Car insurance in Costa Rica: compare the cover, not just the price

A conversation with Russ Martin of WheelsCR.

Two vehicle-insurance quotes can look similar until you examine the deductibles, limits and conditions. Russ Martin describes the questions that arise when WheelsCR clients arrange insurance, and suggests a practical way to compare quotations.

Role disclosure: WheelsCR helps its clients connect with an insurance brokerage. Russ says it has no business connection with the brokerage or insurer. This edited interview describes that customer-support experience. It is general planning information, not an individual insurance recommendation or a guarantee that a claim will be covered.

1. What should a newcomer gather before requesting quotes?

Russ says the brokerage normally asks his clients for their name, the vehicle’s licence plate and its value to prepare quotations. Those details give the conversation a starting point.

Editor’s planning note: Ask the authorised insurer or intermediary what else it needs about the vehicle, its use and intended drivers. Request written confirmation of driver eligibility and licence conditions. Do not assume a vehicle policy automatically covers every licensed person in every situation.

2. What is commonly misunderstood about compulsory and optional insurance?

Russ distinguishes the compulsory insurance associated with the marchamo from the additional cover his clients often seek. His clients commonly ask about greater third-party injury liability, damage to other people’s property and collision cover for their own vehicle.

He encourages clients to discuss collision cover while they are getting used to local driving conditions, particularly during their first year. That is his practical perspective, rather than a recommendation suitable for every driver or budget.

Editor’s note: Costa Rica’s Seguro Obligatorio Automotor concerns injuries and death from road accidents. Do not treat payment of the marchamo as a substitute for checking property-damage or other optional cover. Confirm current compulsory benefits and charges with the relevant official source; this article does not carry forward a 2025 benefit limit or a sample marchamo price as a current quote.

3. What matters when comparing quotations?

Russ suggests putting the coverages in rows and the competing quotations in columns. The total premium for each quotation is useful; readers do not need to split it into a separate premium for every coverage.

His examples include third-party injury liability, property-damage liability, medical cover for occupants, collision, theft, additional risks, legal expenses, personal possessions and replacement transport. These are prompts to discuss, not a promise that every quotation contains the same benefits.

Deductibles deserve particular attention. Russ notes that a deductible may apply by coverage or by event. Ask the provider to explain how that works in a realistic example.

Editor’s note: Record the actual limits and valuation basis as well as the deductible. A label such as “theft” does not establish the amount payable or the conditions of a claim. Ask for the policy wording and exclusions, not only a summary price.

4. What should readers ask about assistance and repairs?

Russ highlights roadside assistance and the claims process as useful questions before buying. Discuss the circumstances in which help is available and the repair arrangements for the areas where you expect to drive.

Editor’s checklist: Confirm the assistance territory, hours, vehicle-age restrictions, towing-distance limits, call-out allowance, extra charges and contact number. Ask which repairers are available near your usual routes and whether authorisation is required before work begins. The interview does not promise round-the-clock service everywhere or one universal vehicle-age rule.

5. What should drivers clarify about an accident?

Russ emphasises contacting the relevant authorities and insurer promptly, and understanding the process before an accident happens.

Editor’s note: Avoid a blanket rule that vehicles must never be moved. INS publishes a procedure for qualifying minor accidents that allows an agreed declaration in specified circumstances. Ask the insurer to explain the applicable procedure, evidence requirements and reporting deadlines before travel, and follow emergency or traffic-authority instructions at the scene. This article does not decide whether a particular accident qualifies.

6. How can a buyer compare price without losing the detail?

Russ observes that price matters greatly to his clients. He suggests discussing deductible choices and the currency of the quote rather than accepting the first version without questions.

Editor’s planning note: Put every quote on the same time basis and record currency, taxes or fees, instalment charges and validity dates. Consider how payment and claim currencies relate to your income and potential expenses. A dollar-denominated policy does not remove every exchange-rate risk.

Before deciding, ask the insurer or authorised intermediary to explain the differences that remain. The worksheet below is a record of that conversation, not a recommendation engine.

About Russ Martin

Russ Martin of WheelsCR helps newcomers with vehicle purchasing in Costa Rica. For insurance, he describes WheelsCR’s role as connecting clients with a brokerage rather than selling the policy. Website: https://www.wheelscr.com/

Editor’s sources, checked October 5, 2026

SUGESE, insurance contracts and information to request before buying: https://www.sugese.fi.cr/cr/es/preguntas-frecuentes/contratos-de-seguros.html SUGESE, compulsory motor insurance: https://www.sugese.fi.cr/cr/es/preguntas-frecuentes/seguro-obligatorio-automoviles.html INS, minor-accident declaration procedure: https://portal2.ins-cr.com/INSFRM/Web/formAccidenteMenor/frmAccidenteMenor.aspx

Download the comparison worksheet

Download the blank car-insurance comparison worksheet (PDF). Print it and record the actual coverage limits, deductibles and conditions for up to three quotations.