Social Assistance from IMAS (Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social)

The Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social (IMAS) is the institution responsible for assisting families in Costa Rica that are in a situation of poverty, through subsidies, cash transfers and other programs.

"IMAS Impulsa" is the current intervention model to assist households in extreme poverty and basic poverty. Unlike purely charitable aid, this model conditions the continuation of economic assistance on people studying, training, or working.

Some of the programs available:

• Avancemos: conditional cash transfer to support students who maintain attendance and re‑enter the education system.
• Atención a Familias: support for basic needs of food, health, housing and basic public services.
• Cuidado y Desarrollo Infantil, Asignación Familiar, and other benefits according to the family nucleus’s situation.

General requirements: a current identity certificate or another valid identification document, additionally a digital registration to access the assistance. Each specific program may require its own additional documentation.

To consult the detail of each benefit you can access the Catalogo de Tramites on the “Tramites Costa Rica” site of the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio (MEIC), where you can view each benefit with its requirements and specific legal basis. You can also consult directly at imas.go.cr.

Note: for technical reasons, the step‑by‑step process to apply for a specific benefit could not be confirmed. It is recommended to verify the updated information on imas.go.cr or at the corresponding regional IMAS office.