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Costa Rica's borders officially reopen on August 1

Morpho Evasions Costa Rica is proud to announce the reopening of Costa Rica's borders from 1^er August 2020. Costa Rica's new Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura Sancho, yesterday (23/07/2020) presented the official protocol for the reopening of borders to foreign travelers.

What are the new entry requirements for Costa Rica?

The main requirement is tohealth order : Tourists must undergo a test RT-PCR (virological) and obtain a negative result within 48 hours of travel. If you live in France, the list of centers that can perform this test can be consulted on this site: https://sante.fr/

The official French government website announces:

These virological tests (RT-PCR) are possible:

• on medical prescription, to people with symptoms of(including breathing difficulties, fever, cough, unusual fatigue, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, loss of taste or smell);
• without prescription, to people identified as having been in contact, with a high risk of transmission, with a positive test person. You will then be contacted by the Assurance Maladie, who will ask you to remain in "preventive quarantine" and tell you when to have your test (immediately if you live in the same household as the infected person, or 7 days after your last contact with this person, if you do not live with them). You will then need to make an appointment for a medical examination. No medical prescription is required;
• to certain target groups as part of specific screening campaigns : frail people, residents of collective accommodation structures and staff working in these structures in the event of a first confirmed case within the structure, territories identified as vulnerable due to their density or distance from access to care.

For more information on how to get tested: https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/tests-et-depistage

The official press release from ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Institute)

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute puts it this way:

Thursday, July 23, 2020. A gradual revival of the tourism industry, while safeguarding health measures, is the aim of the opening to international commercial flights from the European Union from August 1. Travelers boarding in Frankfurt, Germany and Madrid, Spain, will be the first to be received at Juan Santamaría International Airport after meeting a series of requirements. Travel from the UK and Canada will also be permitted in the coming months. To allow tourists to enter the country, a negative test result is required. RT- PCR is mandatory within 48 hours Fill in the Costa Rican Social Security Fund's digital epidemiological form, which will be activated in different languages, and take out travel insurance to cover accommodation in the event of quarantine and medical expenses in the event of acute illness. The epidemiological form is available here. Should a tourist fail to comply with these requirements, he or she will not be allowed to embark for national soil. "The resumption of the sector will be done with the utmost caution and in compliance with strict sanitary protocols, always with the supreme conviction of ensuring the health and lives of people," said President Carlos Alvarado.

The arrival of Juan Santamaria and Daniel Oduber in the international aeroprots.

When landing on Costa Rican soil, travelers must wear face protection and comply with strict terminal protocol, respecting physical distance, carpet disinfection, taking temperature and following any other sanitary instructions. More information on health protocols at Juan Santamaria and Daniel Odubon international airports: Airport sanitation protocols "This first stage of opening up to international flights includes less than 1% of the volume of flights the country received before the COVID-19 pandemic (552 per week)," said Health Minister Daniel Salas. The entry of foreign tourists was suspended on March 18. "We are taking very gradual and carefully analyzed measures to revitalize the economy, which is very necessary to protect the economic fabric and jobs. We need to give this signal of the reopening of commercial flights to reactivate the tourism sector, and we insist that in order to continue working in this line, it is important to respect health protocols, a task that must be accompanied by the responsibility of businessmen, employees, customers and tourists", declared Gustavo Segura, Minister of Tourism. The inclusion of additional routes will be modified according to the evolution of the pandemic in our country and worldwide. For the time being, all airport and migration protocols will be tested.  

More authorized tourist activities

Minister Segura said that from August 1, visiting hours at beaches in yellow alert zones will be extended from 5:00 am to 2:30 pm, allowing surfing. On August 1, the operation of circuits with outdoor activities will be activated, including hiking, trekking, canopy tours, cable cars, rafting, water recreation and aerial recreation, all in strict compliance with health protocols. To confirm that health measures are being complied with, the ICT has set up the COVID-19 Institutional Protocol Verification Brigade in collaboration with its regional headquarters. In addition to the above, to promote domestic tourism, the first phase of the Let's Go Turistear (TVA) strategy is being launched this Thursday, using the motivational message Ready to See You Again! This material seeks to visualize the responsible way in which ICT and the private sector have worked over recent months in drafting 16 health protocols to ensure a safe journey for domestic tourists, who account for 20% of the country's total tourism. In addition, the first special offers will be included on www.vamosaturistear.com with promotions, added value and rate reductions of at least 25%, by participating companies across the country.

An innovative promotional campaign

The Let's Go Turistear campaign goes hand in hand with two participation agreements between ICT and the Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC) and ICT and the Chamber of Banks and Financial Institutions of Costa Rica so that their affiliated banks can offer their customers discounts. In addition, the ICT has signed two agreements with the Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC) and the ICT and Costa Rica's Chamber of Banks and Financial Institutions, enabling their affiliated banks to offer their customers discounts, points redemption or differentiated payments, so that the end consumer has economical options for vacations, as well as different financial instruments and service platforms at their fingertips. "The financial system is key to overcoming the crisis caused by COVID-19. On the one hand, we have worked on loan adjustments for over 8 million euros, equivalent to 22% of national production and 35% of total credit; hotel and catering, transport, tourism-related activities have undergone readjustments of over 50% of the portfolio. Working capital and financial products tailored to specific sectors were also made available. At present, ABC and the Economic Council have described interest-free financing of up to 12 months for consumption in domestic tourism with credit cards from all issuers", explained María del Pilar Garrido Gonzalo, Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy and Coordinator of the Government's Economic Council. The announcement was made in the company of ABC representative Álvaro Saborío.

International recognition

The country succeeded in receiving the label Safe Travels by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)Thanks to the implementation of 16 health protocols for tourism activities. "To obtain the seal, we had to send the protocols to the WTTC for review, they approved them and now comes a third step with the process of sublicensing Costa Rican tourism businesses and promoting the use of the seal. The success of the seal requires that all small, medium and large businesses, as well as employees and tourists, comply with the health measures against the pandemic," said Segura. Costa Rica joins Aruba, Portugal, Dubai, Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine and the Spanish cities of Seville and Benidorm as sites with the Safe Travels seal.  

Let's take a look at the measures announced

To summarize this press release, we can mention the following points:

• European and Canadian travellers are allowed to enter Costa Rican territory.
• A virological RT-PCR screening test is required. with a negative result submitted 48 hours before the departure flight.
• The obligation to carry for each traveler travel insurance covering accommodation and medical expenses in the event of detection of covid-19 during the stay.
• Wearing mask mandatory at the airport and in enclosed areas.
• Submitting the epidemiological form of Costa Rican social security.