Moving to Costa Rica with medical conditions

Before choosing a move date

Discuss the move with your treating clinician. Ask what must be in place for continuity, including monitoring, prescriptions, appointments and any equipment or assistance you use. Your clinician should advise on travel suitability and clinical timing.

Build a care handoff

• A concise history, current care plan, allergies and medication list.
• Recent relevant reports and the next monitoring milestones.
• Contact details for your current clinicians and your consent for record sharing.
• A local appointment plan and the records required for the first visit.
• Coverage confirmation, including any exclusions affecting ongoing conditions.

Evaluate the location around care

Consider the practical journey to routine appointments, access to your preferred support person and how you would reach urgent care. Ask about the services at the exact facility rather than assuming every branch or city offers the same resources.

Make a list of dependencies: a clinician who will follow your condition, a reliable prescription plan, necessary tests and insurance arrangements. Resolve these with the responsible parties before relying on the move plan.

During the transition

Keep an accessible copy of records and confirm who reviews new results. If the plan changes, ask the treating team to explain the next steps. Use our doctor-finding guide and prescription guide to organize practical questions.

Continue your Costa Rica planning

• Health insurance in Costa Rica
• Emergency healthcare in Costa Rica