Work in Costa Rica… I have some questions…

Holla Isabelle,

Don’tknow about the tour guide possibilities.

As for a nursing job, I have some current info..

We plan on moving to CR this summer. My wife is a retired nurse and clinical psycholgist. We ask a knowledgeable person about her doing some part-time councelling in the small town we are moving to.

They told us that it would not be possible without getting licensed in CR and then only if it could be shown that her work was not available to be provided by a Costa Rican person.

If you want volunteer your services, it seems to be much easier. Our original question to the informative person was my wife’s volunreering her services to our small town clinic, but our answer missed that point and addressed only the licensing and working for a living issues.

Another issue was raised about speaking Spanish very well being a requirement for even volunteer work.

If your status in CR is a student, tourist, or pencioner your are not allowed to work for wages. You can own and/or manage your own business, but even then, you must live from the profits of the business and not from a salary.

Ben Jackson

In the tourist industry I have run into all kinds of people working at resorts and B&B’s. At one place at the beach we were served by a young lady from Oklahoma (US) and overheard a conversation of another server in German. Both young ladies were multilingual and I think this was the key to their employment.

I do not know the rules but the fact that you speak French and English may make you a good candidate for working in the tourist industry as they need both and although there are many English speaking Ticos I suspect there are few that speak French. This would put you in the category of there not being a Tico to fill the job. This may be your legal “in”. Check with the local tourist places and emphasize this point. They may have a job for you.

Note that working in the Tico economy you will earn Tico pay. It is not much compared to what we are used to in North America. However, it would give you a great opportunity to practice your Spanish.