The VA Foreign Medical Program (FMP) can cover your medication abroad — but you have to be registered first. Registration is the one piece of paperwork that’s genuinely worth your time, because once it’s done, the rest can be completely off your plate. Here’s how to register, and what happens after.

Who can register for FMP

You can register if you’re a U.S. veteran with a VA-rated, service-connected disability, or if you’re taking part in the VA’s Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) program. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care first.

What to have ready before you start

  • Your VA file number or Social Security number.
  • Your list of service-connected conditions (from your VA rating decision).

Step by step: VA Form 10-7959f-1

  1. Download the form. Get VA Form 10-7959f-1 (the FMP Registration Form) from va.gov.
  2. Fill it out. Enter your personal information and your service-connected conditions.
  3. Submit it to the VA’s Foreign Medical Program office by mail or fax, following the instructions printed on the form.
  4. Wait for confirmation. Once you’re registered, the VA can process claims for your covered care.

You don’t have to be registered before you travel — but you must be registered before a claim can be filed.

After you register: your FMP benefits letter

Once you’re in the program, sign in at VA.gov, go to Letters, and download your FMP benefits letter. It lists exactly which conditions you’re covered for — the single most useful document you’ll have.

The part that usually becomes a monthly headache

Here’s what most veterans aren’t told: registering is the easy part. Using FMP on your own is the tiring part. Normally you pay for your medication yourself, file a claim every month, and wait for the VA to reimburse you — and one missing receipt or signature sends it back to the start. That’s the reality for veterans doing this alone.

How to skip that headache entirely

You don’t have to do it that way. For the veterans we serve in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, once you’re registered, you never pay out of pocket for your covered medications, and you never file a claim. We front the cost and handle the VA paperwork on our end, so you’re never waiting on a reimbursement check — you just get your medication, delivered. Registration is the one step you take; after that, we carry it from here.

Not registered yet, or not sure how? We help veterans register and read their benefits letter at no charge, with no obligation. See how it works for veterans in Nicaragua, or message us with any question.

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Veterans Pharmacy Costa Rica is a service of Farmacia Adela S.A., a licensed Costa Rican pharmacy. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. FMP is administered solely by the VA — confirm your personal coverage with the VA.