Finding work in Costa Rica

Certain types of work aren’t hard to find in Costa Rica.

Young people — including students and college leavers — fill many of the bar and restaurant roles in establishments in tourist coastal towns. Some young people also find temporary roles at the many wildlife and conservation organisations, exchanging access to the amazing wildlife for a nominal wage. Due to the restrictions on who can work in Costa Rica, many people do casual work and take cash-in-hand, though this is illegal.

Many countries encourage economic growth by opening their land and market to foreign investment and start-ups, and Costa Rica is clearly taking advantage. So the purchase of land and the starting of businesses is not hard for foreign nationals. Read more on the permits you’ll require here.

Starting a business in Costa Rica is not impossible and many expats run successful enterprises, especially in tourist areas where there’s demand for non-Costa Rican cuisine, western-style bars and yoga lessons. It’s important to note that Costa Rican law states that a business owner cannot work in their own business. Visit TripSavvy.com for an in-depth guide to starting a business in Costa Rica, including: business structure, accountants and permits.

While visitors say the practice of casual work and people working in their own businesses is rife, punishments can include large fines and being barred from the country. The punishments for Costa Ricans employing illegal workers are also large, in an effort to protect the local workforce.

Big business is also booming in Costa Rica and barely a month passes without the announcement of a company moving or creating operations there, from Amazon creating 350 jobs to global medical device company, Smith & Nephew, opening its Global Business Services operation. Tourism is also booming, offering opportunities in a range of roles from manual work and cleaning to clerical and customer service – especially for those speaking English, Spanish and other languages. Call centres, casinos and foreign language schools also employ foreigners in Costa Rica, taking advantage of English-speakers looking for work. Many people who make the trip find that jobs are not what they were promised regarding salary, benefits or the work involved.

2014 brought news that Costa Rican businesses were finding it hard to hire certain skillsets, including technicians, mechanics, engineers, sales representatives and managers, skilled manual trades and labourers, production operators, office support staff, accounting and finance staff, and equipment operators.

Even so, Costa Rica is a tough job market for expats. This small country is in high demand and finding work for the 600,000 expats living in Costa Rica isn’t easy. Some discussion indicates that starting an online business trading outside Costa Rica is the best way to access Costa Rica’s ‘pura vida’ while others say slow internet connection can make running an internet business a challenge.

If you want to work in a beach bar on the Pacific or Caribbean coasts, trading in career progression for the best of what Costa Rica offers, you may be in luck. But most office jobs will be based in San Jose, which rarely garners favourable reviews for its culture, nightlife, entertainment, food or other amenities capitals offer. Read more about where in Costa Rica to live in our guide.

Career website Glassdoor has listings for Costa Rica, and CostaRicaJobSearch.com also has job opportunities for expats.

Business relationships and etiquette

Costa Rica not only feels very western, but it feels like a country bending over backwards to encourage western business. Many people speak English and the universal handshake and smile seems to be the lingua franca between all people, from the guy who rents you a surfboard from in Puerto Vieja to the bank manager in San Jose.

Your employment may be dependent on where you want to live. Learn about the cities, towns and villages of Costa Rica.

Aetna® is a trademark of Aetna Inc. and is protected throughout the world by trademark registrations and treaties.