Costa Rica Emergency Numbers: Who to Call and What to Do

The main emergency number in Costa Rica is 911. It’s free from any phone, works nationwide and dispatches police, fire, ambulance and traffic police, with bilingual operators. Save a few more numbers before you travel: the National Poison Control Center (2223-1028), the OIJ crime tip line (800-8000-645), INS roadside and accident assistance (800-800-8000), and your embassy. If you’re hurt, go to the nearest hospital emergency room. Public hospitals treat everyone in an emergency, but visitors are billed, so carry travel medical insurance.

This guide is for travelers who want the right numbers and steps ready before something goes wrong. It covers who to call, how 911 works, medical emergencies, theft and lost passports, car accidents and what to do in the first hour.

From a foreign phone, add Costa Rica’s country code, +506, before eight-digit numbers.

911

How 911 Works in Costa Rica

Costa Rica uses 911 as its single emergency number, as in the U.S. and Canada. The call is free, works from landlines and mobile phones, and connects you to a dispatcher who sends police, firefighters, Red Cross ambulances or traffic police. Operators can take calls in English as well as Spanish.

• Say where you are first. Rural areas rarely use street addresses, so give the town, the nearest landmark, your hotel name or GPS coordinates from your phone’s map.
• Describe what happened and how many people need help.
• Stay on the line until the operator tells you to hang up.
• Expect longer response times in remote areas such as the Osa Peninsula, the Caribbean coast or mountain roads.

For non-urgent problems, such as reporting a theft after the fact, go to the nearest police station or OIJ office instead.

Police

Police in Costa Rica: Who Does What

• Fuerza Pública: the national police who respond to most 911 calls about crimes in progress, threats and disturbances.
• Tourist Police (Policía Turística): officers posted in San José, at airports and in busy beach towns, who help visitors with thefts and other problems.
• Traffic Police (Policía de Tránsito): handle road accidents, traffic stops and fines.
• OIJ (Organismo de Investigación Judicial): the judicial police who investigate crimes. To report a theft or other crime, you file a formal complaint, called a denuncia, at an OIJ office. You’ll need the case number for insurance claims.

Medical

Medical Emergencies in Costa Rica

For a serious injury or illness, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. Your two main options:

• Carry travel medical insurance that includes evacuation. Remote injuries may need a long transfer or air ambulance. See our guide to travel medical insurance for Costa Rica.
• Call your insurer early. Many insurers need to approve treatment or point you to partner hospitals.
• Pharmacies (farmacias) are common and pharmacists can advise on minor problems, but see a doctor for anything serious.
• Poisoning, bites and stings: call 911 or the National Poison Control Center, 2223-1028, which also handles snakebites and toxic exposures.

For more on staying healthy, see our guides to avoiding illness and vaccinations.

Theft

If Your Passport, Phone or Wallet Is Stolen

1. Get safe first. If you’re robbed, hand over what they ask for. Don’t fight back.
2. Cancel cards and call your bank right away.
3. Block your phone through your carrier and use your phone’s find-and-erase feature.
4. File a denuncia at the OIJ. Ask for the case number; insurers and airlines usually need it.
5. For a lost or stolen passport, contact your embassy. U.S. citizens apply for a replacement at the U.S. Embassy in San José. See our guide to losing your passport in Costa Rica.

Prevention is easier: use the hotel safe, carry a copy of your passport, and never leave bags visible in a parked car. See our guide to staying safe in Costa Rica.

Driving

What to Do After a Car Accident in Costa Rica

1. Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
2. Don’t move the vehicles unless they’re blocking traffic in a dangerous spot; police and the insurance inspector need to see the scene.
3. Call your rental company right away, and call INS at 800-800-8000 if the car is insured through INS. An inspector usually comes to the scene to document the accident.
4. Wait for Traffic Police and get a copy of the report or the case number.
5. Exchange details with the other driver and take photos of the vehicles, plates and road.

Don’t sign anything you don’t understand, and don’t agree to private cash settlements at the scene. See our guides to driving rules and accidents and rental car insurance.

Prepare

Common Mistakes in the First Hour of an Emergency

• Not knowing your location. Save your hotel’s address and share your live location with someone you trust.
• Hanging up too soon on 911 before the operator has what they need.
• Waiting to call your insurer until after treatment; some won’t reimburse care they didn’t approve.
• Leaving the scene of a car accident or moving the cars before police arrive.
• Skipping the denuncia, then having no case number for insurance.
• Going into the ocean or remote trails alone. Rip currents and isolated trails are behind many visitor emergencies. See our guide to beach safety and rip currents.

FAQ

Costa Rica Emergency Numbers: FAQ