Costa Rica (CR)

Operated by MINSA (Ministry of Health). Free for qualifying low-income families. Provides full-day or half-day care, meals, and nutritional monitoring. Expat families at typical expat income levels will generally not qualify for the income test.

Apply through IMAS (income assessment required). Bring DIMEX, proof of income, child's birth certificate, and vaccination record (carnet de vacunación). The centre will conduct an income verification visit.

Contact centres directly. Bring child's birth certificate, vaccination record, DIMEX, and emergency contacts. Most require a registration fee of ₡50,000–₡150,000.

Operated by MEP (Ministerio de Educación Pública). Universal access for all children ages 4–6 regardless of parents' immigration status. Instruction in Spanish.

Visit the Jardín de Niños nearest to your address. No appointment needed. Bring: child's birth certificate, vaccination record (all vaccines current), and parents' DIMEX or passport. School year runs February–November in Costa Rica.

Apply directly to the school. Requirements vary but typically include: child's birth certificate, vaccination record, parents' IDs, and the school's application form.

Register at the escuela in your catchment area (zona geográfica). Bring: child's birth certificate (and Costa Rican birth certificate or Registro Civil registration for foreign-born children), vaccination record, DIMEX or passport, and proof of address. No school fees for public primary. Small materials fee (₡5,000–₡20,000/year) may apply for exercise books and supplies. Enrolment opens in October–November for the following year.

Automatic progression from primary to secondary in the public system. Register at the colegios assigned to your zone. Foreign credentials may require equivalency (equiparación) from MEP if transferring mid-education. Bring primary school final report card, birth certificate, DIMEX, and vaccination record.

INA offers free vocational and language courses to Costa Rican residents including legal immigrants. Spanish language courses for foreigners are specifically offered at many INA centres. Registration at ina.ac.cr. Spaces are limited and popular — register early each semester. INA also provides vocational skills training (computing, accounting, cosmetology, culinary arts) at no cost — valuable for integration into the Costa Rican job market.

UCR ILARI is the highest-quality language programme in Costa Rica, accredited and internationally recognised. Spanish for foreigners is the most popular course for expats. DELF/DALF French exams and DELE Spanish exams are offered at ILARI. Registration at ilari.ucr.ac.cr. Several locations in San José and San Pedro. Excellent choice for expats wanting structured, quality language learning.

Excellent for rapid progress especially on arrival. Homestay programmes immerse students in Costa Rican family life. Volunteer programmes combined with Spanish classes are popular. Choose schools registered with CAMTUR (tourism chamber) or that hold official DELE exam centre status. Heredia (Intercultura) and San José (COSI, EuroLingua) have established reputations.

DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera) is the internationally recognised Spanish proficiency certificate. B1–B2 is generally sufficient for most professional roles and immigration purposes. C1 is required for some professional licences. DELE exams are held at UCR ILARI and at select Spanish language schools in Costa Rica. Register at cervantes.es.