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Costa Rica travel insurance may not be the first thing you think of when you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, but it should be.
Sometimes, unexpected things come up when you’re traveling, like canceled flights, sudden illnesses, or lost luggage. If you have travel insurance for Costa Rica, you won’t have to worry about covering expensive medical fees or scrambling to buy a costly new flight ticket. Having travel insurance is the safest and smartest way to travel and make sure that you’re covered no matter what happens.
On top of that, having travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage is an entry requirement for Costa Rica, so you won’t be able to travel to Costa Rica without it.
When we traveled to Costa Rica recently, we used Heymondo insurance, and it met Costa Rica travel insurance requirements perfectly. That, plus its extensive coverage for an affordable price, is why I consider Heymondo the best Costa Rica travel insurance.
There are also plenty of other great options for travel insurance to Costa Rica depending on what you’re looking for, so keep reading to find out more about Costa Rica travel insurance.
Do I need travel insurance for Costa Rica?
You may be asking yourself, Do I need travel insurance for Costa Rica? The answer is yes, you absolutely do.
Do I need travel insurance for Costa Rica?
First and foremost, travel insurance is an entry requirement for Costa Rica. You won’t be able to enter the country without it, plus it ensures that any quarantine or COVID-19 treatment fees you incur in Costa Rica will be covered.
Second, and equally important, it is always a good idea to have travel insurance coverage, no matter where you are traveling. You never know when something unexpected will happen. I’ve gotten bitten by a monkey, contracted an amoeba infection, and lost some luggage while on various travels. It was always a relief to know that I had good travel insurance to cover me. Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Central America, but still, you need an insurance plan.
Costa Rica Travel Insurance Requirements
Costa Rica travel insurance requirements are very straightforward. Tourists need to have travel insurance that:
- Is valid for the duration of their stay in Costa Rica.
- Provides $50,000 USD worth of coverage for medical expenses, including COVID-19 expenses. ($20,000 USD for Costa Rican insurance companies)
- Provides $2,000 USD worth of coverage for accommodation expenses due to COVID-19 quarantine. We have a specific article where we compare travel insurance for quarantine.
Costa Rica Travel Insurance Requirements
This travel insurance for Costa Rica can be purchased from a Costa Rican insurance company or an international insurance company, like Heymondo or Trawick International.
If you purchase international insurance that complies with travel insurance requirements for Costa Rica, you must have a certificate or letter from your insurance company that states, in either English or Spanish:
- The traveler’s name.
- That the policy covers COVID-19.
- The effective dates of the policy (coverage/travel dates).
- Guaranteed minimum coverage of $50,000 USD for medical expenses, including COVID-19.
- Minimum coverage of $2,000 USD for extended accommodation fees, including quarantine or travel interruption.
Whichever insurance you end up choosing, you will have to input your health insurance information into the Costa Rican Health Pass form.
Heymondo’s policies comply with all of these Costa Rica travel insurance requirements, so they are the perfect choice for Costa Rica travel insurance.
You can also check our guide to Costa Rica opening for tourism if you want to know the rest of Costa Rica’s entry requirements.
Costa Rica Travel Insurance Cost
There are many different aspects that can affect Costa Rica travel insurance costs. Your age, nationality, and state (if you live in the US) can all impact the cost of your insurance. Likewise, the longer your trip, the more expensive the insurance; and the more expensive your trip cost, the more expensive the insurance.
Keep all of these factors in mind when you buy travel insurance for Costa Rica, particularly if you want cheap travel insurance for Costa Rica.
If you’re looking for the cheapest travel insurance for Costa Rica, you’ll want to choose an international insurance company over a Costa Rican one. Costa Rican insurance companies (INS, Sagicor) tend to be more expensive and provide less coverage, while international companies, especially Heymondo, tend to be cheaper.
How much is travel insurance to Costa Rica?
To compare Costa Rica travel insurance costs, we are using the example of a 30-year-old American who is traveling to Costa Rica for two weeks and whose trip costs $2,500.
Price | $79.23 | $131.72 | $151.20 | $107.25 |
Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
COVID Coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Medical Assistance | $500,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $250,000 |
Extended Accommodation Fees | $2,250 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 |
Trip Cancellation | $7,000 | Not covered | Not covered | 100% of $2,500* |
Baggage Loss | $2,500 | Not covered | Not covered | $2,500 |
BEST COSTA RICA TRAVEL INSURANCE |
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*Trawick covers 100% of insured trip cost up to $100,000. Insurance price varies depending on your submitted trip cost.
As you see, INS and Sagicor don’t provide $50,000 USD worth of medical coverage. That’s because the minimum medical coverage required from Costa Rican insurance companies is $20,000 USD. Only international insurance companies are required to provide at least $50,000 USD worth of medical coverage. However, they are cheaper!
In terms of the policies we are comparing here, Heymondo Premium is the cheapest Heymondo policy that meets Costa Rica travel insurance requirements, and it’s the cheapest travel insurance of our comparison and the one with the highest coverage.
INS provides two different options for travelers, so I picked the cheapest one. Sagicor has different options for families and groups, but since the example is of an individual traveling to Costa Rica, I used the Individual Insurance for Tourists. Trawick’s Safe Travels Voyager plan is the only Trawick plan for US citizens and residents traveling from the US.
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.
Now let’s get into each insurance company and its coverage options.
1. Heymondo, the cheapest travel insurance for Costa Rica
Heymondo is the best travel insurance for Costa Rica by far. They are not just the cheapest travel insurance for Costa Rica; they also provide the most extensive coverage for both medical- and travel-related expenses.
Their coverage for medical assistance and extended accommodation fees easily exceeds Costa Rica travel insurance requirements, plus their Heymondo Premium plan can be customized to include electronic, adventure sport, and cruise coverage.
The plan already covers emergency medical and dental expenses (including COVID-19-related expenses), medical transport and repatriation, baggage, travel disruption or cancellation, accidental death and disability, personal liability, and other assistance coverage.
Additionally, with Heymondo, you won’t pay any out-of-pocket expenses. Their app provides 24/7 customer support, so in an emergency, you can just contact the Heymondo team, who will direct you to the nearest hospital or doctor and handle all the expenses for you.
Below is an example of Heymondo Premium coverage for a 30-year-old American traveling to Costa Rica for 14 days:
- Price: $79.23
- Deductible: $0
- Emergency medical coverage: $500,000
- Extended accommodation fees: $2,250
- Trip cancellation: $7,000
- Baggage loss: $2,500
- COVID coverage: Testing/treatment
We have used Heymondo for years and they always provide the best customer service. Check our Heymondo travel insurance guide to learn more about my experience using this insurance. And don’t forget that you can even get a discount on their policies just for being our reader.
2. 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 government’s 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 Heymondo’s plan. Still, both INS plans cover accidental death, disability, repatriation, medical expenses, and accommodation expenses and meet Costa Rica travel insurance requirements.
However, since INS’s 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:
- Price: $131.72
- Deductible: $0
- Emergency medical coverage: $20,000
- Extended accommodation fees: $2,000
- Trip cancellation: Not covered
- Baggage loss: Not covered
- COVID coverage: Testing/treatment
3. Sagicor, another health insurance to travel to Costa Rica
Sagicor is another excellent choice for medical insurance for Costa Rica travel. They are a private Costa Rican insurance company with many different plans: Individual Insurance for Tourists; Individual Insurance for Tourists (over 70 years old); Family Plans for 2, 3, 4, and 5 People; and Lodging Plan.
Their plans are mostly medical-expense-focused and cover medical expenses, including medication; lodging expenses due to sanitary isolation; sanitary/funerary repatriation; medical expenses for pre-existing conditions; and passport loss.
Like INS, Sagicor is a convenient travel health insurance for Costa Rica because the only information you have to submit on the Health Pass form is your Sagicor policy number. However, like INS, Sagicor doesn’t really provide much coverage outside of medical expenses. It is also the most expensive travel insurance of the four companies I compared.
Below is an example of Sagicor Individual Insurance for Tourists coverage for a 30-year-old American traveling to Costa Rica for 14 days:
- Price: $151.20
- Deductible: $0
- Emergency medical coverage: $20,000
- Extended accommodation fees: $4,000
- Trip cancellation: Not covered
- Baggage loss: Not covered
- COVID coverage: Testing/treatment
4. Trawick, a good travel insurance to Costa Rica for Americans
Trawick International’s Safe Travels Voyager plan is one of the best Costa Rica travel insurance for Americans. Trawick also has Safe Travels International and Safe Travels International Cost Saver plans for non-American travelers, since only US citizens and residents can use the Safe Travels Voyager plan.
To get the price of your insurance, among other details, you will have to input the cost of your trip and the state you live in, as well as the first date you made a payment for your trip. The trip cost I used for the comparison was $2,500, but I also tried getting a quote for a trip cost of $5,000 and the insurance price was over $200, so it’s worth noting that the price of Trawick’s insurance will vary based on the cost of your trip. Heymondo, on the other hand, provides trip cancellation coverage of up to $7,000 for free.
Trawick Safe Travels Voyager plan covers, among other things, emergency medical expenses, trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage, and rental car damage, so they are still a great travel insurance for Costa Rica. They also meet all of the travel insurance requirements for Costa Rica.
Ultimately, Trawick’s Safe Travels Voyager plan is a great option if you’re looking for comprehensive travel insurance. It can also be cheap Costa Rica travel insurance depending on the price of your trip.
Below is an example of Trawick International’s Safe Travels Voyager coverage for a 30-year-old American traveling to Costa Rica for 14 days:
- Price: $107.25
- Deductible: $0
- Emergency medical coverage: $250,000
- Extended accommodation fees: $2,000
- Trip cancellation: 100% of trip cost up to $100,000
- Baggage loss: $2,500
- COVID coverage: Testing/treatment
What travel insurance for Costa Rica should I buy?
As you can tell from the comparison of all the different plans, Heymondo is the best option for Costa Rica travel insurance because their plan is the cheapest while still providing the most coverage. You can also get their insurance for even less with our reader discount.
Remember that having travel insurance is mandatory if you’re a tourist traveling to Costa Rica. You will need to upload your Costa Rica trip insurance information to the Health Pass form before you travel. And don’t forget to check our guide “Is Costa Rica open for travel” for more information on Costa Rican entry requirements. Enjoy what is, for me, the best country in Latin America.
I hope this article helped you figure out the best Costa Rica travel insurance and gave you a good understanding of the type of travel insurance needed for Costa Rica. If you have any questions about travel insurance for Costa Rica, leave a comment below and I’ll help as much as I can!
