The requirements for traveling to Argentina from Costa Rica changed with Decree 366/2025, published in Argentina’s Official Gazette on May 29, 2025, which brought two new requirements for entry: a sworn statement and health insurance. The statement becomes enforceable once the regulations are issued, so it’s worth finding out whether it’s already being requested.
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Requirements to Enter Argentina from Costa Rica
With a regular Costa Rican passport, the Immigration Department’s visa table doesn’t show a tourist visa requirement. You should also bring health insurance for your entire stay. The sworn statement, for its part, must state the purpose of your entry and that you have that insurance, along with whatever conditions the regulations set.
The general rule in the Immigration Department’s tourist page allows a stay of up to 3 months, which can be extended for a similar period at the National Immigration Department or its local offices. Keep in mind that once your stay has expired it can’t be extended, and you must request an exit authorization (“Habilitación de salida”), which has a fee and is valid for 10 calendar days.
Other points, such as passport validity, an onward ticket, and proof of funds, are ones to clear up with the Embassy of Argentina in Costa Rica before you buy. When you compare flights, also check whether the route has a layover in another country, because each layover can have its own requirements.
Is Travel Insurance Mandatory to Enter Argentina?
It’s best to treat it as mandatory. The decree requires you to declare that you have health insurance, and an Argentine consulate says foreigners must have valid medical insurance for their entire stay. How it’s checked on arrival is another question for the embassy.
Insurance also matters if you end up needing a hospital. At national hospitals, anyone without permanent residency must present valid health insurance that covers the care or pay the fee up front. The rule comes from the 2025 decree, and Health Ministry Resolution 1066/2026 sets the procedure starting August 12, 2026. In an emergency, no foreigner can be denied care, but whatever is treated after the patient is stabilized, up to discharge, gets billed to the patient.
Keep in mind that the decree doesn’t set required coverages or a minimum amount. As a practical guide, check that the policy includes hospitalization charges, basic medical care for illnesses or accidents, 24-hour emergency service, and assistance with medical transport or evacuation.
“We recommend a policy with minimum coverage of $30,000, so travelers can feel confident they’ll be 100% protected during their stay in Argentina,” Gloriela Alvarado of Aseguradora Sagicor explained in 2025. That’s the insurer’s recommendation, not an amount set by the decree.
Want a quote on insurance for your trip to Argentina? Use this link!
Read also: American Airlines to Launch Nonstop Flight From Costa Rica to Chicago
Who the New Requirements Apply To
The decree refers to foreigners seeking admission under any immigration category. These requirements don’t apply to Argentines, even if they live abroad, or to foreign permanent residents.
If you’re only connecting through an Argentine airport, don’t assume you’re exempt, since the Immigration Law includes passengers in transit among its subcategories. For that reason, check with your airline or the consulate.
Can You Be Denied Entry to Argentina Without Insurance?
You should know that the list of border refusals in Article 35, as amended by the decree, doesn’t expressly mention a lack of insurance or a sworn statement. It does include other grounds, such as identity documents that don’t meet the conditions, not qualifying as a tourist, or a well-founded suspicion that the real purpose of the trip is something else.
This could change with the regulations, so it’s not a good idea to travel counting on nobody asking for it.
Read also (2024 story): Avianca to Fly Daily to Buenos Aires from Costa Rica via Quito
