Costa Rica’s reopening begins with travellers from EU, UK and Canada

i By August 3, 2020 No Comments

Costa Rica’s reopening to international travellers has begun.

Flights from Frankfurt, Germany and Madrid, Spain will be the first to touch down at Juan Santamaria International Airport.  They will be followed in the coming months by flights from the United Kingdom and Canada, once carriers in those countries have resumed service to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica’s tourism board reports that as of August 1, 2020, the country’s three international airports (Juan Santamaria, Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport and Tobías Bolaños Airport) were authorized to accept flights from three regions: The European Union, Schengen Zone; the United Kingdom; and Canada. Passengers on the flights must be citizens and residents of one of the three regions. They must also comply with the following requirements before boarding the plane for Costa Rica.

  1. Have taken the COVID-19 PCR diagnostic test and obtained a negative result within 48 hours of travel to Costa Rica.
  2. Have mandatory travel insurance, covering lodging in the event of being quarantined and medical expenses due to acute illness.
  3. Fill out the epidemiological digital form on the Costa Rican Ministry of Health’s website.

Passengers who do not comply with these requirements will not be allowed to board the flight.

Upon landing in Costa Rica, travellers must wear face coverings and comply with the strict protocols at the air terminals with regard to physical distancing, disinfection of carpets, and taking temperature readings. During their stay in the country, travellers must follow all local health protocols, including wearing a mask or face shield in nearly all indoor circumstances.

President Carlos Alvarado said the protocols for Costa Rica’s reopening have been established “with care, with precaution, but also with the commitment to give support to the [tourism] sector.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Costa Rica closed its borders to international travellers on March 18, 2020. Since that time, it has allowed only citizens and residents (with some exceptions) to enter the country.

Last week on The Incentivist, Premio DMC Costa Rica‘s business unit manager, Janick Wagemans, revealed some of the things she’s looking forward to sharing with planners when Costa Rica reopens.