Costa Rica (CR)
Costa Rica is Central America's most stable democracy — a small, lush republic that abolished its army in 1948 and instead invested in education, healthcare, and the environment.
Social Security in Costa Rica
Benefits, contributions, and how the system works for expats.
Costa Rica's social security system is operated by the CCSS (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social), established in 1941 and one of the most comprehensive in Latin America. The CCSS funds and operates two schemes: the SEM (Seguro de Enfermedad y Maternidad — health insurance) and the IVM (Invalidez, Vejez y Muerte — disability, old age, and death pension). All legal residents are required to enrol and maintain coverage as a condition of their DIMEX status. The FODESAF (Fondo de Desarrollo Social y Asignaciones Familiares) provides social assistance for low-income families. In 2026, employed workers face approximately 10.83% worker-side payroll deductions before income tax and employers pay approximately 26.83% in social charges after the IVM adjustment; voluntary insured residents are assessed by CCSS based on declared economic capacity.
CCSS Membership Number (Número de Asegurado)
Número de asegurado CCSS / Carné de asegurado
Enrol at any CCSS regional office (sede regional). Bring: DIMEX (legal residency card), passport, and proof of address. Declare your monthly income (used to calculate voluntary contribution). Pay the first month's contribution at any bank branch (BCR, BNCR, BAC San José, Banco Popular). Receive your CCSS membership card (carné de asegurado) — used for access to EBAIS clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and specialist care. For employed workers: employer registers you automatically within 8 days of starting work. Online CCSS account at ccss.sa.cr gives access to contribution history and certificates.
- Access to CCSS EBAIS (primary care clinics), hospitals, and specialist care at no additional cost
- Access to CCSS pharmacies for subsidised or free medications
- Proof of CCSS coverage required at every DIMEX residency renewal (paz y salvo CCSS)
- Eligibility for IVM pension after 240 months (20 years) of contributions
- Access to maternity benefits (subsidio por maternidad) and paternity leave
- Access to sick pay (subsidio por incapacidad) from day 4 of illness
- Registering dependants (spouse, children under 18, dependent parents) for free CCSS coverage
- Proof of social security for DGME immigration applications
Benefits & Support Payments
Healthcare (SEM — Seguro de Enfermedad y Maternidad)
Seguro de Enfermedad y Maternidad CCSS
Free comprehensive public healthcare through CCSS hospitals, EBAIS primary care clinics, specialist care, surgery, pharmacy, maternity, and emergency services. Covers the member and all registered dependants (derecho-habientes).
All active CCSS members and their registered dependants. Legal residents must enrol as asegurado voluntario if not employed. Minimum first month's contribution must be paid before coverage begins.
Enrol at CCSS regional office with DIMEX + passport + proof of address. Register dependants at the same time. Coverage begins from the first month of contribution.
Sick pay (Subsidio por Incapacidad)
Subsidio por Incapacidad Laboral
Income replacement during medically certified illness or injury. Employer pays 50% of salary for days 1–3; CCSS pays 60% of average salary from day 4. For hospitalisation: CCSS pays from day 1.
CCSS members with at least 3 months of contributions before the incapacity began. Must obtain a CCSS medical incapacity certificate (incapacidad médica).
Obtain incapacity certificate from your CCSS EBAIS doctor or hospital. Present to employer immediately. CCSS deposits the subsidy directly to your bank account from day 4. Can be extended for up to 52 weeks per illness episode.
Maternity benefit (Subsidio por Maternidad)
Subsidio por Maternidad CCSS
4 months of paid maternity leave: 50% paid by employer + 50% paid by CCSS = 100% salary coverage for insured employees. 1 month pre-natal + 3 months post-natal. Strong job protection (fuero de maternidad) from conception to 3 months post-birth.
Female CCSS members with 3+ months of contributions before birth. Voluntary insured mothers also eligible if enrolled for 3+ months.
Apply at CCSS regional office with: medical certificate from CCSS doctor confirming pregnancy and due date, DIMEX, CCSS card, and employer certification. CCSS pays the 50% subsidy directly to the mother's bank account.
Paternity leave (Subsidio por Paternidad)
Licencia de Paternidad
8 calendar days of paid paternity leave upon birth or adoption, funded 50% by employer and 50% by CCSS. Both natural and adoptive fathers are entitled.
Male CCSS members with 3+ months of contributions. Father must be registered on the birth certificate or have acknowledged paternity at the Registro Civil.
Present birth certificate to employer within 8 days of birth. Employer applies to CCSS for reimbursement of their 50% share. Apply immediately — retroactive applications are not accepted after 8 days.
IVM Old-age pension (Pensión de Vejez)
Pensión de Vejez IVM — CCSS
Monthly pension upon reaching retirement age, funded by IVM contributions throughout working life in Costa Rica. Pension amount: 60% base rate of reference salary + increments for additional contributions above the 240-month minimum.
Age 65 with minimum 240 months (20 years) of IVM contributions. Early retirement at 62 possible at a proportionally reduced rate. Foreign residents with sufficient contribution history are fully eligible.
Apply at any CCSS regional office at age 65 with DIMEX, birth certificate (apostilled if foreign), contribution history certificate (certificado de cotizaciones), and bank account details. Processing: 2–4 months.
OPC supplementary pension (Pensión Complementaria)
Régimen Obligatorio de Pensiones Complementarias (ROP) / OPC
Individual defined-contribution supplementary pension account managed by an OPC (Operadora de Pensiones Complementarias). Funded by 4.25% employee + employer ROP contributions during employment. The FCL (Fondo de Capitalización Laboral — 3% employer) is also held in your OPC account and accessible upon leaving employment.
All employed workers in Costa Rica. Self-employed and voluntary insured can open voluntary OPC accounts.
OPC account is opened automatically by your employer when you start work. Contact your OPC provider (Popular Pensiones, BAC Pensiones, BN Vital, Vida Plena) to check your balance and manage your account online.
Asignaciones Familiares (Family allowances)
Asignaciones Familiares — FODESAF/IMAS
Cash transfers and benefits (school supply kits, food supplements, CEN-CINAI childcare vouchers) for low-income families with children. Funded by employer FODESAF contributions.
Low-income families with children under 18 (or up to 25 if in education). Income-tested — most expats at typical expat income levels will not qualify. Legal residents with DIMEX can apply.
Apply at nearest IMAS (Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social) office with DIMEX, CCSS certificate, proof of income, children's birth certificates, and proof of address.
Cesantía (Severance pay)
Auxilio de Cesantía
One-time severance payment for workers dismissed without just cause (despido injustificado). Calculated as 8 days of salary per year of service (maximum 8 years = 64 days), plus preaviso notice pay.
Workers dismissed without just cause with 3+ months of service. Prescribes 1 year from dismissal date — claim within this window.
Employer must pay on dismissal. If not paid: file complaint at MTSS (Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social) or Juzgado de Trabajo. MTSS conciliation is free.
Contribution Overview
Employed workers: employee payroll deductions are approximately 10.83% of gross salary in 2026 before income tax, and employer social charges are approximately 26.83% after the IVM adjustment. Voluntary insured (asegurado voluntario — self-employed, freelancers, retirees, non-working residents) contributions are assessed by CCSS based on declared economic capacity and category; do not assume a simple flat payroll percentage applies. Contributions are paid monthly through bank channels, SINPE, or CCSS payment services. Keep every paz y salvo current because DGME checks CCSS status during residency renewals.
International Social Security Agreements
Costa Rica has very limited bilateral social security totalization agreements compared to EU countries. Active agreements: Costa Rica-Spain (allows IVM contribution periods to count toward Spanish pension entitlements and vice versa); limited agreement with Canada (verify with Service Canada). No totalization agreement with the USA, UK, Germany, France, or most other major expat source countries as of 2026. This means: Costa Rican IVM contributions do not count toward your home-country pension entitlement, and vice versa. Most expats from the USA, UK, Germany, and other major countries enrol in voluntary CCSS primarily for the SEM healthcare benefit — the IVM pension requires 20 years of contributions to vest, making it impractical for most expat retirees.
CCSS enrolment is a legal requirement for all holders of Costa Rican residency (temporary or permanent). A current CCSS paz y salvo (certificate of no arrears) is required at every DIMEX residency renewal — maintain your contributions to avoid complications. Gaps in contributions create coverage gaps — arrears can be paid to restore coverage, but a waiting period may apply before full benefits resume. The CCSS monthly contribution is the single most important financial commitment for legal residents of Costa Rica.
Social Security
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