Can I ship medications to Costa Rica?

Summary: It is important to know that you cannot ship medications into Costa Rica.

"Be aware that meds and/or food supplements cannot be shipped to Costa Rica. by mail or courier, unless you have an import license for every item!! Expensive and time consuming," cautioned one expat. UPS states, "An import permit is required for all medicine, including veterinary medicine. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of medicine shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with Customs. Medicines must have a physician's prescription. All medication is inspected by the Health Ministry prior to customs inspection. If the Health Ministry classifies it as an illegal medication, clearance cannot be done."

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About the Author

Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.