Do I need yellow fever vaccine for Costa Rica

Students are sometimes confused about the requirement for yellow fever vaccination. We will clarify it for you!

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) there is no risk of yellow fever in Costa Rica. The government of Costa Rica requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does not include the US. If you are traveling from a country other than the US, check this list to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine: Countries with risk of yellow fever virus (YFV) transmission.

Should you travel to other Latin American countries BEFORE coming to Costa Rica please make sure to inform yourself about possible vaccine regulations depending on the country and its risk of yellw fever. If you arrive from Panama, please be informed that you will not be allowed to enter Costa Rica – or any other country in Latin America – if you don´t have a yellow fever injection . NOTE: This does not apply for layovers, only if they are long enough to leave the airport, for example overnight layovers.