UK FCDO
Level 1Latest FCDO travel advice for Costa Rica. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
Updated: May 19, 2026
Source
Last update: May 20, 2026
Updated dailyCosta Rica
8 8.2 out of 10
Safety Score
Yes, safe to travel
+0.0 vs 7 days ago
Last updated: May 20, 2026 77% data coverage
Costa Rica has a safety score of 8.2/10 as of May 20, 2026, rated as Low risk. The biggest concern is environment (6.1/10), while the strongest area is crime (9.4/10). This score is calculated daily from 9+ independent public sources.
Costa Rica has a travel safety score of 8.2/10, ranking 64th out of 248 countries globally. This classifies it as a Low risk destination. The strongest category is Crime (9.4/10) while the main area of concern is Environment (6.1/10). Data is sourced from 9+ public databases and government advisories, updated daily.
What are the safety risk areas?
Environment 6.1/10 When a pillar has low data coverage, its contribution to the overall score is reduced or excluded.
Conflict 7.6/10 When a pillar has low data coverage, its contribution to the overall score is reduced or excluded.
Health 8.0/10
Governance 8.1/10
Crime 9.4/10
What do governments say?
Sources (15)
How does Costa Rica compare to nearby countries?
| Country | Score | Conflict | Crime | Health | Governance | Environment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 8.4 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 4.2 |
| Costa Rica | 8.2 | 7.6 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 6.1 |
| Chile | 8.1 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.2 |
| Uruguay | 7.9 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 6.7 |
| Jamaica | 7.8 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 7.8 |
How has the safety score changed over time?
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How does Costa Rica compare to nearby countries?
Related Countries
In the same region
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to travel to Costa Rica in 2026?
Costa Rica has a safety score of 8.2/10, classified as Low risk.
This score is updated daily using data from 9+ public sources including government advisories, health data, and conflict indicators.
What is the biggest risk when traveling to Costa Rica?
The area of greatest concern for Costa Rica is environment, with a score of 6.1/10.
Travelers should pay particular attention to this aspect when planning their trip. Check the full pillar breakdown on this page for detailed insights.
Do I need travel insurance for Costa Rica?
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any international trip, including visits to Costa Rica. A comprehensive policy should cover medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and evacuation.
This is especially important given that health-related risks can change rapidly.
Where does the data come from?
- advisoriesFresh
Travel advisories from 37 governments worldwide including US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Slovakia, France, New Zealand, Ireland, Finland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Austria, Philippines, Belgium, Denmark, Singapore, Romania, Serbia, Estonia, Croatia, Argentina, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- advisories_tier1Fresh
advisories_tier1
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- advisories_tier2aFresh
advisories_tier2a
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- advisories_tier2bFresh
advisories_tier2b
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- advisories_tier3aFresh
advisories_tier3a
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- gpiFresh
Global Peace Index -- annual peacefulness ranking by IEP
Fetched: May 19, 2026
- informFresh
INFORM Risk Index -- hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and coping capacity
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- vdemFresh
V-Dem Institute Country-Year Dataset v16 (CC-BY-SA 4.0) -- Rule of Law, Political Corruption, and Public Administration indices (Coppedge et al., DOI 10.23696/vdemds26)
Fetched: May 20, 2026
- worldbankFresh
World Bank Development Indicators -- child mortality and PM2.5 air pollution
Fetched: May 20, 2026
What are the safety risk areas? — Detail
Environment 6.1/10 When a pillar has low data coverage, its contribution to the overall score is reduced or excluded. · Moderate · Coverage: 40%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| inform natural | 4.6/10 | inform | 2026 |
| inform climate | 7.6/10 | inform | 2026 |
Conflict 7.6/10 When a pillar has low data coverage, its contribution to the overall score is reduced or excluded. · Low · Coverage: 45%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| advisory level us | 6.7/10 | advisories_us | 2026 |
| advisory level uk | 10.0/10 | advisories_uk | 2026 |
| advisory level ca | 6.7/10 | advisories_ca | 2026 |
| advisory level au | 6.7/10 | advisories_au | 2026 |
| advisory level de | 10.0/10 | advisories_de | 2026 |
| advisory level nl | 6.7/10 | advisories_nl | 2026 |
| advisory level jp | 0.0/10 | advisories_jp | 2026 |
| advisory level at | 6.7/10 | advisories_at | 2026 |
| advisory level nz | 6.7/10 | advisories_nz | 2026 |
| advisory level ie | 10.0/10 | advisories_ie | 2026 |
| advisory level be | 10.0/10 | advisories_be | 2026 |
| advisory level dk | 10.0/10 | advisories_dk | 2026 |
| advisory level rs | 3.3/10 | advisories_rs | 2026 |
| advisory level ee | 10.0/10 | advisories_ee | 2026 |
| advisory level it | 10.0/10 | advisories_it | 2026 |
| gpi overall | 7.6/10 | gpi | 2023 |
| gpi safety security | 6.9/10 | gpi | 2023 |
| gpi militarisation | 8.5/10 | gpi | 2023 |
Health 8.0/10 · Low · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| inform epidemic | 4.6/10 | inform | 2026 |
| inform health | 9.6/10 | inform | 2026 |
| wb child mortality | 9.5/10 | worldbank | 2024 |
Governance 8.1/10 · Low · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| inform governance | 7.5/10 | inform | 2026 |
| vdem corruption control | 7.9/10 | vdem | 2025 |
| vdem gov effectiveness | 8.8/10 | vdem | 2025 |
Crime 9.4/10 · Low · Coverage: 100%
| Indicators | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| vdem rule of law | 9.4/10 | vdem | 2025 |