{
  "_license": "CC BY 4.0 — attribute SKETCH.WORLD (https://sketch.world) and link back if you use this data.",
  "_source": "https://sketch.world/costa-rica",
  "iso2": "CR",
  "name": "Costa Rica",
  "slug": "costa-rica",
  "updatedAt": "2026-07-12T18:40:05.238Z",
  "score": 74,
  "verdict": "go-attention",
  "confidence": "high",
  "subscores": {
    "advisoryConsensus": 77.77777777777777,
    "political": 81.4591616,
    "policeTrust": 62.334824,
    "health": 76,
    "crime": 64.5090402545242,
    "lgbtq": 90
  },
  "delta7d": 0,
  "advisories": {
    "disagreement": 1,
    "us": {
      "level": 2,
      "label": "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution",
      "url": "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html"
    },
    "uk": {
      "level": 1,
      "summary": "See FCDO advice.",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica"
    },
    "ca": {
      "level": 2,
      "label": "Exercise a high degree of caution",
      "url": "https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica"
    }
  },
  "generated": true,
  "regionFlags": [],
  "health": {
    "notices": [
      {
        "title": "Global Measles",
        "level": 1
      }
    ],
    "vaccines": {
      "required": [],
      "recommended": []
    },
    "tapWater": "unknown"
  },
  "entry": {
    "visaNote": "",
    "passportValidityMonths": 0,
    "sources": []
  },
  "scams": [],
  "laws": [],
  "streetWisdom": {
    "summary": "Costa Rica is currently grappling with a shifting reputation regarding safety. While travelers once viewed the country as uniformly tranquil, recent reports highlight specific incidents including home invasions in Tamarindo and robberies at gunpoint. Beyond crime, travelers face environmental hazards such as landslides that impact bus transit. While some tourists still perceive areas like Tamarindo as safer than Jaco, the reality is that the country no longer holds the same level of safety it possessed five years ago. Beyond physical security, travelers must also account for health risks like dengue fever. Navigating the country requires caution, particularly when choosing between private transport and public buses.",
    "quotes": [
      {
        "text": "I just read about a Canadian that was killed during a home invasion in Tamarindo. Which I found especially strange given how tranquil and safe I thought Tamarindo was supposed to be, especially over Jaco.",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1mizqk1/costa_rica_safety/"
      },
      {
        "text": "I read on my country’s travel guidelines page that there are cases of robbery at gunpoint. Also read increase in dengue cases there. Just last week there was a landslide causing a bus to crash.",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/xioxdy/safety_costa_rica/"
      },
      {
        "text": "What has caused Costa Rica to go from very safe to now not exactly having the same reputation it did 5 or so years ago it seems?",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1mizqk1/costa_rica_safety/"
      }
    ],
    "generatedAt": "2026-07-12"
  },
  "localKnowledge": {
    "staySafe": [
      {
        "text": "Travel to Costa Rica is common, with 2.6 million people visiting annually, more than any other Latin American country."
      },
      {
        "text": "Costa Rica is often considered one of the safest countries in Central America."
      },
      {
        "text": "Travelling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take."
      },
      {
        "label": "Traffic",
        "text": "Traffic in Costa Rica, particularly around the capital, is dangerous."
      },
      {
        "label": "Robbery",
        "text": "Don't leave valuables in plain view in a car or leave your wallet on the beach when going into the water."
      },
      {
        "text": "Watch out for pickpockets."
      }
    ],
    "stayHealthy": [
      {
        "text": "Costa Rica has one of the highest levels of social care in the world."
      },
      {
        "text": "For information on the current COVID-19 situation in Costa Rica, \nsee Costa Rica's COVID-19 webpage."
      },
      {
        "text": "Generally, no vaccinations are needed to get into Costa Rica, but you should bring bug-repellent to keep away mosquitoes and other biting insects and prevent malaria and other similar diseases."
      },
      {
        "text": "Tap water in urban areas of the country is almost always safe to drink."
      },
      {
        "text": "All fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed."
      }
    ],
    "sourceUrl": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Costa_Rica"
  },
  "recentHeadlines": [
    {
      "title": "Costa Rica Registered SMEs Nearly Double to 36 , 098",
      "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/costa-rica-sme-registration-record-meic-2026/",
      "seenAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "title": "Jaguar Beach Battle",
      "url": "https://www.tvguide.co.uk/schedule/52c782a7-b820-5240-a562-01e2eeb094bc/jaguar-beach-battle",
      "seenAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "title": "BrandingBuzz . Agency : El Lugar Costa Rica Named 2026 Tripadvisor Traveler Choice Award Winner",
      "url": "https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2026-07/69002813-brandingbuzz-agency-el-lugar-costa-rica-named-2026-tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-winner-296.htm",
      "seenAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "title": "Which is the Greenest & Most Sustainable Country in the World ? Check the List Here ! ",
      "url": "https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/greenest-most-sustainable-countries-in-the-world-1820010495-1",
      "seenAt": "2026-07-11"
    }
  ],
  "whatChanged": "Costa Rica holds a steady sketch score of 74, and you should follow the US and Canadian level 2 advisories rather than the UK's more relaxed stance. Check your measles vaccination status before departure.",
  "practical": {
    "plug": [
      "A",
      "B"
    ],
    "voltage": 120,
    "drivingSide": "right",
    "emergency": {
      "police": "911",
      "ambulance": "911",
      "fire": "911"
    },
    "simAdvice": "",
    "cashVsCard": "",
    "tipping": ""
  },
  "lgbtqLegal": {
    "status": "legal",
    "summary": "Legal since 1971+ UN decl. sign.",
    "sourceUrl": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory"
  },
  "receipts": [
    {
      "sourceId": "us-state",
      "url": "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "uk-fcdo",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/costa-rica",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "ca-gac",
      "url": "https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "worldbank-political",
      "url": "https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/GOV_WGI_PV.EST?format=json&date=2024&per_page=300",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "worldbank-policeTrust",
      "url": "https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/GOV_WGI_RL.EST?format=json&date=2024&per_page=300",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "cdc-health",
      "url": "https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "wikivoyage",
      "url": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Costa_Rica",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "gdelt",
      "url": "https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2026-07/69002813-brandingbuzz-agency-el-lugar-costa-rica-named-2026-tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-winner-296.htm",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "reddit",
      "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "unodc",
      "url": "https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "acled-hdx",
      "url": "https://data.humdata.org/organization/acled",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "lgbtq-legal-wikipedia",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    }
  ]
}