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Travel safety profile · Latin America & the Caribbean

Is Costa Rica Safe to Visit in 2026?

30 / 100

Exercise Awareness

Pura vida culture is welcoming. Petty crime in San Jose. Amazing biodiversity. Reviewed 24 April 2026 How we score

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What Warnely Is Tracking

Real-time incidents pulled from the Warnely pipeline. The dashboard renders a richer feed.

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Official Travel Advisories

UK FCDO

No travel restrictions

No advisory against travel.

View full advisory →

US State Department

Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime.

View full advisory →

Costa Rica compared to your home country

Costa Rica's composite Warnely risk score is 30/100 (Moderate Risk). Here is how that compares to common home countries for English-speaking travellers. Append ?home=GB (or US, AU, CA, DE) to the URL to pin your home.

United Kingdom 22/100

Costa Rica is slightly riskier than United Kingdom (1.4× riskier on the Warnely index).

United States 35/100

Costa Rica is slightly safer than United States.

Australia 14/100

Costa Rica is noticeably riskier than Australia (2.1× riskier on the Warnely index).

Canada 15/100

Costa Rica is noticeably riskier than Canada (2.0× riskier on the Warnely index).

Germany 20/100

Costa Rica is slightly riskier than Germany (1.5× riskier on the Warnely index).

Lower scores are safer. Each home country's score is its own composite on the same 0-100 scale. See methodology.

Regional breakdown

Costa Rica sits at 30/100 as a country-level composite. Specific regions vary. Each card links to the regional safety page.

San José Caution

Capital; gritty downtown with petty crime. Most travellers transit through quickly.

Manuel Antonio & Quepos Generally safe

National park, beaches, monkeys.

Arenal & La Fortuna Generally safe

Volcano, hot springs, ziplining. Adventure capital.

Monteverde Generally safe

Cloud forest reserve. Mountain roads narrow.

Nicoya & Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Nosara) Generally safe

Pacific beaches, surf.

Caribbean Coast (Puerto Viejo) Generally safe

Afro-Caribbean culture, surfing. Petty crime higher than Pacific.

Corcovado & Osa Peninsula Generally safe

Most biodiverse area on earth. Tour-organised travel only.

Risk Breakdown

This is the static baseline rating across six dimensions. The Warnely dashboard adds a live 30-day signal alongside.

Crime3/5

Petty theft from cars and beaches. San Jose has higher crime. Tourist areas generally safe.

Natural Disasters3/5

Earthquake zone. Volcanic activity (Arenal, Poas). Hurricane risk on Caribbean coast.

Health2/5

Good healthcare system. Dengue risk. Safe water in most areas.

Terrorism1/5

No significant threat.

Civil Unrest1/5

Very stable democracy. Occasional peaceful protests.

Infrastructure2/5

Roads can be rough outside highways. 4WD needed for some areas. Domestic flights avoid long drives.

Quick Facts

Plug type	A/B
Voltage	120V/60Hz
Time zone	UTC-6
Driving side	Right
Tap water	Caution

Essential Phrases Spanish

Hello	Hola OH-lah
Thank you	Gracias GRAH-thyas (Spain) / GRAH-syas (LatAm)
Yes / No	Sí / No SEE / NOH
Sorry / Excuse me	Perdón pehr-DOHN
Help!	¡Ayuda! ah-YOO-dah

Visa & Entry

Type	Visa-free
Length	180 days
Cost	Free

Visa-free 6 months for US/UK/EU/Canada/Australia/NZ. Onward ticket required.

Verify on IATA Travel Centre →

Summary: Most nationalities get 90-day visa-free entry.

Passport: Valid for duration of stay.

Customs: 500g tobacco, 5L alcohol.

Prohibited: Wildlife product export restricted. Drug laws strict.

Practical Tips

Don't leave anything visible in parked cars – break-ins common at beaches
4WD essential for Osa Peninsula and many national parks
Pack for all weather – microclimates change quickly
Book zip-lines and adventure tours through reputable operators
Bring insect repellent – mosquitoes are fierce in rainforest areas

Common Scams & Practical Risks

Rental car insurance pressure: Mandatory minimum insurance plus "upselling" of additional coverage. Read carefully; book through reputable agencies.
Beach valuables theft: Don't leave valuables on beaches – Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo notorious.
Roadside "helpful" flat-tyre scams: Some criminals puncture tyres at gas stations and offer help; rob you. Drive to a safe location before stopping.

Solo & Women’s Safety

Solo Travellers

Costa Rica is Latin America's easiest solo travel destination. Pura vida culture is welcoming. Well-established eco-tourism infrastructure. English more widely spoken than elsewhere in Central America. Safe for solo women with standard precautions.

Women’s Safety Generally Safe

Generally safe. Catcalling occurs but rarely threatening. Eco-lodges and tourist areas very safe.

LGBTQ+ Travellers

Legal status	Marriage equality
Social climate	Accepting

Same-sex marriage since 2020 – first in Central America. San José and Pacific coast accepting; Catholic conservatism in interior.

Verify current law on Equaldex →

Drug Laws

Severity	Strict
Cannabis	Illegal

Personal use decriminalised in practice but possession technically illegal. Treatment-focused approach. Other drugs strict.

Verify on UK FCDO →

Emergency Numbers

police

911

ambulance

911

fire

911

tourist

1192

If you decide to travel to Costa Rica

A practical checklist that applies to any trip. Each item links to the part of this guide where the specifics live.

1

Check the live advisory Read the UK FCDO and US State Department pages within a week of departure. Advisories change. View current FCDO advisory →
2

Register your trip US citizens: enrol with STEP. UK citizens: register your itinerary with the nearest British embassy. Both enable consular contact in an emergency.
3

Save the local emergency numbers Police: 911. Ambulance: 911. Pin them in your phone's emergency-contacts screen so they're reachable from a locked phone.
4

Insurance with medical evacuation Travel insurance with a medical-evacuation limit of £10m or more. Cheap policies usually exclude or cap medevac, the single most expensive thing that goes wrong abroad. See the medevac entry in the glossary for what to check.
5

Confirm vaccinations and prescriptions Visit a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for any routine vaccinations and country-specific recommendations. Check any prescription medication against the destination's import rules.
6

Set up a check-in routine before you go Agree a daily or every-other-day check-in time with a contact at home, plus a fallback channel if your primary one fails (WhatsApp goes down in countries that block it). The family communication plan covers the specifics.

Find every foreign embassy and consulate in Costa Rica in the Warnely embassy directory →

Medical evacuation cost (pre-insurance)

Costa Rica sits in Band B on Warnely's medevac cost dataset. The figures below are typical pre-insurance ranges in USD, calibrated against published bands from Global Rescue, MedJet, Allianz, and insurance-industry whitepapers.

Regional air ambulance

Typical $20,000 to $60,000

Air ambulance to a regional Western or strong-regional hub is usually achievable in one or two legs. Most major tourist destinations sit in this band.

For the full methodology, the four-band table, and the downloadable CSV, see /methodology/medevac. Sanity-check your travel insurance limit against the high end of this band before booking.

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Data version v2 · Last reviewed 24 April 2026 · Next review by 21 October 2026 · methodology · Found something out of date? Tell us.

Common questions about Costa Rica

Is Costa Rica safe for tourists in 2026?

Pura vida culture is welcoming. Petty crime in San Jose. Amazing biodiversity. Warnely's overall safety assessment for Costa Rica is Moderate Risk (30/100), exercise awareness. Always check the latest UK FCDO and US State Department advisories before booking.

What's the crime risk in Costa Rica?

Petty theft from cars and beaches. San Jose has higher crime. Tourist areas generally safe. Crime category score: 3/5 (moderate).

Are there health risks travelling to Costa Rica?

Good healthcare system. Dengue risk. Safe water in most areas. Health category score: 2/5. Consult a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for recommended vaccinations.

Is Costa Rica safe for solo female travellers?

Generally Safe. Generally safe. Catcalling occurs but rarely threatening. Eco-lodges and tourist areas very safe.

When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

Dry Season (Dec-Apr). Sunny, warm. Peak tourist season; book in advance.

What are the drug laws in Costa Rica?

Drug penalties: Strict. Cannabis: Illegal. Personal use decriminalised in practice but possession technically illegal. Treatment-focused approach. Other drugs strict.

Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?

Visa-free. Stay length: 180 days. Visa-free 6 months for US/UK/EU/Canada/Australia/NZ. Onward ticket required.

Which regions of Costa Rica are safest to visit?

Generally safer regions include San José, Manuel Antonio & Quepos, Arenal & La Fortuna, Monteverde. See the regional breakdown for current safety guidance on each area.

Is the tap water safe to drink in Costa Rica?

Tap water in Costa Rica is safe in major cities and resorts but exercise caution elsewhere. Most travellers should stick to bottled or filtered water for cooking, drinking and ice.

What do governments say about travel to Costa Rica?

UK FCDO: No travel restrictions. US State Dept: Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisories on the relevant government sites – links are inside the Official Travel Advisories section above.