Costa Rica

Medical treatment in Costa Rica: hospitals, waiting times and prices for visitors

Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Hospitals in Costa Rica for international patients, by city

We list only providers with their own service for patients from abroad and a track record they publish: a university or teaching hospital, international accreditation, or large published volumes. Open a hospital for how to book and how soon it says it can see you.

How soon hospitals in Costa Rica say they can see you

These are each hospital's own words, not our estimate. “Booking” is how soon it says you can be seen, “Department wait” is a wait it publishes for one department, and “Reply” is how fast it answers an enquiry. Few hospitals publish waiting times by department; where none is published, ask the international office for a date in writing before you book flights.

Not listed: MRI scans, CT scans, colonoscopies, gastroscopies, health check-ups, heart check-ups, cancer screening packages, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, full-arch implant treatments, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles. We did not find a published price in Costa Rica that we could verify.

Official figures and rules for patients from abroad

• Ministry of Health (2022-12-07): the Law for the Promotion and Development of Health Tourism Services creates an Inter-institutional Commission for Health Tourism Services under the Ministry's authority, with Comex, ICT, Procomer, Cinde, the Chamber of Health (Promed), the Colegio de Medicos and Canatur. rule
• Canadians: 'Tourist visa: not required for stays up to 180 days'; the immigration officer sets the permitted stay; police checks look for overstays of the '90-day visa exemption period' (Canada.ca page last updated 14 October 2026). Canada's medical tourism advice: 'Canadian citizens have had serious health complications following cosmetic or other elective surgeries abroad'. rule

Entry rules

We link to the official advice rather than restating it, because entry rules change. Check the page for your passport before you book:

• UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements)
• Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca)
• US citizens (State Department, choose the country)
• Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country)

Can you claim the cost back?

Planning a medical trip to Costa Rica

• Ask each clinic for a written, itemised quote and the appointment in writing before booking flights.
• Check that your travel insurance covers planned medical treatment; many policies exclude it.
• Ask for reports in English and images in a format your doctor at home can open. See how to bring your results home.
• Know who to contact if you have a problem after you fly home, and tell your own doctor before you go.

Other countries

All 20 countries we compare, or start from a procedure: MRI scans, CT scans, colonoscopies, gastroscopies, health check-ups, heart check-ups, cancer screening packages, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, full-arch implant treatments, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements, IVF cycles.