Prescription medicines in Costa Rica: prepare before moving
Check entry permission, local availability and a refill plan for the exact medicine you take.
Ask three different questions
For every regular medicine, establish whether you may carry it into Costa Rica, whether an appropriate version is available locally, and how you will obtain ongoing prescriptions. Those are separate questions. An allowed personal supply does not establish that a local pharmacy has the same formulation in stock.
The State Department’s Costa Rica guidance advises checking approval and availability with the Costa Rican Ministry of Health. It also warns that some medicines cannot be mailed into the country. Do not make a friend forwarding your U.S. refills the only backup plan.
Start this work before choosing a remote rental or booking an irreversible move. Access to the right prescriber and pharmacy can matter as much as the nearest hospital.
Build a medication record
Create a list with your clinician or pharmacist that someone outside the U.S. can interpret. Include the active ingredient, brand, strength, formulation, dosing instructions, allergies and the prescribing clinician’s contact information. Note whether a product is immediate-release, extended-release, injectable or compounded.
Use that record to ask a Costa Rican clinician and reputable pharmacy about a matching product, prescription requirements, usual ordering arrangements and price. Ask for answers about the exact medicine rather than a general assurance that the pharmacy stocks “something similar.”
A different brand may be appropriate, but a clinician or pharmacist should assess equivalence. Do not change the dose or substitute products based on a relocation article.
Check controlled medicines and transit countries
CDC’s travel-with-medicine guidance explains that a medicine commonly prescribed in the United States may be restricted elsewhere. It recommends checking destination and transit-country rules and obtaining appropriate medical documentation, particularly for controlled or injectable medicines.
Ask the Costa Rican authority about the exact substance, formulation and amount, including any advance permission or Spanish documentation required. Do not assume a standard 90-day U.S. refill is an authorized import quantity. This guide does not establish a universal allowance for controlled medicines.
If the proposed supply or product cannot be approved, discuss a lawful treatment plan with your prescriber before traveling. Leave enough time for that conversation; an airport is a poor place to discover the problem.
Protect the supply during travel
The CDC checklist recommends carrying medicines in hand luggage, retaining original labeled containers and bringing prescription copies. It also advises discussing storage, refrigeration and changes in dosing time with your healthcare provider.
Write down the product-specific storage instructions and plan the entire journey, including airport transfers and the first night. A rental that advertises a refrigerator still needs to fit your actual storage requirements. Ask your pharmacist what to do after a temperature excursion rather than guessing whether the product is safe.
Keep the medical paperwork accessible without exposing it unnecessarily. Original labels and supporting documents make it easier to explain what you are carrying; they do not replace any required entry approval.
Arrange the first local appointment early
Book a local review with enough remaining supply to allow for records transfer, an examination or an order from a pharmacy. Ask what documentation the clinician wants before the visit. Include the appointment and expected refill date in your first-month calendar.
Check the cost and coverage with your insurer, including whether a particular pharmacy or prior authorization is required. Use our Caja and private-healthcare guide to organize the coverage questions and the Medicare guide if you are moving after retirement.
Finally, keep a written plan for a delayed refill: who to contact, where your records are and which clinician will advise you. The aim is continuity of treatment rather than relying on an emergency purchase.
Sources & notes
Sources consulted September 13, 2026. Specific rules and fees can change; use the linked authority’s current instructions for an application or financial decision.