Illustration of a globe, passport and aeroplane, representing travel vaccinations

What vaccinations do I need for Costa Rica?

ByZain Rajabali

Costa Rica is one of the easier Latin American trips from a travel health point of view. Most people need only a couple of vaccines, and the malaria risk is low. The thing that catches people out is the yellow fever certificate rule, which depends on where you’ve come from rather than on Costa Rica itself.

This guide is based on the UK’s official travel health advice from TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). It’s general information: which vaccines are right for you is decided at a travel consultation, based on your plans and health.

The short answer

  • Recommended for most travellers: hepatitis A, tetanus.
  • Some travellers, depending on your plans: typhoid, rabies, chikungunya.
  • Yellow fever certificate: there’s no yellow fever in Costa Rica, but you need a certificate if you’re arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. Flying direct from the UK, you don’t need one.
  • Malaria: low risk in Limón Province and very low risk elsewhere. Malaria tablets usually aren’t needed.
  • Book 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Some vaccines need more than one dose. If you’re short of time, it’s still worth coming in.
  • Get them in Oxford: our Oxford travel clinic runs at all four MediPill branches. Book a travel consultation ahead with no extra fee, or walk in on the day (£25 same-day express fee).

Vaccines recommended for most travellers to Costa Rica

TravelHealthPro recommends these for most travellers:

Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food and water. TravelHealthPro recommends it for all previously unvaccinated travellers, because it’s well tolerated and gives long-lasting protection. £80 per dose with us, or free from your GP surgery.

Tetanus is everywhere, in soil and manure, and gets in through wounds. You should have completed the UK course. TravelHealthPro advises a booster if your last dose was more than 10 years ago and you’re going somewhere medical care may be limited. It’s given as a combined tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50 with us, or free from your GP surgery.

All travellers should also be up to date with their routine UK vaccines.

Vaccines some travellers need

These depend on what you’ll be doing, where you’ll stay and for how long:

  • Typhoid (£55, or free from your GP) – typhoid occurs in Costa Rica. The vaccine is considered for people at higher risk: those visiting friends and relatives, staying longer or travelling often, or going where food and water hygiene may be poor.
  • Rabies (£90 per dose, £270 for the course) – rabies is a risk in Costa Rica, and bats may also carry rabies-like viruses. The vaccine is recommended for people who’ll be far from medical care, doing higher-risk activities like running or cycling, working with animals, or staying more than a month.
  • Chikungunya (£185) – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes. Considered if there’s a current outbreak, or for long-term or frequent travellers. In July 2026, TravelHealthPro reported an outbreak around Playa Langosta and the Guanacaste coast, including the Santa Cruz area, so check the latest before you go.

Dengue is also a risk in Costa Rica, and all four types of the dengue virus were reported there in 2025. It’s spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day, especially in and around towns, so avoiding bites is the protection.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Costa Rica?

There’s no risk of yellow fever in Costa Rica itself, and you don’t need the vaccine for the country. But Costa Rica has a certificate rule. According to TravelHealthPro, you need proof of yellow fever vaccination if you’re aged 9 months or over and arriving from:

  • a country with a risk of yellow fever (except Argentina and Panama), or
  • Rwanda, Tanzania or Zambia, which Costa Rica adds to the list.

If you only passed through an airport in a risk country and stayed within the international transit area, you don’t need one.

This matters if Costa Rica is part of a bigger trip. Brazil and Peru, for example, both have yellow fever risk areas, according to TravelHealthPro. If you’re flying in from one of them, or from a safari in Tanzania, plan your certificate before you go. If you need the vaccine, it’s £85 with us and you get your certificate the same day. It’s valid for life.

Do I need malaria tablets for Costa Rica?

Usually not. According to TravelHealthPro:

  • Low risk in Limón Province, but not in the city of Limón (Puerto Limón) itself.
  • Very low risk in the rest of the country, including Puerto Limón.

For both, TravelHealthPro advises being aware of the risk and avoiding mosquito bites rather than taking tablets. In the low-risk area, tablets may be considered in exceptional cases for people at higher risk, such as long-term travellers visiting friends and relatives, people over 70, pregnant women, young children, or people with a weakened immune system or no working spleen.

Wherever you go, avoid mosquito bites: cover up, use insect repellent, and sleep under a net or in screened rooms where needed. If you do need tablets, a pharmacist can supply them at your consultation. See our malaria tablets page.

Other health risks in Costa Rica

Insect bites. As well as dengue and chikungunya, TravelHealthPro lists Zika, and insect-borne diseases such as Chagas disease and leishmaniasis in parts of Central America. Avoid bites day and night, using the TravelHealthPro bite avoidance advice. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to your midwife, GP or us before you book, because of Zika.

Altitude. Costa Rica has mountains above 2,500 metres, where altitude illness is possible. If you plan to climb, read TravelHealthPro’s altitude illness guidance.

Your medicines. GOV.UK says UK prescriptions can’t be used in Costa Rica, so plan your supply of regular medicines before you go.

Healthcare and insurance. GOV.UK says medical care is generally of a high standard, but only initial emergency treatment is free for visitors, and anything after that is charged. Ambulance services in remote areas can vary. Make sure your travel insurance covers treatment and repatriation. The emergency number is 911.

Who should get extra advice first

Travel vaccines aren’t right for everyone. The NHS says a vaccine may not be suitable if you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine or one of its ingredients before. At your consultation, tell us if you’re pregnant, have a weakened immune system or any long-term condition, and bring a list of your medicines. Don’t have a vaccine while you’re unwell with a high temperature. TravelHealthPro notes that the yellow fever vaccine in particular is not suitable for all travellers, so if you need a certificate we check your health carefully first.

When to get medical help

  • Fever during or after your trip. If you get a high temperature or other malaria symptoms within a year of visiting a malaria risk area, ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111, and tell them where you’ve been. If you’re still abroad, get medical help straight away.
  • Animal bites or scratches. Wash the wound thoroughly and get urgent medical help locally the same day, even if it looks minor.

How far ahead should I book?

The NHS and TravelHealthPro both advise seeing a travel health professional at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Our guide to how long travel vaccines last explains how far ahead each vaccine needs.

What’s free on the NHS, and what it costs with us

The NHS says hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio (as part of the tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster) are free from your GP surgery after a risk assessment. Rabies and yellow fever aren’t routinely available on the NHS, so you pay for them wherever you go.

Prices at MediPill:

  • Travel consultation: £10
  • Hepatitis A: £80 per dose
  • Tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50
  • Typhoid: £55
  • Rabies: £90 per dose (£270 for the course)
  • Chikungunya: £185
  • Yellow fever: £85, with your certificate the same day

Common questions

Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Costa Rica? Not for Costa Rica itself. You only need proof of vaccination if you’re arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, or from Rwanda, Tanzania or Zambia. Check your whole route, including where you’re travelling from.

Do I need malaria tablets for Costa Rica? Usually not. TravelHealthPro rates Limón Province as low risk and the rest of the country as very low risk, and recommends bite avoidance for most travellers.

What if I’m travelling in less than 2 weeks? Come in anyway. Several vaccines can still be given, and some have faster schedules.

Where can I check the latest advice? Outbreaks and advice change, so check the TravelHealthPro page for Costa Rica and the GOV.UK travel advice for Costa Rica before you travel.

Travel vaccinations in Oxford

All four MediPill branches run a full travel clinic, and all four are registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres. Book a £10 consultation, or walk in same day (£25 express fee).

See every vaccine and price on our Oxford travel clinic, or book a travel health consultation.

More destination guides

Sources

  1. Costa Rica – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/costa-rica (latest dated update on page 22 July 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  2. Costa Rica travel advice: Health – GOV.UK (FCDO). https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica/health (updated 19 May 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  3. Brazil – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/brazil (latest dated update on page 28 July 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  4. Peru – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/peru (latest dated update on page 22 July 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  5. Insect and tick bite avoidance – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/insect-and-tick-bite-avoidance (updated 13 August 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  6. Altitude illness – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/altitude-illness (updated 9 February 2023; accessed 24 September 2026)
  7. Travel vaccinations – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/ (page last reviewed 30 April 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  8. Malaria – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malaria/ (page last reviewed 29 July 2025; accessed 24 September 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026 · Next review due: September 2027

This article is general health information based on UK travel health guidance and is not a substitute for a travel consultation. It does not recommend any specific vaccine or medicine for you. What you need is decided at an individual assessment with a pharmacist.

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