On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, the Department of State will make changes to our safety and security information to make it easier to find, understand, and use.
Travel Advisories will replace the formally used Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts. Every country will have a Travel Advisory, which will provide one of four standard levels of advice. The Travel Advisory will give an explanation for the level and include clear actions U.S. citizens should take.
Alerts will replace Security Messages and Emergency Messages. Alerts follow an easy-to-understand format with clear actions U.S. citizens should take.
U.S. citizens who have signed up to receive updates via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP.state.gov) will automatically receive the Costa Rica Travel Advisory and Alerts via email in the weeks following the January 10 launch. They will continue to receive other messages as usual, including announcements related to voting, town halls, and administrative issues.
For more information about improvements to our safety and security information and to sign-up to receive a notification on launch date, visit http://travel.state.gov/travelsafely.
For further information about security in Costa Rica:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Costa Rica Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, located at Calle 98 Vía 104, Pavas, San José, at +506 2519-2000, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The after-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +506 2519-2000 and then asking to be transferred to the Duty Officer
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
