Travel vaccinations for Costa Rica
Planning a trip to Costa Rica? Bring your route, departure date and vaccine record to our Longridge clinic near Preston. We will check the current TravelHealthPro guidance against the places you are visiting and the activities you have planned.
Bring your route, travel dates and vaccination records.
Travel vaccinations for Costa Rica
What you need depends on your trip, and we can confirm it with you at your consultation.
Travel vaccinations for Costa Rica start with your vaccine record and itinerary. Your trip might include San José, rainforest walks, a beach holiday or time in more remote areas. TravelHealthPro recommends hepatitis A and tetanus protection for most travellers. Typhoid, rabies, dengue and other vaccines depend on where you are going, how long you will stay, what you plan to do and the vaccinations you have already had.
Book before you travel with your full itinerary, including overnight stops and any onward travel. We will check the country guidance with you and explain which recommendations apply to your own trip.
Arrange your travel-health appointment ideally four to six weeks before departure. If you are leaving sooner, an appointment is still worthwhile. See our vaccination prices and bring your vaccination records.
Before you travel
Your pharmacist confirms what applies to you at your consultation.
Which vaccinations do I need for Costa Rica?
Your previous vaccinations, health and itinerary all affect the advice. Use these groups to prepare for a consultation; they are not a personal prescription.
Recommended for most travellers
Based on TravelHealthPro guidance for Costa Rica. Your pharmacist confirms what applies to you.
The combined diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster, recommended for worldwide travel if your last dose was more than ten years ago.
Hepatitis A vaccination protects against an infection spread through contaminated food and water, recommended for most international destinations.
For the latest recommendations, check TravelHealthPro's Costa Rica guidance. Suitability, availability and the number of doses are confirmed at your consultation.
Other vaccines to discuss
Depending on your activities, length of stay and health, these may also be relevant.
Make sure routine UK vaccinations are up to date, including MMR.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
The answer depends on the journey you take to reach Costa Rica, not only on the destination. These are the usual route cases. Age limits and details vary by country, so confirm current requirements before you leave.
Direct from the UK
Costa Rica has no yellow fever transmission risk. Flying from the UK without arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country does not normally require a certificate.
Arriving from a yellow fever risk country
Travellers aged nine months and over arriving from qualifying countries need a certificate. The list includes Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia in addition to yellow fever risk countries, but excludes Argentina and Panama. We will check your complete route.
An airport transit longer than 12 hours
A certificate is not required after airport-only transit through a yellow-fever-risk country if you remain solely in the international transit area. This exemption is not limited to a 12-hour connection. Leaving the airport changes the position, so share the route and connection details with us.
Check FCDO entry requirements and TravelHealthPro before you travel. An existing valid certificate lasts for life; bring it with you.
Malaria advice for Costa Rica
Malaria is not a single answer for all of Costa Rica. TravelHealthPro lists low risk in Limón Province, excluding Puerto Limón, and very low risk in the rest of the country, including Puerto Limón. Its core advice is awareness of risk and careful mosquito-bite avoidance. A clinician may consider malaria tablets for exceptional higher-risk circumstances after an individual assessment. Dengue, chikungunya and Zika are also mosquito-borne risks, and their mosquitoes commonly bite during the day, so repellent and covering up matter across the trip.
Read more about malaria prevention and travel advice, and tell us if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or have an underlying medical condition.
What we need to know
Prepare for the days between destinations
Vaccinations are one part of travel health. Ask about everyday precautions, insurance and access to care as you plan.
Trekking or time at altitude
Tell us about trekking, rapid ascents or stays on higher ground. We can talk through preparing for altitude and recognising when to seek help.
Food, water and your travel kit
Discuss food and water hygiene, oral rehydration supplies and what to do if diarrhoea develops while you are away.
Outdoor and animal encounters
Avoid contact with animals, including strays and wildlife. After any bite or scratch, clean the wound thoroughly and seek urgent local medical care.
Fever during or after your trip
Seek urgent medical advice for a fever during or after travel to a malaria risk area, and say where you have been. Malaria can develop after you return home.
Practical health information: FCDO health advice and TravelHealthPro. These are selected precautions; read the full guidance before you travel.
Your Costa Rica consultation
One appointment covers your route, your vaccination history and what to take with you.
Book a Costa Rica consultationLeaving sooner?
It is still worth contacting us. Call with your travel dates so we can discuss what may be possible in the time available.
Tell us about your trip
Where you are going, when you leave, how long you stay and what you will be doing.
Review your records and health
Bring your vaccination records. We check them alongside your health and any medicines.
Agree the plan and costs
We explain what is recommended, the number of doses and the price before anything is given.
Prepare for departure
Leave with your certificates, any follow-up dates and the precautions to take while away.
What travellers say about our clinic.
Clear advice, friendly pharmacists and appointments that fit around your plans. Here is what our travel customers have shared.
Costa Rica travel questions
Practical answers before you arrange your visit. Anything specific to your trip is covered at your consultation.
What vaccinations do I need for Costa Rica?
TravelHealthPro recommends hepatitis A and tetanus protection for most travellers to Costa Rica. Typhoid, rabies, dengue and other vaccines depend on your itinerary, length of stay, activities and previous vaccinations. We check those details at your consultation rather than treating every trip the same.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has no yellow fever transmission risk. A certificate is required from age nine months for arrivals from qualifying countries. The list includes yellow fever risk countries plus Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia, but excludes Argentina and Panama. A direct journey from the UK does not normally require one. Ask us to check your complete route.
Does an airport stopover trigger Costa Rica’s yellow fever rule?
No, if you remain solely in the international transit area of an airport in a yellow-fever-risk country. TravelHealthPro does not set a time limit for that exemption, so a stop of more than 12 hours does not itself create a requirement. If you leave the airport or your route changes, ask us to check the current rule.
Do I need malaria tablets for Costa Rica?
Malaria risk is low in Limón Province, excluding Puerto Limón, and very low elsewhere. TravelHealthPro recommends awareness of risk and careful bite avoidance. Tablets may be considered for some higher-risk travellers after an individual assessment.
When should I get my travel vaccinations?
Ideally four to six weeks before you travel. Some courses, such as rabies and hepatitis B, are given over a few weeks, so the earlier you book the better. If your trip is sooner than that, come in anyway, as there is usually still something we can do to protect you.
Which travel vaccines do I actually need?
It depends on where you are going, what you will be doing and how long you are staying. At your consultation we check your itinerary against the latest TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) recommendations and talk through exactly what is advised for your trip.
Do I need a Yellow Fever certificate?
Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination before they will let you enter. We are a registered Yellow Fever centre, so we can arrange your vaccination and issue your certificate. We will confirm at your consultation whether your destination needs one.
How much do travel vaccinations cost?
Vaccines are priced per dose, and some need more than one dose for the full course, so we always show you the total before we start. You can see current prices on our travel vaccination price list. Some vaccines, such as hepatitis A and typhoid, may be free at your GP, though same-day appointments are available with no GP referral needed.
Do I need malaria tablets as well?
Malaria is prevented with antimalarial tablets, not a vaccine. Whether you need them depends on the region you are visiting and the time of year. We advise on this at your consultation and can prescribe the right tablets for your trip. You can read more on our malaria page.
Are recommended vaccines the same as entry requirements?
No. A vaccine can be recommended to protect your health even where no certificate is needed for entry. Some countries do have certificate requirements linked to where you have travelled or transited, so check both the health advice and the entry rules before you depart. Your route and personal circumstances matter to both.
What if I am visiting several countries?
Share your full route, including stopovers and onward travel. Vaccination advice and malaria prevention can differ between countries, and between regions within a country, so we look at every stop when we plan with you.
Can I get advice for a destination without a guide?
Yes. Our country guides cover the destinations we are asked about most, but every consultation covers your exact itinerary. Contact the clinic with your destination, departure date and travel plans and we will discuss the next step.
Should I check again if I have visited before?
Yes. Advice can change, and a new trip may involve different regions, activities or lengths of stay. Bring your previous vaccination records when you discuss the journey so we can see what is still covered.
Where can I check current destination information?
Use the TravelHealthPro country information for current health guidance and GOV.UK foreign travel advice for entry rules and travel information. Check again closer to departure, and bring anything you are unsure about to your consultation.
Your Costa Rica plans.
A clear next step.
Country-specific travel advice on Berry Lane, serving Longridge, Preston and the Ribble Valley.
Longridge Travel Health Clinic54 Berry Ln, Longridge, Preston PR3 3JPGet directions
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