Risk Addendum · Costa Rica

Costa Rica — Destination
Risk Addendum

Destination-specific emergency information and the current U.S. advisory with its issue date. Read alongside the master packet.

Advisory

Current U.S. Travel Advisory — Costa Rica

Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution in Costa Rica due to crime. Petty crime is common throughout the country, and violent crime — including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault — also affects tourists.

U.S. Department of State travel advisory, issued 2 April 2026. Accessed 23 August 2026.

Standing embassy security alert — rental properties

The U.S. Embassy in San José issued a security alert on 25 November 2025 reporting a rise in property crime, financial crime and robbery affecting foreigners. It described criminal groups targeting foreign-owned residences, break-ins and armed robberies at vacation-rental properties, and travellers being coerced into withdrawing cash at ATMs or making bank transfers.

What this means for a Help2Serve.Care cohort

Accommodation is vetted, not booked ad hoc. Cohorts are not housed in short-term rental properties selected on price. The embassy alert specifically advises against properties whose reviews mention prior security incidents.
ATM protocol. Withdrawals during daylight, inside a bank or a staffed location, never alone, and never at the direction of a stranger. Participants set low withdrawal limits and notify their bank before departure.
Carbon monoxide. A high-profile CO death in a Costa Rican rental property in 2025 underlines the point made in the Belize addendum. Detectors are checked; participants may bring a portable detector.
Do not walk alone on poorly lit beaches or streets — the advisory names this specifically, and beach towns are part of the cultural-exploration phase.
Do not physically resist a robbery attempt.

Emergency

Destination Emergency Information

Police, fire and ambulance: 911

U.S. Embassy San José: Calle 98, Vía 104, Pavas, San José.

Costa Rica has the strongest medical infrastructure of our four destinations, with private hospitals in the Central Valley used routinely by international patients. Evacuation remains an insurance requirement, but the realistic first destination for a serious case is San José rather than another country.

Named receiving hospital — Costa Rica: The named receiving hospital in the Central Valley and the ground transfer time from each project site. Details Added at 45 days before departure or before.

Health

Health Preparation — Costa Rica

Routine vaccinations up to date — MMR, DTaP, varicella, polio and seasonal influenza. Most travellers are additionally advised hepatitis A and typhoid.
Yellow fever: proof of vaccination is required for travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk. This affects participants routing through certain countries, not those flying direct from the U.S.
Malaria: CDC advises antimalarial medication for travellers to the Osa Peninsula. Our itineraries do not currently include Osa; any itinerary change that adds it triggers a prophylaxis requirement.
Dengue and Zika are present. Repellent and covered clothing at dusk are program standard.
Travel-medicine consultation four to six weeks before departure is required of every participant.

Hazards

Weather and Environmental Hazards

Rip currents are the leading cause of tourist drowning deaths in Costa Rica. Swimming only at briefed beaches, never alone, never after drinking. Participants are taught the swim-parallel escape before any beach day.
Seismic and volcanic. Costa Rica is seismically active with several active volcanoes. Assembly points and drop-cover-hold are covered at in-country orientation; volcanic activity is monitored through OVSICORI.
Rainy season May – November brings flash flooding and landslides on mountain roads. Route decisions after heavy rain sit with the Country Director.
Adventure activities — canopy tours, rafting, surfing — are regulated to a different standard than in the U.S. and may not be covered by standard accident insurance. Participants are told which activities their itinerary includes so they can check their policy.

Sources

Sources Cited — Costa Rica

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Costa Rica Travel Advisory — Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Advisory issued 2 April 2026. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/costa-rica.html
U.S. Embassy San José, Costa Rica, Security Alert — property crime, financial crime and robbery affecting foreigners. Issued 25 November 2025. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/costa-rica.html
U.S. Department of State, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Accessed 23 August 2026. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/smart-traveler-enrollment-program.html
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Malaria in a U.S. Traveler to Costa Rica — Osa Peninsula prophylaxis recommendation. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/malaria/new_info/2018/Costa_Rica_5_2018.html
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Costa Rica travel advice — Health (yellow fever certificate requirement). Accessed 23 August 2026. https://gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica/health
The Forum on Education Abroad, Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad, 6th edition. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://forumea.org/

← Back to the master packet