Travel Health Guide
Travel vaccinations for Costa Rica
From cloud forests to Caribbean coast, here's what UK travellers need before exploring Costa Rica's rainforests, volcanoes and beaches.
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What vaccinations do I need for Costa Rica?
For most UK travellers heading to Costa Rica, the core recommendations are hepatitis A and making sure your tetanus, diphtheria and polio cover is up to date. Depending on what you plan to do and where you'll go, typhoid, rabies, chikungunya or dengue immunisation may also be worth discussing. Costa Rica does not require yellow fever vaccination for travellers arriving directly from the UK, but if you are arriving from, or have recently passed through, a country where yellow fever is a risk, you may need to show a valid yellow fever certificate at the border.
These are general recommendations from TravelHealthPro (UKHSA/NaTHNaC) and your own needs may differ. The best approach is a short pre-travel consultation, where we look at your itinerary, your activities, your medical history and your vaccine record, then build a personalised plan. Costa Rica is a wonderful destination for eco and adventure travel, and a little planning means you can focus on the wildlife rather than the worry.
Yellow fever certificate
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Costa Rica?
There is no yellow fever risk within Costa Rica itself, and travellers arriving directly from the UK are not required to be vaccinated. The certificate question comes up because of where you have been before you arrive.
If you are travelling to Costa Rica from, or stopping over in, a country where yellow fever is a risk, the authorities may ask to see a valid yellow fever certificate on entry. This catches a lot of multi-country South and Central America itineraries. As a registered yellow fever centre, we can check your route, advise whether a certificate applies and issue one where it's needed, so do bring your full itinerary to your appointment.
Recommended immunisations
Costa Rica vaccine recommendations
Based on TravelHealthPro guidance for Costa Rica. Which of these you actually need depends on your itinerary and activities, so treat this as a starting point for your consultation rather than a fixed list.
Hepatitis A
Most travellers
Spread through contaminated food and water, which makes it a sensible precaution across Costa Rica, including rural and adventure routes.
Tetanus, Diphtheria & Polio
Most travellers
A single combined booster tops up all three at once, worth checking if you'll be hiking, surfing or anywhere cuts and grazes are likely.
Chikungunya
Some travellers
A mosquito-borne illness present in parts of the region, which we may discuss for some travellers depending on the season and your plans.
Dengue
Some travellers
Spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes; vaccination is considered for some travellers, so we'll talk through whether it suits you.
Rabies
Some travellers
Worth considering if you'll be around animals, in remote areas, or far from medical care, as Costa Rica's wildlife and bats can carry it.
Typhoid
Some travellers
Another food-and-water infection, often recommended for longer stays, rural travel or anyone with an adventurous appetite.
Mosquitoes
Malaria and mosquito bites in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a low-malaria destination. TravelHealthPro notes a low risk only in Limon Province, and not in the city of Limon itself, so for that area the advice is awareness of the risk and good bite avoidance rather than tablets for most travellers. We can talk through whether any antimalarial precautions apply to your specific route. The bigger day-to-day concern is the mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya, and these bite during the day as well as at night, so bite avoidance matters everywhere you go.
- Low malaria risk, limited to Limon Province and not the city of Limon
- Use an effective insect repellent on exposed skin, day and evening
- Cover up with loose, long-sleeved clothing where you can
- Mosquito nets and screened or air-conditioned rooms help overnight
Eco and adventure travel
Staying well on the trails and coast
Costa Rica rewards the active traveller, from zip-lining over Monteverde's cloud forest to surfing the Pacific and exploring national parks. A few of these activities raise the questions we cover in a consultation. Spending time around wildlife or in remote areas can make rabies worth a thought, and being far from a clinic changes how you'd handle an animal bite or scratch. Hiking and water sports make a tetanus top-up sensible. If your route climbs to higher altitude around the volcanoes, take it gradually and give yourself time to acclimatise.
- Carry a small first-aid kit and know where the nearest clinic is
- Wash or clean any animal bite or scratch straight away and seek advice
- Drink safe water and be food-aware on longer rural trips
- Ascend gradually if your itinerary reaches higher ground
FAQ
Costa Rica travel health: common questions
Ready for Costa Rica? Let's get you protected
Book a pre-travel consultation at our Altrincham Travel Clinic in Timperley, serving Manchester, Trafford and South Manchester. We'll review your itinerary, give you a personalised plan grounded in the latest TravelHealthPro guidance and, as a registered yellow fever centre, advise on certificates where they apply.