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Costa Rica · Health System

Healthcare in Costa Rica

Partially verified Last verified June 15, 2026 Reviewed by Henry van de Vorming

Before you move to Costa Rica, the question that matters isn't "is the healthcare good" — it's "can I, on a temporary visa, actually use it, and what happens in an emergency?" Here's how the system works for a nomad, and where private insurance fits.

At a glance

System
Social health insurance (Bismarck)
Public access (nomads)
Only with social-security contributions
Emergency number
911
Private GP visit
—
Care in English
English care in major cities

How the system works

Costa Rica has a universal, contribution-funded social health insurance system run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS, "la Caja"), which owns and operates most public hospitals and clinics and provides primary care through community EBAIS teams (Equipos Basicos de Atencion Integral de Salud). It is financed by tripartite contributions from workers, employers and the state, and covers the great majority of the population. (The single public insurer also directly delivering care gives the system some service-based, Beveridge-like features, but its contribution-based financing makes social insurance the closest single label.)

A well-developed private sector operates alongside the public Caja, centred on hospitals in and around San Jose (e.g. Hospital CIMA in Escazu and Clinica Biblica) that are popular with foreigners and medical tourists. Nomads and short-stay visitors typically rely on private clinics paid via international/travel health insurance, with indicative self-pay private GP consultations commonly quoted around USD 50-75 (roughly EUR 45-65), though these are private-provider prices not published by an authority.

PAHO's "Health in the Americas" country profile describes Costa Rica's system as built on primary health care and reports life expectancy at birth of about 81 years in 2024, among the highest in Latin America; it also reports public health expenditure at 5.3% of GDP (2021).

Good to know

  • Universal social-insurance system (CCSS) with strong primary care via community EBAIS teams
  • National emergency number 911 with country-wide coverage (official 9-1-1 system)
  • High system performance: PAHO reports life expectancy around 81 years (2024)
  • Modern private hospitals near San Jose (CIMA, Clinica Biblica) with English-speaking, internationally-affiliated staff

Watch out for

  • Public CCSS care is contribution-based: tourists and short-stay foreigners are not covered and can only use public facilities by paying for services (or in emergencies)
  • Enrolling in the public system requires contributions (e.g. as Asegurado Voluntario, which obliges payment to both health/SEM and pension/IVM regimes) and a valid migratory document
  • Costa Rica's digital-nomad/remote-worker route requires private medical insurance covering the full stay (the official government policy states a USD 50,000 minimum for medical expenses from illness in Costa Rica); public access is not provided. The law is widely cited as Ley 9996, though the government's medical-services page does not state the law number.
  • English-speaking care is concentrated in private clinics in San Jose and expat areas; outside the Central Valley and tourist zones it is more limited
  • Indicative private GP prices (~EUR 45-65) come from secondary/expat sources, not an official authority, so no normalized GP cost is published here

🩺 Insurance you'll need

Because temporary residents largely can't lean on the public system, and the DNV requires cover, private health insurance is part of the move — not an afterthought. We list the plans that plausibly meet Costa Rica's requirement, ranked by fit.

See qualifying plans for Costa Rica →

Healthcare in Costa Rica: FAQ

Healthcare in Costa Rica: FAQ

Can I use public healthcare in Costa Rica as a digital nomad?

In short — the public system is open only if you pay into the social-security/health scheme — most nomads use private cover instead. A well-developed private sector operates alongside the public Caja, centred on hospitals in and around San Jose (e.g. Hospital CIMA in Escazu and Clinica Biblica) that are popular with foreigners and medical tourists. Nomads and short-stay visitors typically rely on private clinics paid via international/travel health insurance, with indicative self-pay private GP consultations commonly quoted around USD 50-75 (roughly EUR 45-65), though these are private-provider prices not published by an authority.

What is the emergency number in Costa Rica?

911. Call it for life-threatening emergencies; emergency departments will treat you regardless of insurance, but you may be billed afterwards if you're not covered.

Do I need private health insurance in Costa Rica?

Yes — beyond being prudent, the DNV requires it (required (explicit)). See the qualifying plans for Costa Rica.

Sources