www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hello,

Im a french masseuse qualified living in London since 3 years, have been living previously many years in Spain.
I have always been attracted by Costa Rica and plan to live there.

I wonder as an independent masseuse what area is viable, I don't wish to live in San Jose.
Is Guanacaste a good province for my activity? Near the beaches for instance?

I have been communicated in another local forum, only Costa rician, they just told me to stay where Im,
as there is no more space for foreigners and that the country is in crisis with high unemployment.
Also it has been told me that the country is very poor but everything is expensive, in addition that the Costa rician are not educated and vulgar.

It is all this true? To be honest the responses I received have limit put me off, but don't match with all I read already therefore your opinion as foreigners and not local people might be very helpful.

Thanks for your time.

I assume you are a massage therapist.

The first problem is one of residency.

To legally live in Costa Rica full time you have to be a temporary resident. To legally work you have to be a permanent resident (or have a work permit - which would not apply).

Of course, as an EU citizen you qualify for a 90-day visa. You can stay 90 days, then leave the country and return. Technically you have to have a valid departure ticket - many "perpetual tourists" buy a fully refundable plane ticket and then cancel it. Some use a bus ticket.

For temporary residency there are three major categories. Investor - investing $200,000 in a business; rentista - independent income deposited in a Costa Rican bank of $2500 a month; pensionista - a lifetime pension of at least $1000 per month (too low to live on).

You can own a business as a tourist or temporary resident but you cannot work in the business. You could own a massage business but could not give massages.

As far as expensive. Yes, Costa Rica is expensive if you expect to live a EU (or US) life style. Consumer goods are very expensive (twice what they are in the US - my observation is that if something costs $100 in the US, it is normally £100 in the UK and $200 in Costa Rica).

If you live a Tico lifestyle it is different.

Costa Ricans uneducated and vulgar? Generally not. Very friendly people.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Thank you so much for this useful informations.

I'm massage therapist qualified, self employed, and don't have the amount required for investor.
I was planning to come back to London twice a year for few weeks to still see my regular clients
but it looks like that would have to be every 3 months then...

But now the question is could I work from my home being in the country 3 months as a tourist?
Not too legal no?
How the foreigner therapist manage to work there?

Thanks again.

It would be illegal for you to work from home (giving massages in your home).

Could you? Yes. The risk is that some one reports you and you get deported.

DO people work illegally? Yes. You have no "legal protection" (but you aren't someone's employee) and you'd have no health insurance unless you bought a policy.

Whether you could practically do it (provide massage therapy and make money from it) is one thing, the legality another.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Excellent accurate advice from MM3. And from my experience Costa Ricans are some of the nicest people in the world.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Thanks for the link MM3

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Entertainment purposes only, nothing posted above is true nor reflects reality nor my experience.

Thank you MM3, the infos and your advices have helped me to resume into a deeper reflexion.

The work legislation is indeed very different...
in Spain, as long you pay your "Cuota autonomo" each month you are allowed to work as self employed.
In London same, declared as sole trader then paying my tax every year, Im allowed to work by my own and from home.

I looked at Panama then, perhaps might be a better option, as for EU citizen, I can stay 180 days without Visa in the country, then travel to Costa rica and come back.
Searching now what are the requirements for self employed.
Don't like to much the idea to flirt with illegality and get deported, Gosh!

Need to study more the case to see how to do it in the best way,
I definitely would really love to live in these countries a part of the year.

An hearty thank you and warmest wishes from London

Excellent info MM3
Having run a legit (at least somewhat originally) massage business I would just add one other thing
I am not sure if you are male or female but in CR a massage usually means sex of some kind
My experience was limited w the local population basically due to my location
Still it is widely recognized by locals and expected that a massage will end happy
There are exceptions of course but working out of your house and advertising on craigslist isn't going to attract much in the way of legit clients i would think
The legitimate massage business is mostly hotels and physical therapy type locations
Those places aren't even going to consider hiring you no matter how good you are
I would suggest considering a different location
Good luck btw

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Thanks for your input LAdiablo.
I sensed that CR would be as London.
I provide Aromatherapy and Swedish massage but, by far my most popular massage is the sensual massage.
Which is a mix of therapeutic massage and sensual element, with a generous splash of sensuality ending by hand relief and breast relief but not more than that.
Also Im female

Here the seeker of full body sensual massage want happy ending but also a proper technique massage too.
I have no idea of the exigences in CR.

If you don't mind me to ask, in what province your business was located?
It was interesting you mentioned Craigslist, as I did have look there (it is well used in UK) and saw few foreigners therapist advertising only in english and telling their services was only for tourist... This get my attention...
Why only to specific people and not local? For the language or other reasons?

Im really grateful for your time, thank you.

Np and I was in the Barrio amon district at the Sportsmens Lodge
There is a banner on this site that you can click on that shows the place and I believe it is still running although I have no involvement w the business
The craigslist in CR is not used very much but i imagine it may be changing since most of us from the west tend to use it
One reason they may not want the locals is that there are plenty of local mp's in SJ that offer full service for $25-60 depending on the location
It would be my opinion that most of the guys seeking out these places don't care about the massage part
I don't think there are a whole lot of people able to do a true swedish w release but probably close enough
The guys talk about plenty of independent girls that have good techniques and again fs for $80hr
If you are attractive enough I'm sure you will have interest $50hr is probably going to be tops
My guess on the foreigner thing is just girls looking for lonely guys in hotel rooms that spend $$$

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Now that kind of changes things. If you are attractive (no you do not need to be a 10, just easy on the eyes) and you have a fun personality, you should be able to find work, but you will still be doing so illegally. If you are going to be offering happy endings, then just know you will be pressured to go all the way. I am sure you will need to adjust your pricing to fit the area as well, but if you are going after tourists then it might not be as big of a problem, but for the locals you will probably too high.

theres just no way the local girls are going to let her openly work at any of the places we know
if they don't report her they might do something else
even if she was able to blend in which i'm thinking isn't the case here it could be dangerous

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

To be frank, I never get a "massage". The novelty of a European giving a massage with hand relief or breast relief just isn't enough of a draw (for me) when I can have "full service" sex.

Craigslist or Backpage customers might be interested.

Now a hot European girl in the HDR that wants to do the horizontal mambo for Tica prices? Yes, please.

I often wonder why some of the hippie gringas don't clean up and make some extra scratch.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

MM3 is correct in the respect that with P4P so widely available, and the prices as cheap as they are, being able to make a living by offering limited play is slim. Now if full service was available then that would change things.

Thanks to all of you, for all these additional informations and advices, I really apreciate,
it is so helpful.

It looks like in CR, it is all mixed up.
Here in London, the sensual massage scene and the escort or FS scene, are really distincts.
I mean, those who want a good massage with a pleasant relief wont go to FS providers and who want a punt wont go to a sensual masseuse.
Also both scenes are popular.

In the FS scene, they are more exponed to the danger, some cases of murders and robbery related in the newspapers, in this industry have always been about escort providers but not masseuses…

I might come in May in Guanacaste and give a try for 2 weeks, advertising in Craiglist and Backpages (widely used here in UK).
Will advertise only in English and wont offer my services to locals people, maybe this way it is less risk of to be reported…(at the least not by the client) and will operate from a flat not hotel.

My initial idea was not to quit totally London, as I built here in 3 years a good base of regular clients, 70% of my costumers are regulars but after 3 years of Londonian weather I really need true sun, beaches and iodine air!
Then it would have been great to spread my time between London and a peaceful warm country… maybe CR wont be this one… ☹

However MM3 told in previous post that I could own a salon massage but not giving masages…Ok! Can I still be in the premise, assisting therapists, like reception, answering the phone, taking booking, advertising, public relation, accountancy?

But again if so, do I risk problem with the competition, for instance another salons run by locals??
LAdiablo may I ask how was your experience running a salon? How much capital is needed?

Im bit lost finally… they are friendly people but they can report you, they are friendly people but it could be dangerous for you… Im confused...

Best wishes from London.

PS: forgive my ignorance but what does P4P mean?