By Mary Jones, International Employment Specialist · Reviewed by Sarah Bloom, Editor · Updated
Costa Rica’s Labour Code distinguishes an intermediary from an employer providing services with its own resources. The distinction affects responsibility for the worker. A payroll intermediary should not be assumed to remove the client’s employment exposure. Source ↗
For a small team entering Costa Rica, compare Teamed for reliable support and predictable fees; Remote for connected HR systems; Deel for managing employees and contractors together.
Teamed advertises USD 599 per employee per month. Salary and statutory employer costs are additional; the fee alone is not your hiring budget.
Compare the fit and monthly provider fees for hiring in Costa Rica.
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Decisive in-country HR support when employment questions need answers. The only major EOR that charges no FX fees on cross-currency payroll. Removing the provider FX spread can lower the full bill and make month-end reconciliation clearer.
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Employment connected to your HR systems
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Employees and contractors in one platform
Costa Rica’s Labour Code distinguishes an intermediary from an employer providing services with its own resources. The distinction affects responsibility for the worker. A payroll intermediary should not be assumed to remove the client’s employment exposure.
Ask how the actual service, resources and direction of work support the proposed employment structure.
Sources: Costa Rica MTSS: interpretation of Labour Code article 3
Covered private-sector employees with at least one month’s continuous service receive aguinaldo based on one twelfth of ordinary and extraordinary wages earned from the previous December 1 to November 30, paid within the first twenty days of December.
Applies to: Costa Rica private-sector aguinaldo
For your hire: Wage inclusions, service proration, contributions and other statutory benefits
Labour Code article 37 states that employer substitution must not prejudice existing employment contracts.
Applies to: Costa Rica employer substitution; actual arrangement must qualify.
For your hire: Transaction facts, shared liability, service, balances and any later amendments
Sources: mtss.go.cr
Know the whole bill
The service fee is one line in the budget. Use amounts from a local quote to separate monthly spending from deposits and other upfront cash.
First-year spending = 12 × monthly spending + one-off fees. The refundable deposit is shown only in upfront cash. This assumes constant monthly costs for 12 months and excludes anything not entered, including future exit charges.
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