Marchamo Costa Rica 2020,
everything you need to know

What is the marchamo?

The marchamo is an insurance tax on your car. The marchamo funds the Obligatory Insurance for Motor Vehicles (SOA). The objective of the SOA is to insure people who are injured in car and motor accidents.

When is the marchamo payment due?

It must be paid by December 31 of each year. It cannot be paid before November 15th.

Who is the marchamo payable to?

The National Insurance Institute (INS).

Where can I check how much I have to pay for marchamo?

This information is only available after November 15th

• Toll free call 800-MARCHAMO (800-6272-4266)
• Phone inquiry 2243-9999
• Website: www.ins-cr.com
• Text message to 1467 with the word marchamo, followed by the license plate number
• Authorized collectors who provide this service
• INS Offices and Service Points

Where to pay the marchamo?

The INS enables more than two thousand establishments to receive payments throughout the country.

These include all financial institutions as well as the following authorized collectors:

What happens if I don’t pay by the December 31st due date?

1. If you’re stopped by traffic police, your license plate will be removed from your car. To get the license plate back you have to present the following requirements HERE. If you’re stopped again by traffic police, driving without a license plate they will take your car. To get back your car you can follow the instructions HERE.

2. You will also pay an additional 10% fine of the marchamo for each month the payment is late.

What happens if the amount of the estimated marchamo by INS is wrong? How do I appeal?

The car owner must apply to the Ministerio de Hacienda in person, or online on the website, link HERE.

Which car model pays the costliest marchamo?

The marchamo calculation is based on car value. Last year, the most expensive car model was a 2018 Porsche that paid ¢ 8.8 million.

Which car model pays the cheapest marchamo?

The cheapest car model was a 1973 Ford, that paid ¢ 66 thousand last year.

Is it better to pay for the marchamo with cash upfront or with financing?

Cash

If you already have the money and are used to paying it this way, it is the best.

Zero Rate Loan with your credit card

This is an interest free loan. Check with your credit card provider for this possibility and restrictions.

Loan

You can take out a loan with your financial institution.

Can one obtain a loan for the marchamo directly with the INS ?

No

What do I do if my vehicle is not registered in the INS database?

For cases in which the vehicle was recently acquired or registered, or has undergone a change in the type of license plate and the information of the amount to be paid is not visible online, you should go to an authorized collection office of the INS.

You must submit the following documents:

• 1. Vehicle ownership title.
• 2. Most recent permit of circulation paid for that includes the provisional license plate number.
• 3. Vehicular inspection approved.

With these documents you would proceed to make the change in the INS system and therefore be able to make your payment with the new license plate number.

Do disabled people pay the marchamo?

Yes, the registration numbers of vehicle corresponding to disabled people are the D plates, delivered by the National Registry, as of 2004.

It is paid in the same way as any other car.

How should I paste the marchamo sticker on my car?

Paste the sticker on the top right hand corner of your car. Be sure that the side with information is visible from the outside.

What if I paste the sticker wrong, can I get a new one ?

The car owner can request a duplicate at any INS office, presenting the sticker in poor condition.

Do I have to pay for the replacement sticker ?

Its free.

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Other questions:

Mandatory Automobile Insurance (SOA by its acronym in Spanish)

The Mandatory Automobile Insurance changes annually according to the accident rate (risk and expenses incurred at the time someone suffers a traffic accident).

The amount of the SOA is calculated by the General Superintendence of Insurance.

Through this insurance, victims of traffic accidents have coverage of up to ¢6 million per injured person.

The benefits that the SOA provides are:

• 1. Surgical, hospital, pharmaceutical and rehabilitation medical assistance
• 2. Prosthetics and medical devices
• 3. Cash benefits, which correspond to compensation for disability, temporary or permanent, or for death
• 4. Transfer, lodging and food payments, when the injured party, due to the provision of medical or rehabilitation services, must move to a place other than their habitual residence, and where the INS cannot provide the service.

In the event of an accident, how much time do I have to apply for the SOA?

It must be reported to the INS within 10 business days of the event.

Requirements:

• · Citation
• · Official Transit Police report
• · Red Cross report
• · News reports about the event
• · Court records
• · INS inspection sheet

- You must provide the names and qualities of the people affected and the traffic card or, failing that, the license plate number of the vehicle that participated in the event.

Where can a person go to receive INS health services?

The INS has 24 regional medical centers throughout the country, which provide basic medical-surgical assistance to people who are victims of a work or traffic related accident.

The opening hours are from 8:00 a.m. at 5:00 p.m.

It also has extensive facilities in the INS Health Medical Complex, located in La Uruca, (How to get there, click HERE ) in which, external consultation services, hospitalization and rehabilitation services are provided.

What does INS do with the money that it collects from the marchamo?

Marchamo breakdown	Total percentage
Vehicle ownership tax to Hacienda	65,6%
Mandatory Automobile Insurance (SOA)	19,7%
National Road Council	6,1%
Various legal stamps	3,9%
Public Transport Council	2.4%
Parking Meters	1,2%
Regulatory Authority of Public Services	0,8%
Traffic violations	0,4%
Total	100%