COVID-19
INFORMATION

Dear clients and tour operators:

We would like to summarize below what applies to enter and travel in Costa Rica from November 1st. In particular, note the point regarding uploading the insurance certificate:

Entry formalities

• Costa Rica warmly welcomes all nationalities again when entering via the airports SJO and LIR. The national borders with neighboring countries remain closed to tourists for the time being. A negative PCR test is NO LONGER REQUIRED.

• To enter Costa Rica, an online health form must be completed before departure. Proof of travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of USD 50,000 for medical costs in the event of illness from Covid-19, as well as coverage of USD 2,000 for any quarantine costs must be uploaded in this form.

• If the international travel health insurance does not cover the USD 2.000 for any quarantine costs, please contact us and we will find a solution for you.

• If the customer's insurance does not meet the required coverage for medical costs, the customer can buy a Costa Rican insurance under one of the following two links: https://cotiza.ins-cr.com/frmDatosIncluir.aspx?P=431or
  https://tiendasagicor.com/en/, and upload the receipt in the health form.

• At the end of the health form, a QR code is generated which the customer can save on his mobile phone or print out. This QR code must be presented upon entry.

• The health form must be presented upon check-in. Otherwise, some airlines refuse to board.

• Anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 before departure should not travel.

 
Safety while traveling

• Mask requirements at airports and during the entire flight.

• Costa Rica as a destination and ARA Tours as your incoming agent has received the Safe Travels seal of the World Travel & Tourism Council. This confirms that hygiene and health protocols are implemented and used.

• Mask requirement in Costa Rica in shops, bus stops, during bus rides, when entering/leaving restaurants, and all contacts where the minimum distance of 1.8 m cannot be kept.

• NO mask requirement in national parks, reserves, beaches, and public spaces if the minimum distance of 1.8m can be kept.

• Keeping the minimum distance of 1.8 m to people from other social bubbles.

• Regular disinfection of rooms, vehicles, luggage, tables, and all surfaces that are often touched by the service providers' staff.

• Facilities for hand washing or disinfection everywhere.

• Largely contactless service (check-in, menus as QR code, etc.)

• Excellent public and private health care (even at peak times in Costa Rica there was no medical collapse), ARA Tours works with an English-speaking doctor for our customers, e.g. for remote diagnosis.

• High hygiene standards and drinking water across the country.

Why you should visit Costa Rica?

• We are in the dry season until May.
• You mainly move outside in nature, there are hardly any crowds.
• 94% of the hotels in Costa Rica have less than 40 rooms and there are hardly any crowds either.
• Numerous great boutique hotels with top standard and availability!
• Rental car tours, a safe form of travel
• Traveling with a private driver / tour guide: on request and for a fee, we are happy to carry out a Covid test 72 hours before the start of the journey.
• Between the opening of the borders on August 1st and the end of October around 10,000 tourists have entered the country. To date, there is no known case of infection.
• Costa Rica looks like it did 30 years ago: You see a lot more animals, the national parks are poorly visited, the beaches are often deserted.
• English-speaking top tour guides are available. This has often not been the case in the past.

Sanitary measures to prevent the spread of COVID 19 by the Government of Costa Rica

Effective January 4^th -31rst, 2021

• Beaches are available from 5:00 to 18:00
• National Parks will be able to operate with a capacity of 50%.
• Bars and casinos will be able to operate with a capacity of 25%.

 Vehicle Restriction:

It is not be possible to circulate in the following schedule: Monday to Friday from 22:00 to 5:00. Saturday and Sunday from 21:00 to 5:00

Vehicles whose plate number ends in:

• Monday: 1 and 2
• Tuesday: 3 and 4
• Wednesdays: 5 and 6
• Thursdays: 7 and 8
• Friday: 9 and 0
• Saturday: 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 (odd)
• Sunday: 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 (even)

There is a list of exceptions in which vehicles that are required for different activities are not required to comply with the vehicle restriction measures.  Rental vehicles or "rent a car" are part of this list of exceptions as long as the appropriate proof of reservation is presented. 

The following airlines resume flights to Costa Rica:

• Iberia: MAD-SJO. Offers a flight on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. From January 2nd, 2021 it adds one more frequency on Saturdays.
• Lufthansa: FRA-SJO-FRA a flight on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Edelweiss: ZRH-SJO-ZRH from December 23rd, offers a flight on Thursdays once a week. From March 2021, flights will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from April flights will be on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Air France: Offers a flight on Saturdays. Since December 17th,  has increased the frequency of flights on Thursdays.
• KLM: Offers a flight on Thursdays and Saturdays to/from Amsterdam.
• British Airways: Resumes operations in 2021 to/from Gatwick
  Condor: not yet confirmed
  
  
  

Costa Rica and ARA Tours are ready to receive your guests under high security standards and with extremely personal attention. Write to us for your inquiries!

Stay healthy!

Your ARA Tours team