Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is one of those things you’ll want to think long and hard about if you are visiting Costa Rica. Ever since my father had to be flown home to the United States for an unexpected diagnosis, I’ve urged everyone to get insurance for Costa Rica or anywhere else abroad. Today I’ll share with you the best options for travel Insurance so you can safely plan your trip to Costa Rica.
How Much is Travel Insurance to Costa Rica?
The cost of your travel insurance will mostly come down to your list of concerns coupled with what sort of Costa Rica Trip you have planned. Your length of stay, concern or non-concern for an emergency medical evacuation, and trip cancellation insurance will all be items that you’ll have to think about before you look into travel insurance for Costa Rica.
On another note, if you are looking for a longer term stay, say 3-6 months or beyond, there is also the option for coverage through a plan called the Digital Nomad. I’ll speak about that in more detail but for now I’m going to cover basic Costa Rica travel tips as it comes to having a vacation in Costa Rica and why you should think about travel insurance for all trips.
Why Get Insurance When You Visit Costa Rica?
Again, I always revert to the fact that my perfectly healthy father had to be airlifted back to the United States when traveling abroad. This was something that came on acutely, and his primary medical coverage would not have fronted the bill for him to not only be put up in an offshore hospital for several weeks, but also taking four private jets to get him safely back to the United States. (This was from Australia.)
That’s obviously a very extreme case, but my parents always purchased coverage when going abroad because they feared for something happening to their aging parents, and wanted the peace of mind knowing they weren’t out a small fortune if they had a trip interruption and had to go back to the States to handle any emergencies.
Other reasons you would want to buy travel insurance for Costa Rica include:
- Trip interruption coverage
- Natural disasters
- Need for medical treatment
- Medical expense coverage (any medical bills incurred offshore won’t be covered in most cases by your primary medical coverage.)
- Emergency medical evacuation
Again, the type of travel insurance coverage you opt for will depend on your personal factors, but one hiccup can possibly set you back tens of thousands of dollars. My mother estimates that the bills incurred on the medical evacuation we had to go through were getting to be almost one million dollars. Her cost? A very small deductible.
Before you begin your Costa Rican adventure, think about what you need at the bare bones. For me, it’s emergency medical insurance, and trip interruption coverage. These are very important factors that don’t cost a lot to insure, and you can enter Costa Rica knowing that you’ll have those in case of emergency.
Visiting Costa Rica – What You Should Know
Costa Rica travel insurance is something I recommend because there are just so many things that aren’t like “back home.” Crime in Costa Rica is on the rise, especially if you are in San Jose. While Costa Rica is a safe country, and most crime is simple petty theft, local authorities aren’t as equipped as they are in first world countries, so you shouldn’t expect any miracles or justice if you are in an unfortunate situation. That’s just my take with over 20 years of living and traveling to Costa Rica.
Trip Cancellation is very real. Especially with the lower budget airlines that can cancel flights frequently. This is why I usually urge people to take a global carrier with multiple flights per day when visiting Costa Rica.
Adventure sports are abundant in Costa Rica. Zip lining, white water rafting, and much more. There’s always a possibility that you could get hurt, and international travelers should get a travel insurance plan that would cover any issues.
Travel Insurance – Conclusion
You have many options for travel insurance for Costa Rica, and for me, Costa Rica is a place that you’ll want to really enjoy with the peace of mind knowing that if you have a trip cancellation, or other unfortunate emergency, you won’t be flushing cash down the toilet, so to speak.
I’m currently doing research to help you find the top companies to offer comprehensive coverage, optional coverage, and more, so stay tuned and I’ll have every base covered when I’m comfortable offering those solutions.
For now, the best option for longer term (month or more) coverage is Safety Wing. They are the best for digital nomads, and I always recommend them as they are a very small fraction of your trip cost when you break it all down.
FAQS:
Is Travel Insurance Required to Visit Costa Rica?
No, travel insurance for Costa Rica is not mandatory. It provides a safety blanket insuring you in case of any emergency medical expenses and other unexpected items, such as trip cancellation.
