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Costa Rica · Sistema sanitario

La sanidad en Costa Rica

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

Antes de mudarte a Costa Rica, la pregunta que importa no es "¿es buena la sanidad?" — es "¿puedo, con un visado temporal, usarla de verdad, y qué pasa en una urgencia?". Aquí tienes cómo funciona el sistema para un nómada y dónde encaja el seguro privado.

De un vistazo

Sistema
Seguro social de salud (Bismarck)
Acceso público (nómadas)
Solo con cotizaciones a la seguridad social
Número de emergencias
911
Consulta de médico de cabecera privado
—
Atención en inglés
Atención en inglés en grandes ciudades

Cómo funciona el sistema

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).

Conviene saber

  • 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

A tener en cuenta

  • 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

🩺 El seguro que necesitarás

Como los residentes temporales en gran medida no pueden apoyarse en el sistema público, y el DNV exige cobertura, el seguro médico privado forma parte de la mudanza — no es un añadido de última hora. Enumeramos los planes que plausiblemente cumplen el requisito de Costa Rica, ordenados por adecuación.

Ver los planes válidos para Costa Rica →

La sanidad en Costa Rica: preguntas frecuentes

La sanidad en Costa Rica: preguntas frecuentes

¿Puedo usar la sanidad pública en Costa Rica como nómada digital?

En resumen — el sistema público solo está disponible si cotizas al régimen de seguridad social o sanitario — la mayoría de los nómadas usa cobertura privada en su lugar. 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.

¿Cuál es el número de emergencias en Costa Rica?

911. Llámalo en emergencias que pongan en riesgo la vida; los servicios de urgencias te atenderán con independencia del seguro, pero pueden facturarte después si no tienes cobertura.

¿Necesito un seguro médico privado en Costa Rica?

Sí — además de ser prudente, el DNV lo exige (obligatorio (explícito)). Consulta los planes válidos para Costa Rica.

Fuentes