Nomads is another savvy insurtech platform offering travel insurance to Costa Rica. Founded and run by expats around the globe, Insured Nomads offers an impressive range of travel insurances, including plenty of medical benefits.

Plan: Travel Insurance World Explorer

Price: Starting at $84 per person, per month.

Term duration: One trip of between 7 and 364 days.

Eligibility:

• You're not allowed to travel to Costa Rica through Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, or the Crimea region.

Coverage: This plan offers a fairly comprehensive set of medal benefits and coverage for a basic health insurance plan. These include:

• Online consultation (telemedicine).
• Medical, emergency, and accident coverage.
• Outpatient and inpatient care.
• Medical transportation coverage
• Evacuation and repatriation.
• Life insurance.
• Adventure sports and marine activity coverage.
• Electronics, camera, cellphone, and sports equipment coverage.
• Flight delay provisions.

Deductible: $0, $100, $250, or $500 based on selection.

Maximum limit: $250,000, $1,000,000, or $2,000,000 based on selection.

Best for: In addition to being a well-priced trip insurance package, we think Insured Nomads offers an excellent combination of medical- and travel-related coverage, making it an ideal option for travellers to Costa Rica looking for comprehensive and affordable benefits all around. (Insured Nomads also offers an even more comprehensive global health insurance plan for expats for those who plan to live in Costa Rica for an extended period of time.)