Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and one of the most popular nations in Central America for traditional as well as medical tourism. The Costa Rican lifestyle, combining affordable housing with a low general cost of living and high quality of life, is also increasingly attractive to those considering living overseas.
With a stable, steadily growing economy, as well as a demand for English, French, Mandarin, and Portuguese speakers and those qualified in STEM subjects, there is a wealth of job opportunities available in Costa Rica both for graduates and experienced professionals who have ambitions of moving abroad.
Universal healthcare is in place in Costa Rica, as well as a private healthcare system. Healthcare standards in both the public and the private sector in Costa Rica are of a very high standard, with the country’s healthcare system consistently ranked as the best in Central America and among the top 20 in the world.
Costa Rican citizens make mandatory contributions to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, which enables them to access the healthcare system. Most citizens, apart from the poorest, will have to make some payment towards their medical care, although emergency treatment and basic dental care is free for all Costa Ricans.
Healthcare in Costa Rica is relatively cheap, which aligned to the high standards of treatment available means medical tourism to the country is very popular. Despite the relatively low cost of private healthcare, only a low percentage of Costa Ricans take out private health cover to complement their entitlement to universal healthcare.
If you move to Costa Rica, unless you are a Spanish national you will have to work and live in the country for two years prior to applying for permanent residency status. Once you have become a permanent resident of Costa Rica, you will be required by law to make social security payments, which in turn will make you eligible for universal healthcare.
In the interim period, you will need to take out an international health insurance package to ensure you can access private healthcare and cover your costs while living in Costa Rica. Due to the relatively low costs of healthcare in the country, covering your private medical costs in Costa Rica will not cost insurers as much as if you lived elsewhere.
While public sector healthcare in Costa Rica is of a very high standard, you may choose to maintain your private coverage even when you gain permanent residency status.
Our health and medical insurance plans start from as little as USD 26 per month for our WorldCare Essential Plan, which will cover you for any in-patient and day-patient care you require while living in Costa Rica. This is the ideal plan for those with pre-existing or conditions that may require long-term management and treatment.
Our more comprehensive healthcare plans cover you for outpatient care, dental treatment, and maternity care if required, while we also offer a SimpleCare plan that covers urgent and emergency treatment only.
Join thousands of Now Health International members living overseas covered by one of our private health and medical insurance packages.
“I am so grateful to the Now Health Team for everything they did for me and my family. My rare condition was completely unexpected and it was distressing to discover this while I was pregnant. However from the initial diagnosis all the way through to my kidney transplant, the team were nothing but supportive and ensured I could access the best care when I needed it most. Having the reassurance that my mother’s transplant donor costs would be covered was also a real relief. Thank you Now Health!”