Practical Safety and Health Tips for Visitors to Costa Rica

Practical guide to safety and health for tourists, beyond the Tourist Police (see the sheet "Tourist safety: Tourist Police and emergency line" for that specific topic).

Emergencies: the national emergency number is 911 (police, fire department, Red Cross/ambulance), free from any phone, with operators who can often assist in English as well as Spanish.

General safety: Costa Rica is generally a safe destination for tourism, but opportunistic theft (theft of belongings, "assaults" on rental cars) is more common than violence. Recommendations: do not leave valuable objects in view inside a parked car (backpacks, cameras, phones), not even for a few minutes, not even in beach or viewpoint parking lots; avoid walking at night in poorly lit or lonely urban areas (particularly downtown San Jose); and use common sense with cash and cards, preferring ATMs inside banks or shopping centers.

Drinking water: according to the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), the vast majority of tap water in urban and tourist areas of the country is potable. In isolated rural areas that depend on communal aqueducts (ASADAS) or wells, quality may be more irregular — there it is advisable to confirm locally or prefer bottled water.

Sun and climate: due to its tropical location, solar radiation is strong all year round, even with cloudy skies. Sunscreen, frequent hydration, and avoiding prolonged exposure at midday are recommended.

Dengue: an illness transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, present in the country, with higher risk in the rainy season (May to November approximately). The Ministerio de Salud recommends using repellent, clothing that covers skin, and avoiding standing water in the accommodation. If fever occurs during or after the trip, seek medical attention and avoid self-medicating with aspirin or ibuprofen (they can aggravate dengue cases).

Rip currents at beaches: they are a real cause of drownings in Costa Rica, more frequent at certain Pacific beaches — see the sheet "Main beaches of Costa Rica by region" for specific recommendations before swimming in the open sea.

Vaccines: no vaccination schedule is required for most people entering Costa Rica as tourists. The exception is yellow fever: the Ministerio de Salud requires the International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever from travelers who have been in countries considered at risk of transmission (various South American countries, such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru, and African countries); without that certificate, entry to the country may be denied. As the list of risk countries is updated periodically, it is advisable to confirm the current list at ministeriodesalud.go.cr before traveling if the itinerary includes any of those countries.

Travel insurance: it is not mandatory for the average tourist entering Costa Rica — the medical/covid insurance requirement that existed during the pandemic is no longer in effect according to information available at the time of this verification. Even so, it is recommended to purchase travel insurance with medical coverage, since private care can be expensive for someone without coverage and some private hospitals ask for a guarantee of payment in advance in serious cases. Note: this policy may change: for a specific trip, confirm the current requirement with the airline or on the Migracion site before traveling.