Retire in Central America and Start Your Own Costa Rica retirement business

If you are one of the many Americans facing a retirement that will have to include a half-time income in order to cover your monthly expenses, you might want to consider retiring in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is fast becoming a favorite place for cash-strapped Americans to retire and start a small business. A Costa Rica retirement business is easy to set up and easy to run.

Consider some of the perks of starting your online business in Costa Rica:

• No taxes are levied on your retirement income in Costa Rica.
• Any money earned outside of Costa Rica (i.e. on the web) is not taxed.
• Real estate is very affordable and rents are low.
• The cost of living is very affordable: $15,000 will give you a comfortable life.
• Health care is subsidized by the government and is excellent and affordable.
• People from all over the world vacation in Costa Rica, so the potential for making business contacts and lasting friends is enormous.
• Living in Costa Rica is relaxing, beautiful, and fun.

To retire in Costa Rica, your best bet it to apply to become a pensionado. Pensionados can qualify for a special retirement visa so long as they have at least $600 USD per month in retirement pension income. These special retirement visas are renewed annually by providing proof that at least $7,200 was changed during the previous twelve months from US dollars to Costa Rican currently, (or $600 X twelve months). Anyone over 45 can apply for retirement status in Costa Rica.

Any web-based consulting or design business that can be run from the U.S. can be managed out of Costa Rica. Internet service is widely available. In addition to the standard start-up options for U.S. retirees, Costa Rica offers some unique opportunities for web-based businesses that service the unique needs of tourists, other retirees, and foreign visitors.

Some hot online businesses that target Costa Rican tourists include guided tours, wedding and party planning services, online travel planning, apartment and home finding services, and general concierge services. Any personal interest in the area of recreation, catering, or retirement planning can be turned into a website and a thriving consulting business. There is a great need for Americans and Canadians who have successfully retired to Costa Rica and are willing to share their skills with others who want to do the same.

Virtual Personal Assistants are also very hot in some circles, and establishing yourself as a Virtual Personal Assistant with a working knowledge of prime Costa Rican tourist locations can get you more work than you want as a retiree. You may find that between your small pension income and your part-time web-based or service-based business, you can live much more lavishly than you ever could back home on the same amount of money.

Americans are rethinking what retirement means to them in the wake of the recent stock market crash. Many now want an active retirement that includes meaningful part-time work in a beautiful setting. Retiring to Costa Rica and starting your own Costa Rica retirement business could be your chance to live out your dreams in a truly dreamy setting.