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Costa Rica · Système de santé

La santé à Costa Rica

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

Avant de vous installer à Costa Rica, la question qui compte n'est pas « les soins sont-ils bons » — c'est « puis-je, avec un visa temporaire, réellement y accéder, et que se passe-t-il en cas d'urgence ? » Voici comment le système fonctionne pour un nomade, et où s'insère l'assurance privée.

En un coup d'œil

Système
Assurance maladie sociale (Bismarck)
Accès public (nomades)
Seulement avec cotisations sociales
Numéro d'urgence
911
Consultation généraliste privée
—
Soins en anglais
Soins en anglais dans les grandes villes

Comment fonctionne le système

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).

Bon à savoir

  • 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

À surveiller

  • 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

🩺 L'assurance dont vous aurez besoin

Comme les résidents temporaires ne peuvent guère s'appuyer sur le système public, et que le DNV exige une couverture, l'assurance santé privée fait partie de l'installation — pas un détail à régler après coup. Nous listons les formules qui répondent vraisemblablement à l'exigence de Costa Rica, classées par adéquation.

Voir les formules admissibles pour Costa Rica →

La santé à Costa Rica : FAQ

La santé à Costa Rica : FAQ

Puis-je utiliser la santé publique à Costa Rica en tant que nomade numérique ?

En bref — le système public n'est ouvert que si vous cotisez au régime de sécurité sociale/santé — la plupart des nomades optent plutôt pour une couverture privée. 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.

Quel est le numéro d'urgence à Costa Rica ?

911. Appelez-le pour les urgences vitales ; les services d'urgence vous prendront en charge quelle que soit votre assurance, mais vous pourrez être facturé ensuite si vous n'êtes pas couvert.

Ai-je besoin d'une assurance santé privée à Costa Rica ?

Oui — au-delà de la simple prudence, le DNV l'exige (obligatoire (explicite)). Voir les formules admissibles pour Costa Rica.

Sources