Optimism that patients will return to Costa Rica

“The Costa Rican government has closed the nation’s borders to international visitors until April 13, 2020.  For patients that had scheduled dental care from March 18 through April 12, 2020, you will not be allowed to enter the country until at least April 13, 2020. This is a fluid situation and Costa Rica’s dental tourism industry is effectively on hold until further notice. Our patients have called and emailed us with many questions and concerns.”

Examples of questions Patrick has answered include:

Can I schedule dental care for April, May or June 2020 and beyond?

Answer: Yes, you can schedule your dental treatment now, to start your procedures after Costa Rica opens its borders. Most airlines are offering low prices on flights from most major US cities to Costa Rica and are also advising patients that they may cancel or make changes to their flight itinerary without penalties if their travel needs should change due to COVID-19. I recommend that patients call their airline and learn about available options before making travel plans. Please keep in mind that the government of Costa Rica has advised that international travellers will not be allowed to enter Costa Rica until at least April 13. This may change at any time and we encourage patients to make flexible travel plans to allow for changes.

Patrick states: “Our schedules are already filling up for the second half of April and into May and June.”

Once Costa Rica opens its borders; will visitors need to be quarantined?

Answer: The government of Costa Rica has not made any announcement regarding how it will manage visitors after April 13, 2020.   We are unsure of whether Costa Rica will impose a quarantine on international visitors after April 13, 2020. There has been no indication that these measures will be implemented.