Insurance for car rental in Costa Rica
I am currently in Costa Rica and the guy at the car rental place required us to buy insurance beyond the CDW.
So what is actually required for a foreigner to drive a rental in Costa Rica?
Best Answer
To hire a car in Costa Rica you require the following:
- Passport
- *Full clean driving licence
- Credit or debit card (if debit cards are accepted) and funds available for the security deposit.
*Renters may drive in country using their standard driving license for up to 60 days. If rental is over 60 days, an international driving permit is then mandatory.
All the car rentals come with basic insurance with Excess. The excess depends on the size of the car, or if it's premium...etc.
As long as you had a credit card and paid for the security deposit, there is no need for extra insurance (SCDW) if you don't want.
The security deposit sometimes equals the full excess of the car and sometimes is less, depending on the supplier you choose.
If your credit card cannot cover that, then you might be asked to reduce your excess, therefore your liability, by taking SCDW.
If the deposit is covered by your credit card,you have a liability in case of accident or theft, however if you are willing to take this risk, refuse the extra insurance, it is not mandatory!
All the agents at the car rental desks will try to oversell you extra insurance or parts of it :) Politely refuse and check the car well before taking it and make sure that if it has any damage the agent will mark it in the papers.
Good luck!
**Additional explanation in regards to insurance:**
3rd party liability is not SCDW or extra insurance: third party liability insurance is always mandatory as per Costa Rican laws so if it was not included in the CDW you should take it as an extras.
3rd party liability refers to an insurance which covers you if you're at fault in an accident that caused property damage, injury or death.
Normally, it's included in the CDW. I have just checked in my booking system and saw that some suppliers in Costa Rica do not include this in the CDW. I would recommend to try a different supplier for your rental. If I am allowed to make suggestions, try with Alamo, Thrifty, Solid Car Rental or EasyCar. Suppliers like Thrifty provides unlimited coverage for persons and property outside the rental.
I hope this helps
Pictures about "Insurance for car rental in Costa Rica"
Is third-party liability insurance mandatory in Costa Rica?
Liability Insurance \u2013 This is the third-party liability insurance that is required in Costa Rica that we talked about above. It covers damage you cause to third parties and their property.Which insurance is required in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica Travel Insurance Requirements Effective Aug. 1, 2021, the Costa Rican government will require inbound unvaccinated tourists to have: $50,000 in coverage for medical expenses, including Covid. $2,000 in coverage for quarantine lodging expenses due to Covid while in Costa Rica.Should you take out extra insurance when renting a car?
No, you do not need insurance to rent a car because rental companies have their own insurance. Rental car companies usually provide minimum liability coverage only, so if you don't have personal insurance, you'll probably want to purchase extra rental car insurance through the rental company.Does car insurance cover international rental cars?
Most U.S. auto insurers won't cover you while you're driving abroad, with the possible exceptions of Canada and Mexico. So unless you have a credit card that offers rental car insurance, you'll probably need to purchase your insurance from the rental company itself.Renting a Car In Costa Rica - How To Avoid The Insurance SCAM 2021 -- MUST WATCH BEFORE YOU BOOK!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Andrea Piacquadio, Carlos Pernalete Tua, Mathias Reding