Travel Insurance To Costa Rica

Other Important Privacy Information

Below you will find additional privacy information you may find important. Much of this describes common practices that we want you to know about and some of this is just stating the obvious . Please keep in mind that this information is not a complete description of our practices this is all in addition to the other, more specific information contained in the privacy statements, agreements and releases relating to each IMG product and service you use.

Airlines Are Not Required To Cover Delayed Flights

In the United States, if a flight is delayed for reasons out of the airlines control, then they are not required to provide you with, or cover, hotel stays or food costs. Whats considered outside the airlines control? Weather, air traffic setbacks, engineering issues, or anything else like. The most an airline will do is get you to your destination on its next possible flight. Delays are not required to be compensated in any way.

If youve purchased travel insurance, then you will likely have travel delay coverage. This delay coverage will usually pay for meals and a hotel room if you are stuck overnight before you can get a flight. Check with your travel insurance policy about the minimum amount of time you must be delayed before youre covered, as well as about daily limits.

How Much Does Costa Rica Travel Insurance Cost

To help you get a better idea of how much you can expect to pay for travel insurance from Costa Rica, weve collected quotes from a few competing travel insurance companies. The tables below illustrate what youll pay for a basic travel insurance policy on a seven-day trip to Costa Rica with a $3,000 total trip cost.

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Is It Safe To Travel There

Costa Rica has a larger crime rate than some countries, including a higher crime index than Iran, Egypt and the United States. In most cases tourists are unlikely to experience any problems during their trip, but it is always advised that you stay vigilant, especially when travelling in quieter, secluded areas. You should also take precautions to avoid drinks being spiked and should only use registered official taxis.

One common issue in Costa Rica has been methanol in alcoholic drinks. These have led to serious illness and deaths among numerous people. The Pan American Health Organisation advises that you should seek immediate medical attention if you show signs of methanol poisoning, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting or vision loss.

Costa Rica travel insurance can be important for helping with potential medical costs during your trip, without suitable protection you could face unexpected medical costs. You would also have cover for instances when your possessions or luggage is damaged or stolen while you are on holiday.

The country normally experiences a rainy season between May and November each year, which can lead to heavy rain and landslides, while there is also a risk of hurricanes during this time of year. There is regular earthquake activity, with the last major earthquake taking place in November 2017. The country also has several volcanoes, with some of them still considered to be active and at risk of eruption.

Things To Do In Costa Rica

There are plenty of natural sights to enjoy in the country, with stunning coastlines providing a chance to relax. Many of the national parks host wild animals, insects and plants, including some that cant be seen anywhere else.

Monteverde Cloud Forest is a popular spot for visitors, as it offers a unique view for birdwatchers and people looking to spot animals in the wild. There are also thousands of different plants to discover, and you can visit with the knowledge that the entrance fees help contribute towards ongoing research projects. Some of the animals you can find here include sloths, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys and deer.

The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is another popular attraction and guides tourists through the forestry. There are several hanging bridge tours to choose from, offering you different sites depending on what youre interested in. You can see wildlife, hot springs, nature and volcanoes during the tours.

If you are keen to visit a volcano during your visit, Arenal Volcano National Park is a good place to visit. It includes the active Arenal volcano, as well as the inactive Chato volcano. You can do hikes and one-day tours, which give you up close looks at the natural wonder.

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Ins One Of The Most Convenient Costa Rica Travel Insurance Plans

INS is a great option if you want to buy your Costa Rica travel insurance from a Costa Rican company. INS is the Costa Rican governments insurance company, and its plans are designed to meet travel insurance requirements for Costa Rica.

Buying from a Costa Rican company can definitely be more convenient since the only information you have to input on the Health Pass form is your INS policy number. Additionally, INS has the cheapest travel insurance to Costa Rica from a Costa Rican company, but it still costs almost double what Heymondo does.

INS has two options for plans, one with much higher coverage that is also much more expensive and one that is cheaper and provides lower coverage. In both cases, the coverage is lower than Heymondos plan. Still, both INS plans cover accidental death, disability, repatriation, medical expenses, and accommodation expenses and meet Costa Rica travel insurance requirements.

However, since INSs plans mostly cover medical-related expenses, INS is more of a travel health insurance for Costa Rica than it is travel insurance. If you want coverage for travel-related expenses, such as baggage loss, trip cancellation, or trip delay, again, Heymondo is a better option.

Below is an example of INS Option 2 coverage for a 30-year-old American traveling to Costa Rica for 14 days:

Overview Of Costa Ricas National Health Care System

Universal health insurance and social security have been a part of Costa Rican society since the 1940s. The system is often referred to as La Caja. This is a short form of Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social or the CCSS. The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social is funded primarily through payroll taxes based on individual income. This usually amounts to 7% 11%.

In addition to La Caja, there is also INS. This is short for Instituto de Seguro Nacional. It is a form of private health plan run by the Costa Rican government. INS coverage includes dental work, optometry, and annual check-ups. It also takes care of coverage for visiting private hospitals and clinics. The government makes ongoing investments in both systems, paying for new private hospitals, new equipment, and staff hires.

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What Travel Insurance Do I Need For Costa Rica

You would need to get a worldwide travel insurance policy for your trip. You can then choose between getting single trip and multi-trip cover. Single trip would protect you just for that trip, starting when you book the policy and then ending once you return to the UK from your holiday.

Annual multi-trip covers you for a one-year period, which means you can go on as many trips as you want and still have protection, as long as each journey is within your chosen trip duration limit of 31, 45 or 60 days.

You can also add adventure sports to your policy, which gives you protection for various activities, while you can also get additional cover for gadgets, golf holidays and business travel.

Other Trip Insurance Plans For Costa Rican Visitors

For non-US visitors to Costa Rican local insurance authorized for travelers can be found using the following links. If you have doubts or queries about the requirements or conditions of the insurance, please email

Trip Cancellation Insurance Plans

For those of you who would like the additional peace of mind that comes with having the cost of your trip to Costa Rica covered in case you have to cancel, a quality trip cancellation plan is recommended. We suggest RoundTrip Choice for US citizens.

With these options, an important question to ask yourself is do you want the flexibility to choose your doctor or hospital, including private hospitals? Travel insurance plans will cover your care at your hospital of choice. Also, is it important to be able to elect treatment outside of Costa Rica? If you are traveling to other countries travel insurance plans will cover you worldwide. While the country has one of the best health care systems in Latin America, it is important to look at the benefits of each option and decide on the type of coverage most suitable for you.

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Rainy Season In Costa Rica

Costa Rica rainy season can get extremely intense being a tropical country. If youre visiting the months of September and October, for most of the country it rains very hard. It is common for some parts of Costa Rica to flood.

In 2016, Hurricane Otto crashed through the north of Costa Rica, even killing people and destroying roads and homes. In 2017, Tropical Storm Nate hit Guanacaste hard. Many people had to cancel all their travel plans or they got stuck. Trees fell on houses and cars, roads were closed, etc. Roads are more slippery in rainy season and accidents are more prone to occur during this time of year.

In 2020, the bridge to Nosara collapsed and people got stuck. Tropical rainy season is no joke.

Best Costa Rica Travel Insurance

So, what is the best travel insurance for Costa Rica? As you can see from the comparison chart, Heymondo is the cheapest travel insurance for Costa Rica and has the most extensive coverage for medical assistance, trip cancellation, and baggage loss. It also meets and even exceeds Costa Rica travel insurance requirements. That is why I consider it the best option for Costa Rica travel insurance.

Best of all, you can pay even less for Heymondo insurance with the discount link below.

5% OFF your travel insurance

Now lets get into each insurance company and its coverage options.

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Travel Insurance For Trip Interruption

Costa Rica is in an active earthquake and volcano zone, so you may encounter flash floods and landslides, especially during the rainy season.

Natural disaster coverage can come in handy in these case scenarios, says Cheng at World Nomads. Many travel insurance plans offer trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage if your accommodations are destroyed by a natural disaster or if your flight schedule is disrupted, making it impossible to get to your destination.

Trip interruption insurance protects you beyond weather and natural disaster problems. For example, if you have pre-paid guided tours through the rain forest or a private helicopter tour of the rugged terrain, and you need to return home due to a family emergency like an unexpected death, trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for unused and pre-paid non-refundable deposits on tours, hotels and flights.

Holiday Travel Means More Opportunities For Theft

Theft is the most common crime in Costa Rica. If you are visiting during Christmas, New Years or Easter week , you need to be very careful. Since these are our peak season times, the beaches get packed with both local and foreign tourists camping, drinking and partying.

Unfortunately, thieves take advantage of this time to break into cars and pick pocket. .

So there you are, reasons to get travel insurance for Costa Rica and our recommendations.

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Why You Should Get Travel Insurance

First of all, well, pandemic. We all know from experience that literally ANYTHING can happen and now, even a pandemic can happen during your travels.

Second, flights are still changing, being cancelled and delayed all the time as the travel industry bounces back. Lost luggage, lost hotel reservations, cancelled trips, are all possibilities even more nowadays.

Now lets talk about Costa Ricas entry requirements and the insurance.

Costa Rica Slowly Recovering Its Tourism Industry In 2022

The United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain and the United Kingdom are the top countries for international tourists to Costa Rica and they account for nearly 75% of all international visitors to the country. The Covid pandemic with the Delta and the Omicron variants have created a very uncertain international travel environment and many travelers are avoiding all non-essential travel. As a result of this Covid uncertainty, many of these countries have also introduced many travel restriction which has further delayed the Costa Rica tourism sector recovery. To travel to Costa Rica is quite easy and international travelers must have a health pass and mandatory travel health insurance. While there is an increase in tourists visiting Costa Rica in 2022, a full recovery of the tourist segment will depend on the vaccination for Covid which will build further confidence in international travelers.

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Cancel For Any Reason Coverage

Most travel insurance policies include trip cancellation coverage that reimburses you all or most of your travel expenses if youre forced to cancel your travel plans.

However, travel insurance will not provide you with a reimbursement for any reason. When you sign onto travel insurance coverage, youll be provided with an acceptable list of situations when you can cancel your trip and claim reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses. Some commonly covered cancellation reasons include the following:

• Court-ordered appointments
• Death of a family member
• Death of a traveling companion
• Military orders

Cancel for any reason insurance extends your travel insurance to provide reimbursements for a broader range of circumstances. With few exceptions, CFAR insurance upgrades allow you to claim a partial reimbursement when you need to cancel your trip, no matter why. CFAR insurance is more expensive than standard travel insurance but can offer more benefits than typical policy inclusions.

What Are The Costa Rican Insurance Options What Are Their Rates

Three companies are approved to offer Covid travel insurance in Costa Rica, INS, Sagicor, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Costa Rica. INS is the government insurance company. Sagicor and Blue Cross Blue Shield Costa Rica are private companies.

Sagicor covers the $20,000 in Covid medical expenses, but $4,000 in accommodation expenses, so double what is required.

Sagicor charges a flat rate of $11.30 per person per day or $22.60 for people over age 70. They also have family rates that range from $10.60-$11.10 per person per day.

To give you an idea, thats about $80 for 7 days. If youre over 70, its about $160.

INS rates vary based on age, trip length, etc. Usually it is cheaper for longer visits than Sagicor. INS covers $20,000 in medical expenses. For accommodation expenses, there are two policy options. One covers $2,000 and the other $4,000.

To give you an idea of cost, for a 45-year old traveling 7 days, the premium is $132 for the less expensive INS plan with limited coverage. For a 65-year old, the premium is $180. If you extend the trip out to 60 days, it becomes more affordable .

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Protecting The Security Of Personal Information

IMG is committed to protecting the security of your personal information. We use a variety of generally accepted standards of security technologies and procedures to help protect the personal information submitted to us, from unauthorized access, use or disclosure both during transmission and once it is received. For example, we store the personal information you provide on computer systems that have limited-role based access and are in controlled facilities. When we transmit highly confidential information over the Internet, we protect it through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer protocol.

If a password is used to help protect your accounts and personal information, it is your responsibility to keep your password confidential. Do not share it. If you are sharing a computer, you should always log out before leaving a site or service to protect access to your information from subsequent users. If you have questions about the security of your personal information, you can contactâ¯.

We may retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

How To Get Travel Insurance For Costa Rica

There are many places online to get travel insurance. The one company that we work with is Travel Insured.

Here are some questions that can help you determine what type of travel insurance you are looking for:

If you have any questions about this, we are happy to answer when you give us a call or contact us. We know there are many options, so we want to make sure you are being taken care of, and we can talk you through some possibilities.

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How Can I Buy A Policy From One Of The Costa Rican Companies

You can go directly through their websites .

Alternatively, you can go through a local broker for no additional cost. These brokers resell insurance. A good one will be knowledgeable about the product they are selling and be able to assist you if you need to file a claim. Brokers can be very helpful for understanding policy coverage and exclusions. They also can get you a quote so that you wont have to navigate the insurance companys website. The INS website is very difficult to use.