Make Work Great Again: Costa Rica is Perfect for Remote Workers

Costa Rica

TELL US WHAT YOUR IDEA OF A

DREAM VACATION IN COSTA RICA IS

And we’ll be in touch shorly to start planning your trip. Contact our experts directly at Whatsapp for faster service: +50661083327

Costa Rica offers the ideal base for post-COVID-19 digital nomads

By Krystal Hartman – May 28, 2020102 0

Telecommuting, telework, remote work… no matter how you say it, business as usual has changed for good.

The remote workspace offers a new frontier of sorts, ripe with possibility for companies to cut costs and diversify, and digital nomads are the pioneers taking the concept to the highest level. It is not just about working from home, but from a home-away-from-home. The flexibility to choose one’s “office” will set today’s employees free. Unchained from their desks, they’ll be provided an opportunity to travel the world AND make a living.

And what better place to remote work is there than Costa Rica?

Already, most multinationals have a percentage of their workforce operating remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that it works to a degree never imagined before. Companies are further discovering that not only do they save on office expenses, but staff working overseas adds cultural diversity to business production.

Costa Rica offers the ultimate opportunity for remote professionals

Why Costa Rica? Big improvements in infrastructure and communications have transformed the country from third-world digital status to a competitive force quite capable of holding its own in the international market, especially in the capital city, San José, and major beach towns. The government is at the forefront of making serious remote working a reality, and entrepreneurs are developing strategies to attract skilled professionals interested in making the move.

Back in 2007, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute, ICE, launched a $59 million project called Frontera a Frontera, “from border to border,” and began laying a fiber-optic network to provide high-speed internet technology across the nation.

Today, the service is supported by submarine cable networks from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Individuals and companies can acquire service with U.S.-grade up and download speeds from ICE, and several private companies offer high-speed packages with comparable bandwidth and quality.

Costa Rica already offers the citizens of most countries 90-day tourist visas, which can be extended every three months by leaving the country briefly—commonly known as the “border-run”—or requesting a temporary residence permit. What is further needed to make the country the ultimate worker’s hub is being implemented as we speak – even faster internet at the coasts and more hotels setting up good co-working spaces.

THE REMOTE WORKFORCE HAS GROWN 173% SINCE 2005, 11% FASTER THAN THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE.
The new business paradigm

Why Costa Rica? Big improvements in infrastructure and communications have transformed the country from third-world digital status to a competitive force quite capable of holding its own in the international market, especially in the capital city, San José, and major beach towns. The government is at the forefront of making serious remote working a reality, and entrepreneurs are developing strategies to attract skilled professionals interested in making the move.

Back in 2007, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute, ICE, launched a $59 million project called Frontera a Frontera, “from border to border,” and began laying a fiber-optic network to provide high-speed internet technology across the nation.

Today, the service is supported by submarine cable networks from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Individuals and companies can acquire service with U.S.-grade up and download speeds from ICE, and several private companies offer high-speed packages with comparable bandwidth and quality.

Costa Rica already offers the citizens of most countries 90-day tourist visas, which can be extended every three months by leaving the country briefly—commonly known as the “border-run”—or requesting a temporary residence permit. What is further needed to make the country the ultimate worker’s hub is being implemented as we speak – even faster internet at the coasts and more hotels setting up good co-working spaces.

By doing what young adults do best—challenge the status quo—Millennials and Generation Z (piggybacking on the bold and brave Generation Xers) are redefining work productivity and the hierarchical pyramid model of business by introducing a new paradigm that encourages more creativity and innovation from employees. Take Google or Apple for example. And it so happens that remote working is a big part of it.

The lure of living in big cities may be losing its shine, leading more younger people to being open to living in smaller communities, or even other countries. “Why would an employee working in an office in New York City or San Francisco fork over the bulk of their pay in rent to do a job in an office which they are perfectly capable of doing elsewhere? Forget that $600,000 studio in the Bay Area and go rural if your job allows it,” says Niall McCarthy in Why Higher Remote Working Rates Should Be One Of The Things We Keep After The COVID-19 Crisis

 

BUT EVEN AFTER THE CORONAVIRUS NO LONGER REQUIRES IT, WORKING FROM HOME IS LIKELY TO RETAIN A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN CORPORATE LIFE

— DAVID STREITFELD, NEW YORK TIMES (WHITE-COLLAR COMPANIES RACE TO BE LAST TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE)

Why Costa Rica?

Cheaper cost of housing: An average newer two bedroom apartment in the Central Valley with pool, etc. is $1000/mo + utilities

Lifestyle: Youthful, dynamic population; urban and rural environments; easily accessible beaches on two oceans (as little as a 1.5 hour drive)

Fibre optic networks: built out in cities and major beach towns

Weather/climate: From the temperate San José/Central Valley area to the tropical coasts/beaches, you have choices

Access to nature: beach, jungle, mountains, wildlife – it’s all easy to access

Stable politics: A constitutional republic, Costa Rica is known for its long-standing and stable democracy, its progressive environmental policies, and its highly educated workforce.

Convenient time zone: Costa Rica’s Central Standard Time will keep remote workers in sync with their home offices

Accessible: Short flights to/from North and South American cities

 

A new “Temporary Residence” visa status will be made available to remote workers based on the following criteria:

Fact: The U.S. and Canadian citizens pay federal taxes to their countries no matter where they live.

In recognition of this, the Government of Costa Rica will grant approved applicants “tax-free status” for the duration of their temporary residency in Costa Rica.

Remote work residents will be required to flow a minimum of $40,000 annually through a Costa Rican bank to cover their living expenses and other expenditures while in the country.

Remote work residents will purchase health insurance from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund.

In exchange, Costa Rica will grant this remote workforce temporary resident status for a determined period of years. After this, permanent residency status can be applied for.

We believe this remote work movement has the potential to create a new paradigm for work that is superior to both traditional office work and digital nomadism. The goal is to combine the best of both worlds, manifesting a future of work that is more productive, profitable, and fulfilling.

Tags: Costa Rica, home, travel, work

You May Also Like

Today June 16th It’s World Sea Turtle Day!
Costa Rica becomes one of the most popular vacation destinations on Google

Must Read