Costa Rica Changes Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements

Costa Rica has added several countries to the list of previously visited destinations that require a yellow fever vaccination.

Effective Jan. 11, 2025, Costa Rica will require visitors to show proof of a yellow fever vaccination if they’ve been to one of several countries in South or Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa within one week of arriving in Costa Rica.

In the Americas, countries that are now considered “at risk” and for which yellow fever vaccinations are required are: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Additionally, countries in Africa were added though they were not named in the notice of changes.

Exceptions to the vaccination requirement include babies under 9 months old, people over 60 years of age, people with severe allergies to eggs, people with immunosuppression, and people with current or a history of thymus disease.