Good news! More US States will be Allowed to Enter Costa Rica

  

On September 10th, Costa Rica expanded the list of US states from which tourists can enter Costa Rica.  

Currently, U.S. citizen tourists who are residents of New York, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia may enter Costa Rica.  

As of September 15th, residents from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Colorado,  Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan and Rhode Island will also be allowed to enter Costa Rica.  

Residents of California will be allowed to enter Costa Rica as of October 1st, 2020.  

Tourists from these states, or an authorized country like Canada, can fly from an authorized state through a non-authorized state en route to Costa Rica. The maximum layover time in the non-authorized state is 18 hours, and the traveler cannot leave the airport.  

(Source: US Embassy Alert)

Update for tourists and residents coming into Costa Rica

  As of September 1, tourists from authorized  US states and countries  wishing to enter Costa Rica must 

1. complete a digital epidemiological health pass

2. obtain a negative PCR-RT coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure 

3. purchase travel insurance that covers accommodation in case of quarantine and medical expenses due to COVID-19.  

U.S. tourists must be able to provide valid driver’s license or State ID card showing that that  live in an authorized states.   Accompanying minors are not required to have a driver's license. 

 

 Permanent/Temporary Residents of Costa Rica may enter the country via air regardless of where they are coming from but must present the following documentation: 

1) Passport, 

2) Valid DIMEX, 

3) evidence Caja payments are up to date for each person, and 

4) a completed Health Pass (Pase de Salud).  

New Information! 

Residency holders who are behind  on Caja payments will still be allowed to enter Costa Rica but must  become current  within 22 days.  Residency holders who are not up to date on Caja payments must also present proof of insurance to cover COVID-19 related hospital and lodging expenses for 22 days.  

Costa Rican Permanent/Temporary Residents and Costa Rican citizens must complete a 14-day quarantine.   But quarantine will not be required if 

1) arriving from one of a list of authorized countries or U.S. States

2) have proof of stay for the past 14 days in that country or U.S. state 

AND 

3) carry a negative COVID-19 test (PCR-RT) taken no more than 72 hours before their flight to Costa Rica.  

 

The Costa Rica Directorate of Migration has announced that tourists who entered the country after December 17, 2019 have been granted an extension of stay until November 18, 2020.  The grace period for drivers who are in the country as tourists has also been extended until November 18, 2020.  Tourists must carry their passport and foreign driver's license when driving. 

 

As of September 9, face coverings are mandatory in all indoor settings except when eating, while alone, or in a private home.   Face shields can continue to be worn, but only if a face covering is worn underneath.  Face coverings are also required at bus stops and aboard all forms of public transportation.  

(Source: US Embassy Alert September 9th, 2020)

 

Residents must have CCSS payments current to enter Costa Rica

 If you are a resident of Costa Rica and are returning to the country, be sure your CCSS payments are current, or you could be denied entry. 

This week, some residents arrived to Costa Rica  and were close to getting sent back to the US. Fortunately they were able to make their payments at the airport, but not after a lot of headache and worry. 

If you need help, we can assist. Just write or give us a call. 

Mobile 506 8878 4932

Email info@yourcostaricacontact.com

Equine Serum Administered this week in hospitalized Covid 19 patients

 

Equine Therapy

Clinical Trials Started this week



This week, Costa Rican began clinical trials on hospitalized Covid 19 patients using an equine serum therapy developed by the Instituto Clodomiro Picado of the University of Costa Rica (UCR).  

 

The equine therapy will be administered to patients with moderate illness and will be used in attempt to decrease the length of hospitalization stays and the number of patients in intensive care. If this procedure proves effective, the mortality rate and number of patients in ICU could decrease thereby easing the stress on the health care system.

 

The serum was administered to four patients and will be given to a total of 26 during the initial phase of the trials at Hospital Mexico, Calderon Guardia, San Juan de Dios and CEACO.

Proposed Bill with Incentives to Attract New Residents

The Costa Rican Congress or Asamblea Legislativa has a bill on the legislature floor that if passed will make it easier for expats to achieve residency status as Inversionistas(Investor), Pensionados (Retiree with a pension), or  Rentistas.

The bill, written in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic, outlines a series of incentives  to attract expats to move to Costa Rica. The bill proposes easing the residency requirements for these three different categories and includes the following proposed changes:

• One time 100% tax exemption on household goods  and vehicles
• Exoneration of income tax on some claimed income
• A 20% tax exemption on land transfers
• Lowering the required investment amount for inversionistas from $200,000 USD to $150,000 USD
• Providing a special section in Immigration to handle these residency applications allowing for swifter and more efficient processing 

Tourists not allowed entry with wrong Covid test

 Over the last week, some tourists were not allowed entry into Costa Rica as they arrived with the wrong  negative Covid 19 tests.  The tests they had administered were the serological tests but not the required negative PCR tests. No other negative Covid 19 tests are currently allowed to enter the country. 

If you are traveling to Costa Rica, be sure you get a PCR test and that it is done no more than 72 hours before your departure. 

US Tourists gradually allowed re-entry to CR

 

Easing Restrictions for US Tourists

 As of September 1st, Costa Rica will allow tourists from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. On September 15th, Colorado, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania will also be allowed entry.

 These states are in addition to the initial six states allowed entry which include New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Connecticut. (Tourists in transit with layovers in non-authorized states will be allowed entry if they do not leave the airport.)

 Tourists from the US will need to show a state identification card or their driver’s license to prove their state residency.

Change in PCR test requirement

 

Good news for tourists!

Starting September 1^st, tourists will be allowed entry with negative PCR tests administered 72 hours before their scheduled flight for Costa Rica.

 

This window was increased by 24 hours from the initial 48 hour time limit set by authorities.

INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS IN COSTA RICA

 Any tourists who arrived to Costa Rica after December 17^th, 2019 and are still in the country will automatically be allowed to stay until November 18^th, 2020, thereby automatically extending their tourist visa until that date.

 

For tourists with vehicles, the grace period to legally drive has also been extended until November 18, 2020. Tourists must carry their passport and foreign driver's license while driving.  

 

 

TOURISTS FROM THE USA

 Starting September 1st, tourists from the US who are residents of New York, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont may enter Costa Rica on flights from select airports in the United States.  

 

To prove residency, Immigration will require a valid driver’s license from one of these states. (Accompanying minors will not need to meet this requirement.)

Current Costa Rican border requirements

 

CURRENT costa rican border ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AS OF aUGUST 15, 2020

I.                  FOREIGN NATIONALS RELATED TO COSTA RICAN NATIONALS  MUST HAVE:

1. Valid Passport
2. Marriage or birth certificates proving relationship between foreigner and Costa Rican
3. Round-trip ticket showing departure from Costa Rica
4. Insurance covering hospitalization for Covid-19 illness and accommodations if quarantine is necessary
5. Completed Health Pass form provided by airline or immigration
6. Must complete 14-day quarantine period unless  they arrive  from an authorized country (or US state),  were there a minimum of 14 days before arrival, and  have  negative PCR-RT COVID-19 test results. (The test must  have been administered no more than 48 hours before arrival  to Costa Rica.)

 

II.               COSTA RICAN NATIONALS & RESIDENTS 

Costa Rican Nationals

1.       May enter Costa Rica from any country  (this is technically what the law states but has been misinterpreted differently by immigration officials thereby creating problems for some residents to enter).

2.       Need to complete  Health Pass form provided by airline or immigration

3.       Will need to complete a 14-day quarantine period unless  they arrive  from an authorized country (or US state),  were there a minimum of 14 days before arrival, and  have  negative PCR-RT COVID-19 test results. The test must  have been administered no more than 48 hours before arrival  to Costa Rica.

 

Temporary Residents, Permanent Residents, People with Special Categories or Estancias

1.       May enter the country via air regardless of where they are coming from

2.       Must have Valid Passport and  valid DIMEX card

1.       If the DIMEX expired after December 17, 2019, carry a copy of Resolution N° DJUR-0105-07-2020-JM (which extended the validity of the DIMEX cards until September 30, 2020, for Residents and Special Categories and until October 18, 2020, for Estancias that expired after March 17, 2020)

3.       Must be able to prove that the CAJA is up to date. This applies to all residents,  spouses and children.

4.       Must complete  Health Pass form provided by airline or immigration.

5.       Will need to complete a 14-day quarantine period unless  they arrive  from an authorized country (or US state),  were there a minimum of 14 days before arrival, and  have  negative PCR-RT COVID-19 test results. The test must  have been administered no more than 48 hours before arrival  to Costa Rica.

 

III.            TOURISTS & PEOPLE WITH RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS IN PROGRESS MUST:

 

1.       Arrive  from one of the authorized countries or states from the USA and be able to prove that you have been there for at  14 days before arrival.

2.       Have negative PCR-RT COVID-19 test result. The test needs must been administered no more than 48 hours before arrival  to Costa Rica.

3.       Insurance covering hospitalization for Covid-19 illness and accommodations if  quarantine is necessary

4.       Have  valid passport.

5.       Have a round-trip ticket showing departure from Costa Rica.

6.       Complete Health Pass form provided by airline or immigration.

 

 

Additional Notes for Tourists :

 

1.       Tourists and people with residency applications being processed will not be required to complete the 14-day quarantine period.

 

2.       Any tourists who arrived to Costa Rica after December 17^th, 2019, will automatically be allowed to stay in the country until November 18^th, 2020 and  their tourist visa will be extended until that date.

More progress and good news on border reopenings!

 

Gustavo Segura, the Minister of Tourism in Costa Rica, announced today that as of September 1st, 2020, Costa Rica will open its air borders to some US cities and states. 

Flights departing  from Newark, La Guardia and JFK airports will be allowed entry into Costa Rica and residents from the following states will be permitted entry: Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Segura stated that  tourists will need to show their driver's license to prove they are residents in one of the six aforementioned states.