Insurance Option to Enter Or Stay in Costa Rica for Long-Term Renters

UPDATE: Costa Rica’s Immigration department has just announced one last extension for tourists who entered the country between December 18, 2019, and November 30, 2020, their visa will now be extended until June 02, 2021. To take advantage of this extension you must send proof of insurance (the same coverage minimums as the entry requirement) to seguros@ict.go.cr. 

If you’re a long-term renter or homeowner in Costa Rica and are entering the country OR taking advantage of the latest tourist visa extension, you can show proof of long-term housing as an alternative to the $2,000 quarantine lodging requirement. Instead of that coverage, you can submit your rental contract or proof of home ownership on the Health Pass, or when you are emailing insurance coverage to seguros@ict.go.cr for the tourist visa extension.

This means you have a lot more options for your medical coverage, as you can choose any company that meets the “coverage for medical expenses in cases of pandemic disease COVID 19 in Costa Rica, for at least US $50,000” requirement. I highly recommend SafetyWing, and have already had this approved after submitting to seguros@ict.go.cr. I have used this medical and travel insurance since before COVID, and am happy that they cover COVID-19 and the Costa Rica medical insurance requirements. This emergency travel and medical insurance is affordable (If you are 18- 39 years old your policy is only $40 per 4 weeks) and easy to sign up for.

If you’re ready to try SafetyWing, just follow the 4 steps below to get your Costa Rica approved visa letter.

1. Head over to the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: Travel and Medical Insurance page.

2. Click Sign Up, and begin the simple process, making sure to purchase your plan for Specific Travel Dates, so that your visa letter will reflect your full stay. (Most likely you’ll be choosing the 90 days starting from the date of entry, to match your maximum tourist visa length. You MUST be insured for the full 90 days to get your 90 day stamp from immigration.)

*** If you already have SafetyWing and are on the monthly subscription plan, you can contact them via chat or email and ask to extend coverage for the time you need. You will be billed for that entire time at once instead of monthly, but you will have the proper proof of medical insurance to enter Costa Rica. ***

3. Once you have your policy, you’ll need to create your account on Tokio Marine HHC’s client zone. This is where you’ll file claims as well, so it’s best to have this account set up and ready to use anyway.

4. When logged in to your Tokio Marine HHC’s client zone, on the top menu, click “Policy” and then “Visa Letter” and it will automatically download as a PDF.

Your visa letter should look like this:

You will need to have this visa letter and your rental contract or proof of home ownership available to upload to Health Pass prior to entry, or send these both to seguros@ict.go.cr to be able to stay legally under the new extension. Full instructions and requirements for entry to Costa Rica can be found here.

NOTE: I am not an insurance broker or insurance expert, have no affiliation with the Costa Rica Board of Tourism, and cannot guarantee your entry using the above recommendations. I am just sharing the information I have that has worked for me, to hopefully help others in a similar situation here in Costa Rica who have long-term rentals. Other medical insurance could work as well, in combination with a rental contract. I am a SafetyWing affiliate because I have been using their Nomad Insurance for Travel and Medical Insurance since before the pandemic and am very happy with their customer service, pricing, coverage and ease of filing claims.