Why is Costa Rica checking Covid results when leaving Costa Rica to Nicaragua?
Costa Rica does not want to “stamp you out” and send you up to the Nicaraguan border entry point (several hundred meters up the road) if you will not be permitted to enter Nicaragua because you don’t have a valid negative Covid test on you.
They are trying to avoid the gathering of people at the border area (as they have experienced before) which could cause “a new source of contagion at the border posts” and also to “protect those living and working in the area, including Migración staff”.
As a result, Costa Rica Migración has effectively established a first check point on their side of the border where they will ensure all those leaving Costa Rica to Nicaragua by land, sea, river or air to ensure they have their valid proof of a negative COVID-19 test carried out within the previous 72 hours.
This applies to Costa Ricans and foreigners intending to travel to Nicaragua. People who do not comply with this requirement will not be authorized to leave the country by the Costa Rican immigration authorities.
As well, Costa Rican authorities urge public and private transport operators heading to the border to require people intending to travel to Nicaragua to have their negative COVID-19 test on them, so as not to create unnecessary crowds at border posts in the north of the national territory.
Who needs to know this?
- More visitors to Nicaragua are flying into Costa Rica and then crossing the border to Nicaragua. They may wonder why Costa Rica Migración is asking them for their test results when they are required for entering Nicaragua.
- Also, those visitors in Nicaragua that are starting to make border crossings to Cost Rica in order to obtain a 90 day stay upon return to Nicaragua. Some are getting their Covid test before they leave Nicaragua; others are getting them in Costa Rica.
Either way, Costa Rica is checking Covid tests for those travelling to Nicaragua, so you can expect to be asked to produce the test result at some point on the Costa Rica side.
See also: Costa Rica Health Pass – On Line Form; Pase de Salud
