Published Friday, May 8, 2020 

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Although the country registers a decrease of 13 cases of covid-19 compared with the previous report, the border closure was extended until June 15, announced Michael Soto, Minister of Security on Thursday.

According to Soto, the decision to extend the period of prohibition of entry to the country by foreigners was taken Thursday morning.

Following the presidential emergency decree due to the pandemic that has been active since March 16, the only people allowed to enter the country are Costa Ricans or residents who left the country before the state of emergency was put in place. Those natives or residents who left after the decree are subject to no re-entry until the end of the border closure.

Since the borders were closed, the General Directorate of Migration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that only Costa Ricans can enter the national territory. In the case of foreigners with resident immigration status, they may return to the country only if they left the country before March 24.

The Directorate recommends for everyone in the country to abstain from leaving the national territory during this time. Do not travel at all.

A foreigner who leaves the country without resident status or citizenship will not be able to re-enter Costa Rica until further notice.

There is no restriction on leaving the country for foreigners. The restriction is strictly for those re-entering or attempting to enter the country.

Following the new regulations, in the case of people who do enter the country, they must comply with the mandatory order to remain in isolation for 14 days. People who fail to comply with quarantine orders will receive a fine of approximately $790.

Foreigners who enter the country through illegal zones will be denied entrance and returned.

Foreigners with resident status entering through illegal zones will immediately lose their immigration status.

Borders are expected to reopen on June 16. After the borders are reopened, Costa Ricans and foreign travelers will return to normal entry requisites. For the meantime visas, permits, and any other form of legal status in the country has been extended until further notice.

There are exceptions for extreme cases of people who must enter or leave the country for humanitarian reasons. They will be assessed by the authorities before obtaining a special license.

The period of legal permanence authorized for foreign people in the migratory category of Tourism who entered the country before December 17, 2019, is automatically extended until July 17, 2020. This applies to all tourists who are living in the country. Once the extension period has ended, foreigners must proceed with the corresponding procedure to renew the tourist visa or leave the country.



Meanwhile the Ministry of Health reported on Thursday a decrease in the number of people infected with the covid-19 to 314 active patients in Costa Rica. Active patients are people who currently have the virus.

Authorities provided the following statistics related to the development of the covid-19 in the country:

• There was an overnight increase of 4 new patients infected with the covid-19.

• The ages of those affected range from 1 to 87 with an average age of 37.

• 19 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 13 are in recovery rooms and 6 have been reported in an Intensive Care Unit with delicate health conditions. Most of the infected patients are quarantined in their homes.

• 92 foreigners infected, of these 14 entered the country unauthorized and are jailed in the facilities of the Professional Migration Police in Heredia Province.

• So far, six deaths have been reported from patients infected with covid-19.

• Of the 765 infected since the first case was detected in March, 445 coronavirus patients have fully recovered.

• 9,682 people have been ruled out.

• 15,140 medical covid-19 tests have been made.


The UNED University provides a daily updated number of total patients, active and recovered, in each district throughout the country on its Covid-19 Map.

As of Wednesday night, the pandemic has killed 268,999 patients worldwide according to recent statistics reported by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.









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