Discovering Costa Rica

Supplemental Material

Hiring Household Help

Acquiring Social Security for Domestic Workers

Requirements:

Employer must follow these requirements to hire household help:

1. Original and copy of ID or passport. In case the employer has social security card, a

copy must be attached

2. Fill in Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) form duly signed by the employer

3. If the worker is Costa Rican, original ID and photocopy. If the worker is from another

country, original and photocopy of one of the following documents: passport, residency

card, refugee card, or other. It must be updated

4. Employer’s home electricity bill and photocopy

If employer is not going in person to CCSS, a letter signed by the employer must be

filed with the Social Security Office authorizing the Dwellworks Consultant to proceed

on his/her behalf. This letter must have employer’s full name, ID number as well as

full name and ID number of the person authorized. Copy of ID card or passport of the

employer and the person that will proceed on his/her behalf

Instructions:

Go to the Inspections Office at CCSS located in downtown, San José (Avenue 2nd and 4th, 7th

Street, at the southern corner). Provide the following information:

Domestic Worker’s start date. It must be reported as soon as he/she is hired

Monthly salary. This amount cannot be below the minimum Labor Ministry approved

salary This site provides you a list of all of the basic salaries:

Employer’s address (from the electricity bill)

If a Dwellworks Consultant is doing the paperwork, the authorization letter and the CCSS

signed form must be presented to the CCSS clerk

CCSS provides a blank form to be filled in by the employer in case the worker needs

medical or other CCSS services before the official CCSS payroll is received at

employer’s home

Upon receipt of payroll, the employer must pay it at Banco de Costa Rica, only the first

time, and send the paid payroll copy to fax number (506) 2222-8767

Helpful Hint:

According to Costa Rican Law, employer is required to pay 24.17% of the

worker’s gross salary to CCSS, the worker’s charges are 9.17% of his/her salary.

Employers deduct this percentage from her salary.