Travel Risk Report: Costa Rica

You can travel to all areas of the country, but we recommend you familiarise yourself with the advice we have given you in this travel risk report. Although there are no major concerns of terrorism or conflict within Costa Rica, there are a number of recent incidents you should be aware of concerning traveller safety. Costa Rica is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and there has been a recent eruption of the Turriabla volcano in Cargo. 

Petty street crime is the main security risk, particularly in San José, as well as the provinces of Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago and coastal areas of Limon province. Travellers have occasionally been the victims of violent crime, including murder, assaults, robberies, and carjackings. Express kidnappings, (the short-term abduction of people with the objective of having them withdraw money from an ATM or taking their valuables) have also occurred. Demonstrations in Costa Rica occur in San José and other parts of the country on occasion and are generally peaceful. The kidnapping threat is mostly limited to the Nicaraguan border, in the provinces of Heredia and Alajuela, where policing is weak and Nicaragua-based criminal gangs and local vigilante criminal gangs are active.  Recently there have been increased arrests within drug trafficking across the region. 

Medical facilities are of a good standard in San José and adequate outside the capital but due to risks posed by Zika virus, pregnant women should reconsider their need to travel to the country and seek medical advice. 

Please be aware this Travel Risk Report is a brief overview and our advice would be to thoroughly research your destination prior to travel. Our travel risk department can provide country reports, travel risk summaries, advice and support to help mitigate risk further.